School of Rock (2003)
★★½ — School of Rock (2003)
Richard Linklater made School of Rock in 2003 as something of a commercial detour between the low-key nostalgia of Dazed and Confused (1993) and the rotoscoped ambition of A Scanner Darkly (2006), taking on a proper studio comedy for Paramount with a $35 million budget and a script written by Mike White (who also appears in the film as Dewey's long-suffering flatmate). White wrote the central role specifically with Jack Black in mind, and it arrived at just the right moment in Black's career, coming off the back of High Fidelity and Tenacious D work that had built him a devoted cult following. The film was a substantial box office success, nearly quadrupling its budget on its theatrical run, and became the kind of crowd-pleaser that tends to define a certain type of early-2000s family comedy, polished but unpretentious.
School of Rock is exactly what you expect: a big, loud, guitar-riff-powered underdog story where Jack Black teaches a bunch of prep-school kids how to shred, rebel, and basically become miniature rock gods. The plot’s predictable. Misfit adult inspires gifted kids who were cool all along, they win hearts, everyone learns to believe in themselves. It’s harmless and occasionally funny. The kids are actually great, full of charm and musical talent, and it’s fun watching them discover rock through Black’s manic, over-the-top Dewey Finn. But here’s the thing: this film is 100% Jack Black, all the time. His energy, his voice, his whole “rock god” shtick is the engine of the movie, and if you’re not fully on board with him (and I’m not), it gets exhausting fast. The jokes are broad, the sentiment is cranked to eleven, and the whole thing leans so hard into his persona that it starts to feel less like a movie and more like a Jack Black concert with a plot loosely attached. It’s not bad, just very average. It’s a feel-good formula done well, but still a formula. The music’s fun, the kids steal the show, and it’s harmless enough for a lazy Sunday. But if you’re lukewarm on Black’s style, it’s easy to come away thinking: “Yeah, that was fine.” Perfectly okay, but forgettable if you’re not already a believer.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 2003 | Watched: 2025-09-02
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Amazon Prime Video · Paramount Plus · Paramount+ Amazon Channel · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Richard Linklater: Before Sunrise (1995) · Dazed and Confused (1993)
More with Jack Black: Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) · Kung Fu Panda (2008) · King Kong (2005) · Tropic Thunder (2008)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
More music: Style Wars (1983) · 8 Mile (2002) · Chicken for Linda! (2023) · Tender Mercies (1983)
