Bandslam

When I finished with The Perfect Getaway, I went right outside to the box office and bought a ticket for Bandslam. It seemed like a good way to bookend a very tense horror movie.

I figured this would be a mindless teen movie. Yes, it was a teen movie, but it was anything but mindless. I really liked this movie, and you will too if you like to see teenagers singing on the big screen.

There was so much about this movie that felt fresh. First off, we start with a "loser" hero who is tormented at his school by bullies. But then we switch gears. He goes to a new school, and actually makes some friends, some of whom are popular. Unlike most teen heroes, he is actually on a path already towards manhood. It was enjoyable to watch his story unfold. He is strong, but also frail in a teenage way. It reminded me of most of the real teenagers I have known, including myself back in the day.

In a lot of ways, this is the "anti" High School Musical, without taking away from that successful genre. Vanessa Hudgens does her part by playing a character that is very different from her character in that series.

I was cheering at the climax of this movie (well, I was almost alone in the theater), and I had a huge smile on my face when I left. It left me a good mood for the rest of the entire day.