Jack goes to the head of class in School of Rock.
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Stickin' it to the man. That's what rock and roll is all about according to Dewey Finn, Jack Black's living, breathing, guitar-shredding testament to the power of amped-up riffage in the movie School of Rock. Dewey is so devoted to rocking as a way of life that he won't let a little snag like getting booted from his band stand in his way.
For a while, though, things are looking grim. Rejected by his tattooed, longhaired comrades and way behind on his rent, Dewey needs a plan. Fast. The phone rings, and he's got it: Dewey impersonates his roommate, Ned Schneebly (Mike White), and accepts a substitute-teaching gig at a swanky private elementary school. Unbeknownst to buttoned-up Principal Mullins (Joan Cusack), he begins showing his fifth-graders ‑- who are more partial to Christina Aguilera than Led Zeppelin ‑- how to rock, with an eye on taking revenge on his former group at an upcoming battle of the bands.
There's undeniable chemistry between Jack and the kids, and School of Rock, directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused), delivers big laughs and honest-to-goodness rock and roll. Everyone gets to showcase his or her chops ‑- especially Mr. Black, who has a killer set of pipes, as anyone who's heard folk-metal duo Tenacious D is well aware. And though he revels in sharp-tongued, raised-eyebrow naughtiness, there's something undeniably sweet behind that impish sense of humor, which is perfect for this feel-good tale of classroom high jinks.