For some, Saturday night football is about the halftime show.
Conceptually, “Drumline” pulls halftime from the field into theaters. However, the movie is nothing more than a flashy, musically talented story repeating a tired theme: what it means to be a part of a team.
“It’s like ‘Bring It On 2,” said Thomas Villarubia, a mass communication junior. “Only this time, less skirts and more drums.”
The movie is based on the experiences of Dallas Austin, Grammy-winning producer-songwriter, as a high school drummer. Austin served as the film’s executive producer and executive music producer.
The movie begins as Devon Miles, played by Nick Cannon, graduates from his Harlem high school and heads to Atlanta A&T to join its marching band. Upon arriving, he meets his love interest, Zoà Saldana, and makes enemies with the percussion section leader Leonard Robert. There is an underlying rivalry between Atlanta A&T and Morris Brown College as they both fight to become No. 1.
This movie’s recycled plot does not hold viewers’ interest. An egotistical young individual joins an organization and learns he is part of a whole.
The poorly written script does not add to the overall enjoyment of the movie. Not only does most of it come off sounding stereotypically African American, it also is jumpy. The actors waste too much time reciting clumsily written lines that do not fit their characters’ personalities.
Though the plot may be an old story and the script less than fluid, the actors and choreographers do attempt to entertain.
The audience feels the chemistry between Cannon and Saldana. They work well together as a couple, although the scripting leads to some awkward conversations between the two. Cannon and Roberts do an admirable job of building intensity sparked by their on-screen rivalry. One would almost expect these two to be enemies in real life.
The bands’ halftime shows are beautiful. The marching and music fit together well, and audience members can tell hard work went into getting it right.
With the name “Drumline,” the movie must climax in a showdown between drum lines. As the two opposing drum lines square off for battle, the audience is left to stare in amazement
“It’s like a big musical. While we don’t have people breaking into song, we do have these incredible scenarios of percussion and drumming,” said Charles Stone, director of “Drumline,” in a press release. “Instead of football, baseball or basketball, the vehicle for the hero to soar is the marching band.”
“Drumline” is a movie about marching bands for non-band members. It’s flashy and pretty but lacks the time and precision that really go into making a band great. The movie is forced to skimp on this detail to keep the audience entertained.