Starring: Alyson Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelen Connell, Lisa Kudrow
Director: Todd Graff (Camp)
Running Time: 1 hr 51 min
Release Date: August 14, 2009
Budget: $20 million
Average Critics’ Score: 74%
“…an entertaining ode to teenage joie de vivre.” Ruth McCann, Washington Post
“…arbitrary romantic conflicts, leaden melodrama, and a tiresome subplot.” Nathan Rabin, The Onion (A.V. Club)
Yes, they’re both teen movies about aspiring high school singers starring Hudgens, but Bandslam is smarter and much more realistic than the oft-compared squeaky clean and totally cheesy High School Musical. In a familiar tale about discovering who you are through the power of music, this sweet drama is about a dorky new kid (Connell) who moves to New Jersey where he encounters an individualistic ex-cheerleader (Michalka) and a moody loner (Hudgens) who both happen to be fantastic singers. And, of course, there’s that pivotal battle of the bands contest. While it does tread on familiar territory, Bandslam rises above the genre with its original characters and diverse soundtrack.
