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Movies / On DVD / Drumline
Drumline

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Drumline (2002)

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Reviews Counted:81

Fresh:65

Rotten:16

Average Rating:6.7/10

Consensus: Essentially a sports movie with drums, the energetic Drumline somehow manages to make the familiar seem fresh.

Runtime: 2 hrs 7 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Charles Stone III's crowd-pleasing drama spotlights the previously unheralded world of university marching bands--more specifically, the cutthroat world that energizes Southern black campuses.... Charles Stone III's crowd-pleasing drama spotlights the previously unheralded world of university marching bands--more specifically, the cutthroat world that energizes Southern black campuses. Devon Miles (Nick Cannon) is a Harlem teenager who receives a full scholarship to attend Atlanta A&T University based on his excellent percussion talents. However, making the transition from hip-hop street drumming to the drumline of the school's legendary marching band is more challenging than Miles expected. For one, the band director, Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones), is determined to reclaim the national championship using old-school tactics, even though his traditional beliefs appear to be leaving A&T in the dust. And then there is Sean (Leonard Roberts), the current drum leader, who is threatened by Devon's skills and frustrated by his fierce individuality. These antagonistic forces, as well as the addition of a cheerleading love interest (Zoe Saldana), combine to test Devon's previously unshakeable confidence. As the season builds toward the BET Big Southern Classic and a showdown with rival Morris Brown University, Devon must swallow his pride and learn to be a team player if he wants his band to win the championship. DRUMLINE proves that any subject can make for an invigorating work of entertainment, if handled properly. [More]

Starring: Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones, Leonard Roberts

Starring: Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones, Leonard Roberts, GQ, Jason Weaver, Earl C. Poitier, J. Anthony Brown

Director: Charles Stone

Director: Charles Stone
Screenwriter: Tina Gordon Chism, Shawn Schepps
Producer: Wendy Finerman, Tim Bourne, Jody Gerson
Composer: John Powell
Studio: 20th Century Fox

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Drumline

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

The symbols float like butterflies and the spinning styx sting like bees. I wanted more.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Report Card | comment Comment
12/08/02
Ross Anthony
Ross Anthony
Hollywood Report Card

Don't expect any surprises in this checklist of teamwork cliches...

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
12/12/02
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Offers little that's surprising or groundbreaking, but, because the script is smart enough not to insult us and to develop a group of interesting characters, the act of watching the film is an entertaining experience rather than a tedious exercise.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
12/17/02
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

...enthusiastically invokes the percussion rhythm, the brass soul and the sense of fierce competition that helps make great marching bands half the fun of college football games.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
12/12/02
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

Cannon's confidence and laid-back good spirits are, with the drumming routines, among the film's saving graces.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
12/13/02
Jay Boyar
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel

A most unusual musical...Learning something from his subject, Stone gives the picture a snappy rhythm. [Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
02/01/09
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

Drumline is a movie that treats its characters and audience with respect; it can't be accused of being a dumbed-down teen comedy.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
12/13/02
Mark Caro
Mark Caro
Chicago Tribune

There's a reason why people go to the bathroom during halftime.

Full Review Source: Countingdown.com | comment Comment
12/13/02
Larry Carroll
Larry Carroll
Countingdown.com

Director Charles Stone III applies more detail to the film's music than to the story line; what's best about Drumline is its energy.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
12/13/02
Nick Carter
Nick Carter
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The film's saving grace is the brilliant execution of its march numbers.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
03/31/03
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central

Not exactly worth a drum roll but a movie with enough collegiate ka-boom to earn its title, Drumline is a percussion-driven musical variation on every sports pic you've seen about the talented hot dog who eventually learns to become a team player.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
12/13/02
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today

Rife with nutty cliches and far too much dialogue.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
12/13/02
Tim Cogshell
Tim Cogshell
Boxoffice Magazine

There's something about a marching band that gets me where I live.

Full Review Source: Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | comment Comment
12/17/02
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
12/13/02
Jonathan Curiel
Jonathan Curiel
San Francisco Chronicle

This is such a high-energy movie where the drumming and the marching are so excellent, who cares if the story's a little weak.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
12/13/02
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

Drumline has a lower profile than almost any other holiday movie, yet it boasts a higher fun quotient than many of its more touted competitors.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
12/13/02
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News

Director Charles Stone III, once again takes on overly familiar material and gives it an enthusiastic spin.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment 1 Comment
02/06/09
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

[Drumline] is entertaining for what it does, and admirable for what it doesn't do.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
12/13/02
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

By the time its otherwise paint-by-numbers story reaches a finale, Drumline has made band seem cool -- no small feat in the wake of American Pie 2.

Full Review Source: Citysearch | comment Comment
12/13/02
Dan Fazio
Dan Fazio
Citysearch

More than compensating for the formula script are Drumline's tuneful glory and driving rhythms, along with a pulsating vitality that never flags.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
12/16/02
Bruce Feld
Bruce Feld
Film Journal International
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
all

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