Charming, energetic and amusing, Bandslam is one of the best surprises in some time. After an abbreviated theatrical run over the summer and some terrible marketing, this little gem arrives unheralded onto DVD. Easily one of the most overlooked and underrated movies of 2009, Bandslam should have no problems finding its tween and teen audience on DVD, but the movie isn’t just for them, it’s for anyone who wants a well-written movie about the power of music from the John Hughes school of filmmaking. Some of the twists are predictable, the movie is a tad overlong, and the issues raised are mostly of the squeaky-clean Disney variety, but Bandslam retains a charming and endearing quality and has a solid cast and production values.

Bandslam stars Disney teen queens Vanessa Hudgens and Aly Michalka, and Gaelan Connell (who plays Will Burton) as the new kid to school, who is enlisted by the very popular Charlotte Banks (Michalka) to help whip her band into shape for a popular battle of the bands event called Bandslam. At the same time, Will strikes up a friendship/romance with an Emo named Sa5m (played by Hudgens). Lisa Kudrow (Friends) adds solid support as Will’s loving Mom and even has a nice dramatic scene or two that add some dramatic heft to this admittedly light-weight teen flick. There’s also a smarmy ex-boyfriend to deal with (there always is!) and more complications on the way to Bandslam. The DVD looks and sounds good with the music clear and sharp. There’s a decent 22 minute making of featurette hosted by the two teen stars, a lively audio commentary, nine deleted scenes, and some musical performances and music videos to round out the impressive slate of extras.

Given that Bandslam was a box office flop, it’s nice to see that Summit put a lot of effort into the DVD release. Breezy and amusing, Bandslam is well-worth a rental or purchase. A surprisingly solid movie that gets an easy recommendation.

Grade: B+

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