"Bandslam"

Surprisingly, I'm recommending that you SEE "Bandslam"! The movie stars newcomer Gaelan Connell, who plays Will Burton, a music fanatic and a huge fan of David Bowie. Will lives a miserable life due to being ashamed of his father, who killed a child while driving drunk. Students even refer to Will as "Dewey" or "DWI" (Driving While Intoxicated)! Fortunately, Will's mother, Karen, played by Lisa Kudrow (Friends), finds a new job! The two pack up and move, leaving their old lives behind. At his new high school, the buzz is all about "Bandslam"- a "battle of the bands" competition in which the winning band gets a record contract. Will first meets a bookworm, Sa5m (the 5 is silent), played by Vanessa Hudgens(High School Musical) and they become awkward friends. But soon he meets the very attractive, Charlotte, played very well by Alyson Michalka (78Violet- formally Aly and AJ). She's a gifted singer/songwriter, who eventually asks Will to be her band's manager, due to his knowledge of music. Charlotte's plans are to beat out her ex-boyfriend's band in the "Bandslam" competition. Will takes the opportunity and turns the band into a fantastic group that he names "I Can't Go On, I'll Go On"! Do they have what it takes to win "Bandslam"? It's a little movie that made a big impression on me! At first, you think, oh Vanessa Hudgens, a music incorporated movie, just another HSM type film. Though the movie is appropriate for young high school musical fans, this film is on a whole other standared. Unlike the HSM movies, the film doesn't just stereotype high school students in a sense of jocks, brainiacs, and other nonsense that doesn't exactly exist as HSM portrays it. Vanessa Hudgens does a fantastic job as the character Sa5m, bypassing all her performances in the HSM movies. Gaelan Connell definately made a name for himself with his performance as Will. Lisa Kudrow from "Friends" was great as the mother that has a hard time parenting and being a friend to her son at the same time. Then there's Aly Michalka who blew me away as a young girl who is trying to please her sick father with a lifestyle that he approves of. I feel like most HSM fans of Vanessa Hudgens will come expecting what they won't get... a happy-go-lucky film with happy rainbows and sunshine! This is more of a movie that teens will enjoy because it's not like most movies about teens. It's clean, quick-witted, and great for anyone who knows what a good drama is! I give "Bandslam" a 4 out of 5 rating, for I enjoyed it, but a few parts were a bit predictable! Oh, and if I didn't mention it, there was a sneak-peak at "New Moon" before the movie began that should satisfy all "Twilight" fans!