Richard Linklater's School of Rock (2003) was the director's first venture into the murky world of PG-13 comedy, but he came out pretty much unscathed. This hardly an original movie, though: at its core, it's about a bunch of underdogs that band together and attempt to succeed in the face of blah blah blah. But thanks to a number of great performances, memorable characters, plenty of heart and a boatload of musical talent, School of Rock ends up being more than the sum of its parts. It...*sigh*...rocks.

Jack Black stars as Dewey Finn, a talented but down-and-out rocker with a penchant for procrastination. He's behind on the rent, but lifelong friend and roommate Ned (Mike White, who also wrote the film) lets Dewey's behavior slide...much to the dismay of Ned's domineering girlfriend, Patty (Sarah Silverman). Though Dewey realizes he might have to give up music, he intercepts a phone call about a substitute teaching gig that's meant for Ned. Against what most folks would call "better judgment", Dewey decides to take the plunge and impersonate Ned at the prestigious Horace Green Prep School, not realizing that misrepresentation and possible check forgery aren't exactly equal to "pulling your own weight".

Anyway, that's just the setup. School of Rock is really about Ned's goofball approach to teaching, and one that gradually leads to acceptance on both sides of the classroom. His natural gift for music brings out the hidden talents of many students, and it's not long before Dewey attempts to corral the kids into performing at a Battle of the Bands to earn some extra cash. But beneath the film's formulaic and over- the-top exterior lies a funny and heartfelt comedy, and one that anyone with a shred of love for music should be able to enjoy on more than one occasion. School of Rock is almost a throwback to underdog comedies of decades past...and in lesser hands, it would've crumbled under the comparison.

Originally released on DVD by Paramount eight years ago, School of Rock's transition to DVD is a fairly open-and-shut case: we're simply granted a visual upgrade and treated to the same batch of extras as before. Perhaps the only drawback to this release is that it's a Best Buy exclusive, although a wide release will probably occur further down the line. In any case, this is a great package that fans should have no trouble revisiting...and if you're new to the film, it's a pretty solid jumping-on point.

Video & Audio Quality

2004's Special Collector's Edition DVD looked pretty good for its time, but this 1080p transfer offers a notable, satisfying improvement across the board. Presented in a slightly opened up 1.78:1 aspect ratio---as opposed to the theatrical 1.85:1---we get a wonderfully detailed image with no excessive digital manipulation. Colors are accurate, textures are consistently crisp and black levels are deep and rich from start to finish. A fine layer of film grain is also apparent. Overall, this work was done with care (not surprising for a Paramount title), and that's more than I can say for most Blu-Ray catalog releases.

We also get a nice upgrade in the audio department, as this music-heavy film is blessed with a robust DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix; French, Spanish and Portuguese dubs are also available in Dolby Digital 5.1. This is largely a front-heavy mix, but the frequent music cues are clear, crisp and powerful. Surround channels are also reserved for occasional background ambience...but any way you slice it, this is a great-sounding disc that fans will appreciate. Optional English, English SDH, Spanish, French and Portuguese subtitles are also included during the main feature and most of the extras (see below).

All bonus features are presented in full screen or letterboxed 480p...save for the trailer, which gets a nice 1080p bump. Optional English subtitles have been included during all applicable bonus features.