Drumline

A fresh, spirited crowd-pleaser built on the chassis of a sports-underdog plot, Drumline stars wiry, charismatic newcomer Nick Cannon as a cocky freshman marching band drummer from Harlem who arrives at Atlanta A&T expecting to become the campus king of sticks-and-snares without having to pay his dues. Naturally, even though the kid is a spectacular drummer, it isn't long before he's butting heads with the drill-sergeant-like upperclassman who leads the drumline--a guy who's not about to let some snot-nosed hot shot treat his section like a backup band for showboating solos. Drumline sports unsuspected depth in both the story arc and character development--even in supporting roles--and Cannon is a funny, insolently charming screen presence, but the movie's real vitality comes from the percussion rhythm, the brass soul, and the sense of fierce competition that helps make great marching bands half the fun of going to college football games. Although the inevitable showdown competition with a rival school's band is marred by bad editing, an exhilarating, centerfield duel between the bands' drumlines is exactly what the film needs for a big finish, and boy does it deliver. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Charles Stone III, a BET making-of special, 10 deleted scenes w/optional director commentary, music videos (“I Want a Girl Like You” by Joe featuring Jadakiss, and “Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)” by J.C. Chasez of ‘NSYNC), a soundtrack promo, and a trailer. Bottom line: A solid extras package for a winning little film.] (R. Blackwelder)[DVD Review—Feb. 19, 2008—Fox, 122 min., PG-13, $19.98—Making its second appearance on DVD, 2002's Drumline (Special Edition) adds a few extra minutes and features a fine transfer. DVD extras include the earlier audio commentary by director Charles Stone III, the production featurettes “Half-Time Heroes” (14 min.), “The Real Battle of the Bands” (9 min.), and “Anatomy of a Drumline” (9 min.), four deleted scenes with optional commentary (5 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: if you own the earlier release of this winning little film, this upgrade—which adds a trio of new featurettes, but also dumps some earlier extras, including the music videos—isn't necessary. If not, this is well worth picking up.][Blu-ray Review—Feb. 3, 2009—Fox, 118 min., PG-13, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2002's Drumline boasts a fine transfer with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound. Blu-ray extras are identical to those on the standard DVD release, including audio commentary by director Charles Stone III, the production featurettes “Half-Time Heroes” (14 min.), “The Real Battle of the Bands” (9 min.), and “Anatomy of a Drumline” (9 min.), four deleted scenes with optional commentary (5 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a real sleeper that still charms and looks sharp in Blu.]