I know that this is a strange departure from the usual Narnia news, and believe me when I say: more Narnia news is coming, and you’re going to love it. I just wanted to take the time to tell you all about a film from the studio that is bringing us The Chronicles of Narnia movies. It’s called Bandslam and it’s a film that I went into expecting to enjoy it, but not much more than that. I found myself really having a great time with it, and wondering where the marketing department missed the boat.
I thought they might have seen the wrong movie, by the way it was being promoted, and came out of the theater having experienced a wonderful little film whose characters captured me and captivated me as they went on their journey through the film. It’s not really about a battle of the bands competition, though that is part of it. It’s really about the character of Will, who has problems just like anyone else. In fact, everyone in the movie is more than meets the eye, and every character is brought in with a purpose. I can’t recommend this movie highly enough.
It says a lot about this film, that on rottentomatoes.com, it has a rating of 80% positive reviews. Not to mention that the cream of the crop, the major film critics, are sitting with 90% positive reviews. I recommend that you go into this film simply expecting to walk away having had a good time for a couple of hours. You should find yourself entertained by it, if not blown away by how good the movie is. The dialog, capably written by Josh Cagan, is realistic, and reminiscent of John Hughes. In fact, the movie reminds me of a current generation John Hughes, though his films have aged rather well, for the most part.
The main character in the film is played by newcomer Gaelan Connell, and he sure does carry the film well. In fact, I won’t be surprised if this film gets him into more films very quickly. The acting in the film is really top notch by him and the rest of the cast.
This is a film that all involved should be, and are, proud to be a part of, regardless of the movie’s box office returns. It’s definitely worth the trip to the theatre. It’s the perfect film to end the summer, before the start of the school year.
Bug and Omar, two of the cast members, said to me via twitter that they’d be willing to play some LIVE shows, in their words: “cheers for the support! personally, we would love to play some live shows. ONLY if the supporters ask for it, that is-bug & omar.”
Alyson Michalka, of Aly and AJ fame (now 78violet) has been attending screenings, and announcing it via Twitter as well, to watch the film with the audience. She’s very supportive of the movie, and is showing it with awesome interaction with the fans.
This movie is much closer to School of Rock in style, than it is to High School Musical. It’s a movie with a lot of heart, and has some great character moments. Personally, I can’t wait to see it again.
Do not judge this movie based on the trailers or the poster. It exceeds both entirely. Vanessa Hudgens plays a role that is nothing like her character in High School Musical and shows her ability to play multiple character types very well. Her character doesn’t even reflect who she appears to be in the trailer. This is a movie that deserves to be cheered for, and has had many audiences of press cheering across the country. It could be one of those movies that just falls to the wayside, but that would be unfortunate.
If you’ve seen it, and enjoyed it, please comment below.
More Information: WaldenFans.com (Bandslam News) – Bandslam Official Website