The School of RockMovie Reviews

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Must Go!
Avg. Critic Score: 82 out of 100 Universal acclaim Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
12 OK for kids 12+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    San Francisco Chronicle |

    All Black, all the time, and could easily have been an exhausting mess. But the movie is coherent, hilarious and surprisingly sweet. Read full review

  • 100
    Washington Post | Ann Hornaday

    An exuberant, raucous and thoroughly endearing comedy Read full review

  • 100
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    The School of Rock was made by gifted veterans of the American indie scene, but it's still the most unlikely great movie of the year. Read full review

  • 88
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    If quirky, independent, grown-up outsider filmmakers set out to make a family movie, this is the kind of movie they would make. And they did. Read full review

  • 88
    USA Today | Mike Clark

    It plays even more like a bent version of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man" for the new millennium. Slinging a line of bull but displaying genuine affection for the youngsters he's bamboozling. Read full review

  • 80
    The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt

    The film hits another comic mother lode in the byplay between Black and Cusack. Read full review

  • 80
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    A very funny for-kids-of-all-ages delight that should catapult Mr. Black straight to the top of the A-list of Hollywood funnymen. Read full review

  • 80
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    Takes a clever premise and Black's unflagging manic energy and comes up with a pleasing mainstream comedy that uses new people and attitudes to entertain in old-fashioned ways. Read full review

  • 75
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Even education can't kill the demon of fun in Black. Enroll in his class and you won't stop laughing. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety | Dennis Harvey

    Combined with hilarious physical business and perfectly overearnest delivery of pseudocool lines like, "Let your fingers do the rocking!," he (Black) pretty much single-handedly keeps the formulaic progress funny. Read full review

View more reviews for The School of Rock on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 12+ Standout Jack Black in nerd-becomes-cool comedy.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this movie includes some strong language, alcohol abuse, and drug references. There is some rude humor. The overall theme of jettisoning schoolwork for rock and roll may also be a concern.
  • Families can talk about how much Dewey loves rock and roll. Why is it so important to him? What does it allow him to express? What is the most important thing he learned from the kids, and what is the most important thing they learned from him?
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Tense scenes.
  • sex false0 Sex: Mild sexual references.
  • language false3 Language: Some strong language -- "damn," "ass," "bitch."
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Character abuses alcohol, drug references.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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