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DRUMLINE
Review by Chastity Campbell
Stars: Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones, Leonard
Roberts
Director: Charles Stone III
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround
Video: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Features: See Review
Length: 118 Minutes
Release Date: April 14, 2003
“Ladies
and gentlemen, the radio is off now…it’s time for some real music!”
Film ***
With a wicked beat and a lot of rhythm, Drumline
rolls onto the screen in fine formation!
This movie, featuring the acting talents of Nick Cannon,
Zoe Saldana, Leonard Roberts, and the 7 Up yours man himself, Orlando Jones, is
a behind the scenes look at Atlanta A&T’s marching band.
More specifically, the cocky Mr. Devon Miles’ attempts at proving
he’s more than just the little drummer boy next door!
Devon Miles is playing to the beat of a different drum, in
this movie, that drum being his own! Dr.
Lee, (Orlando Jones) the director of the schools marching band, sees a lot of
talent and potential in this young man, but will his attitude and stylish
cornrows be more than the Dr ordered?
Orlando Jones does a great job as the stoic Dr. Lee is this
film. It seems to be a break away
from his typical comedic efforts into a more direct and serious role.
I also felt the interaction between Jones and the character of Devon
played by Nick Cannon worked very well. They
had a chemistry that allowed each person to bring their performance to the table
in their own way and still have it feel believable.
We learn very quickly that in his own mind, Devon has
drumsticks, of gold. Fellow drummer
and captain of the Drumline Sean thinks this new kid on the block needs a few
lessons as to who’s in charge and how the game of real life is played on and
off the field.
Drumline doesn’t stray very far from formula we
have come to expect from modern day films of this genre. It does, however, have the flash and sizzle of some pretty
hard-core drumming that will definitely keep your attention.
Right out of the box, Devon meets a well to do sorority
girl played by Zoe Saldana, and thinks he is In Like Flint, only to find
out when the going gets rough, his girl got going!
No worries, though…she’s back in baby boy’s arms before long and we
get to see some very sweet apologies.
Drumline is a comedic and very entertaining ride that just about everyone will enjoy. This movie builds up rather quickly and goes out with a bang, but you’ll have to give this disc a spin for yourself to find out if Devon snares himself a piece of the spotlight!
BONUS TRIVIA: Director
Charles Stone III is the creator of the famous "Wassup?" series of
Budweiser commercials!
Video ***
Drumline is mastered in a 2.35:1 Anamorphic
Widescreen format. With most
of the scenes shot out doors and at night, this DVD is a wonderful example of
how to shoot in those conditions and do it well.
The colors were very vibrant, and the lighting was wonderful.
The vivid colors in each scene seemed to jump right off the screen.
The transfer showed no visible flaws and there was no dirt
or graininess to any of the images. All
in all, this disc was a very nice visual experience.
Audio ***
Finally, audio worth talking about!
This movie, which depended heavily on its audio tracks, came through in a
big way. The 5.1 Dolby Digital
Surround Sound experience was absolutely wonderful to listen to.
The balance and mix of this DVD was right on the mark.
There were no audible dips or drops in audio throughout the duration of
the disc. The spoken dialogue was
blended very well with the background tracks especially during the scenes where
the background noise is a football crowd and a marching band.
This was a great digital audio experience, and with a plot
that relies heavily on good sounding drumbeats, this movie delivers in a big
way.
Features ***
The features on this disc came from the land-o-plenty, so
get ready to sit back and enjoy!
Interactive menus will lead you to feature length audio
commentary by director Charles Stone III.
Then it’s on to a BET special music video by Joe featuring Jadakiss
“I Wanna Girl Like You!”. “Blowin’
Me Up (With Her Love)” by JC Chasez brings to a close the music video features
of this disc.
Ten deleted scenes and a thirty-minute making of the movie
special are included for your viewing pleasure. A soundtrack promo for Drumline is included, along
with a trailer for the movie Antwone Fisher.
This disc is presented with subtitles in English and
Spanish and your choice of English, French, or Spanish spoken dialogue.
Summary:
