Customer Reviews

Drumline (Special Edition)

5 star:		(96)
4 star:		(52)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

that's what you'll think when you finish this DVD!

It's a great flick! If you've ever been in a marching band, no matter how long ago, it will bring it right back to you. Now, most of us only dreamed of being in bands the caliber of those featured in drumline. They are the cream....I didn't catch the names of the REAL marching bands that participated in the movie (the college names are fictional, I believe)...but they were the stars of this particular show.

The filmmakers captured the difficulty and exhuberance of being a part of "one band, one music" and the dedication these young people have to being the best at what they do. The only recognizable actor is intense Orlando Jones, as Mr. Lee...and he is very good at what he does.

The plot is pretty typical...boy who is a little different from the crowd has incredible talent, faces adversity, finds love, finds his way back to his dream. The boy is a newcommer named Nick Cannon, who has a real screen persona. He's hard not to like. The real star is the music, and the marching, and the in your face color spectacle of being involved in marching band at the college competition level.

For a real feel-good experience, catch Drumline. It's awesome!

Let me preface my comments with my bias first: I am a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, so the notion of a movie set on an historically black college campus (A&T-filmed on CAU's beautiful campus) gets points out the gate. This movie, however, managed to do something that its ealier predecessor's failed to do: entertain, educate, and rally the audience all at the same time.

"Drumline" is your classic story of a highly talented and cocky freshman coming into his own by bumping heads with authority and consequently learning to respect the differences. Where this movie picks up major points is that it takes you directly into the heart of a culture (HBC bands) and helps to preserve on film to some and present to others something that has an awesome legacy in Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

There is something incredibly awesome about seeing bands battle on the big screen. The adrenaline gets going and you find yourself cheering during the competitions. When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I knew I would have to see it.

Nick Cannon does a wonderful job with the main character, Devin. And less we forget, the extras in this movie were totally on point. I'm so glad that this movie was as well done and well received as it was, and I hope that Hollywood takes note and gives us more movies like this one.

Also worth mentioning, excluding some very light profanity, this is pretty much a good movie for anyone to watch, be it families, dates, or just friends hanging out. I know that this DVD will be the highlight of my collection for a while.

My review of "Drumline" is based on what I saw at the theater, not on home video. First of all, the plot is pure formula, inspired by "An Officer and A Gentleman". Remove that complaint, and it's a great film. The movie is highly original in that it shows, (perhaps for the first time on the screen), what it's really like to be in a marching band in college. This film does an excellent job in showing a real-life school, with real people, in a way that should not offend that many people. There's no real gratutious sex, violence, or bad language. What it has is in keeping with it's PG-13 rating. Nick Cannon graduates from a high school in a lower-income neighborhood in New York City. He was raised by his mother, his father having little to do with either one of them. He gets a musical diploma to a college in Atlanta. He has an attitude; he's a great drummer and he knows it. We later find out he cann't read sheet music, (he lied on his college application), but he has the ability to learn very fast by hearing alone. The fact that Nick was raised by a single parent also contributes to his bad attitude towards the world. Nick does have some good morals, but, it takes some attitude adjustment to bring them out. Orlando Jones, the only big name in the cast, is very believable as the musical director who is stuck on out-of-date music, that while nice to listen to, is not winning the big competition with the other schools. The college pricipal really wants a winning band, much like another pricipal would want a winning football team. The movie shows that being on a marching band means being on time, being part of a team, constant workouts, (just as hard as the football players), and when one person makes a mistake everyone suffers. Also there are four levels in the band from the most talented down to the rookiees. A person on a lower lever can challenge a person on a higher level to a one-on-one musical competition for their seat. The nerve-racking fact that college students, many in their teens or early twenties, have to be near perfect in front of a stadium filled with thousands of people is also shown.I doubt if what it really means to be in a band in college has ever been shown in such detail in a movie before. For the record, I was never in a band in school, but those who were, have said what is shown on the screen is very accurate. "Drumline" does have moments when what the viewer expected to happen does occur, but, it has enough surprises to keep the film-goer engaged. The acting, camera work, music, and location filming are all first rate. This is more than a "fish out of water" film, this is a movie about real people at a real college playing in a real marching band.

Drumline is a heart-thumping, feet-stompin', get-up-and-shake-your-...-and-feel-good type of movie that makes one thankful to be alive. Nick Cannon plays a gifted drummer from the inner city who gets a full scholarship to Atlanta T&T, a predominantly black college which has a long history of having an exceptional marching band.

Most of the characters are black. A few well placed faces are white. The story, of gifted ambition fighting against the system, is universal. Nick's love interest is Zoe Saldana, a lovely cheerleader (whom I had seen in Center Stage and Crossroads). Orlando Jones (Evolution, The Time Machine) plays an overly conservative band director who is challenged to bring more excitement to defeat longtime rival, Morris Brown College, at the upcoming band competition classic.

Nick wears his motor-board and graduates from high school. There's a touching scene where he goes to see his father, who works as a ticket taker - and "thanks" him for not being there when he needed him. In college, Nick's rebellious nature gets him into trouble and eventually kicked off of the band. He makes a triumphant return - and everyone lives happily ever after (but, of course).

Along the way, however, we are treated to the most exciting display of marching band prowess - and drum line percussion riffs - I've ever enjoyed anywhere! Take it from me, you'll never in a million years view such an exhibition on Saturday afternoon NCAA football!

The finale is spectacular. On the field, you'd be life-challenged to see black cheerleader mid-driffs more sensual; or black drum beats so inspirational. The bands duel, and tie; and the drum lines face-off for the conclusion. Not a word was spoken, but I've never experienced anything so dramatic; and I literally ended the film with my heart pounding in my chest, and tears streaming down my cheeks.

There's a touching moment in the deleted scenes where Nick goes to thank his father - who turned out to offer him a key piece of inspiration in the film.

Drumline is viscerally and emotionally powerful; and it is easily one of the best movies I've seen all year (black or otherwise). I'm sure you'll love it as much as I did!

Nothing like a percussion section to dress up a marching band--to give the band some flair and a nice touch of razzle-dazzle. Is it any wonder percussion sections are often comprised of flamboyant, overly-confident, enthusiastic showboaters? And there's nothing wrong with that: after all, these guys have to strut their stuff, entertain the crowd, and hold the band together--all at the same time.

The movie DRUMLINE pays homage to the determined percussionists who entertain college football crowds on Saturday afternoons. The story itself is formulaic and predictable: young Devon (Nick Cannon), a snare drummer with buckets of talent but a serious attitude, is constantly on the outs with his no-nonsense band director, Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones, forever known to me as the 7UP dude). But the story is enhanced by the fascinating trials and tribulations of the (fictitious) Atlanta A&T marching band as it progresses through a long football season. The viewer is privy to the band's countless practices, personality clashes, section challenges, and performances. But the performances make this movie so entertaining; director Charles Stone III and his crew really knew their stuff, as DRUMLINE vividly portrays the gritty and glittery realism of a big-time college marching band.

I even get a nice little workout while I watch this film--especially when Atlanta A&T's percussion section must meet a challenging drumline in a "face-off" to determine the winner of a national marching band contest. The drum cadences, the pounding and clashing rhythms, are so clean, crisp, and compelling that I find myself first bobbing my head to the beat, then swaying and strutting to the delightful sounds. Finally, I'm slapping my beer belly in unison with the cadence (and I keep up pretty well, if I do say so myself). The workout provides a fresh burst of energy, and so does DRUMLINE.
--D. Mikels

"Drumline" is a sterling example of a movie that works because it follows a winning formula while avoiding cliche. So many movies force their characters to march through the elements of the formula, treating them as nothing more than pawns. But "Drumline" gives us characters with ideas, souls, and intelligence, so that they drive the plot, rather than let the plot drive them. And it even offers a few surprises.

Devon (well-played by Nick Cannon) is our hero, and even though he grew up poor in Harlem, he's proud that he lives clean, has fathered no children, and earned his full scholarship to college. He's cocky, but with good reason, as he's the best drummer in school - and he plans to be the best drummer in college, as well.

The college scenes, incidentally, are a band geek's dream. We see how band camp is run as sort of a Basic Training Lite, and how there's a hierarchy that has to be followed. But then the movie does an interesting thing - it gives the characters in Devon's life dimensions. Sean, Devon's section leader, isn't a villain but a kid given a tough job who makes bad choices while trying to do the right thing. And the band director, Dr. Lee, is immediately set up as a no-nonsense, pro-education hero - but toward the middle of the movie, we suspect that his point of view might not be the only acceptable one.

The formula presses on, and while the film inevitably builds to a big (and kind of awesome) showdown between rival drumlines, there are nifty surprises along the way. It's inevitable that Devon's antics get him suspended from the band, but watch how they happen, and how they defy expectations. And watch how Dr. Lee has to make some difficult decisions and be true to himself, even as he defines what that truth is.

There's a reason why we like movies about cocky underdogs with talent. "Drumline" knows this and exploites it to the hilt - and sure enough, we end up with big, goofy smiles on our faces and hearts. And along the way we get to see some great marching bands and a lot of genuine comedy - who can ask for more than that?

This DVD is better than I expected. I saw this movie in the theater, and I liked it. But I brought the DVD for the bonus features. Nick Cannon plays the starring role as Devon Miles. His incredible talent of playing drums gets him a scholarship to the marching band at A&T University in Atlanta. He is easily the best drummer in the university, even better than the captain of the marching band, Sean, who then becomes jealous of his talent. Devon's ego about being the best causes problems between him, Sean, and their coach, Dr. Lee. Eventually, Dr. Lee goes back and forth about firing Devon and letting him back on the team. As the movie goes on, Devon learns that it takes more than talent to be the best. This is my favorite musical of all time. Besides the wicked drumming Nick Cannon does, the DVD is good.
The DVD has a director's commentary, the making of the movie, 2 music videos (I Want A Girl Like You by Joe & Jadakiss and Blowin Me Up by JC Chasez from N Sync.), and 10 deleted scenes you won't wanna miss. This movie has comedy, drama, and lots of music. I didn't give this a 5 because some scenes are boring.

This is a wonderful portrayal of the hard work that goes into a "simple" halftime show. The movie dedicated just enough time into showing the friendships that form between band members from spending so much time together, the rivals that come up not only between band members but between bands, and how any one flaw in one person can mess up the whole band. "One band, One sound" was their motto and the way to get to that one sound was played out wonderfully. Any former marching band member will feel their pain when they all have to run track because one person messed up. I also appreciated how each section leader told their group that they were the glue that held the band together. There is a romantic story line that runs along behind the story of a drummer with big dreams. In the end, the title of the movie comes out with a big drum battle to determine who will win the BET classic. This drum battle alone will make you want to see the movie again the next day, and is the main reason I'll be buying this movie the day it comes out. I hope there will be more band movies coming out, this ones a classic!!!

Great look into marching band competition. Well acted. Life lessons -- persistance, respect, focus on goals, team not individual, follow dreams, and more. Great for pre-teens on up.

Drumline (Charles Stone III, 2002)

What so many reviewers have already said about this movie will only be echoed here; for once, pretty much everyone's got it right. There's a lot of extraneous stuff going on in Drumline, and the movie would have benefitted from a far sterner hand in the editing department. The trite, predictable romance and the rebelling-against-authority could have been dispensed with completely, and then we would have been left with the drums.

The drums are, of course, the reason to watch Drumline. Band camp as boot camp. Endless practicing. The heat of competition and the struggle to outwit the Smiths, the Joneses, and all other comers. Band not just as an after-school activity, but as an obsession.

Would the viewership of the film have been smaller without the silly subplots? It might have been, and the movie might not have gotten the kind of distribution it did if it could be billed as a love story. Ultimately, though, it would have been a better movie. And three years down the pike, those of us who are still watching are watching it for one reason: the drums. So we're back to where we started. ***