One of the few times where black youths aren't portrayed as hoods, this movie proved it moved to the beat of a different drum (yes I know, bad pun). Anyway, I was pretty surprised by how well made the film was, considering there were no well known actors in the film besides Orlando Jones. This movie isn't just for band kids, it encompasses a broad spectrum of life that is actually interesting to watch. Sure, some might have considered this movie corny, but the band sequences saved any misgivings this film might have had. Watch this movie for the heck of it, because you might actually be surprised.
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Agent1011 June 2003
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sroyjones17 September 2007The "talented young smart-ass goes to college and learns there's more to life than being skillful or clever" theme is an old one and it's been done better many times in the past. Robert Young learned about teamwork in "Navy Blue and Gold." More recently Rob Lowe learned the lesson in "Oxford Blues." The difference between Drumline and these and other older films on the same theme is that the lead characters evoked more sympathy. Nick Cannon's Devon Miles character is a self-centered, posturing, swaggering jackass who evokes immediate dislike and though you see him grow up a little in the course of the film, you never really learn to like or respect him.
Drumline also suffers from an identity crisis of its own. You're never really sure what sort of story it wants to tell. Is is a "coming of age" story, a drama, a comedy, a romance? It tries to be all of these at once and never seals the deal on any of them.
Drumline could have told a good story about a New York kid learning that there's more than one way to be black in this world. There are a couple of hints of that in Devon's relationship with Laila. Her comment to Devon: "Southern sisters don't date...we have boyfriends," could have been an opening to a good subplot about differences in black culture between different parts of the US, but, as with so many other possible plots, the story touches it lightly, and then flits off to something else. An arrogant young freshman such as Devon would have had many lessons to learn while finding his way in this environment, but the film misses nearly every opportunity to show us the relationships between the characters in any depth, so the performances come off as predictable and mechanical.
All the same, I've seen Drumline several times and enjoyed it for what it does very well. The presentation of the music and and the work that goes into running a big university marching band are very good. I could have done with more of both. The all-too-brief glimpses of life at a black southern university are well done. Again, I could have done with more of that as well. Drumline also had moments of humor, and some visually engaging camera work, especially in the music scenes.
I like this movie. I just wish it had been better done. -
ma-cortes8 August 2005The picture results to be a dramedy concerning a rebel drummer young (Nick Cannon) who is admitted in Georgia Academy to take part at an important band. But his rebellious temper causes frictions with orchestra director (Orlando Jones) and the band members . Meanwhile , he falls in love with a cheerleader (Zoe Saldana).
In the film there's a varied procession of characters , the habitual group of misfit roles ,including the only white boy among different color young people , or the sole girl among all men . The story is narrated with great sense of ductility and intelligence and it has its good moments here and there .It's an enjoyable movie, but uneven comedy , it works better when the drummers go into the action. The motion picture has comedy , a love story , giggles , drama , and breathtaking musical spectacle with groundbreaking choreographic set-pieces. Before the spectacular final meeting on the stadium , they contend with each other , but finally learn the meaning of life , and , ultimately , come to respect each other . The film climax is the spellbound and gorgeous final duel on the furlong where both bands confront to achieve the winner prize . Zoe Saldana is attractive and enticing , ready as a future star in "guess who¨ , the newcomer Nick Cannon as the roguish and cocky young gives a first-rate interpretation . Orlando Jones as the tough director is excellent , his acting is likeness to the stiff-upper-lip sergeant Louis Gosset J.R. in ¨Officer and Gentleman ¨ . Big budget production features an impeccable musical score by John Powell. The movie was well directed by Charles Stone . Rating : Above average . Worthwhile seeing for its extraordinary musical choreography . -
dcd-516 December 2002Drumline is a great movie -- but you have to see it for what it is ... not what your preconceived notions lead you to believe it might be.
This movie is all about exposing people to the world of Black College marching bands. You couldn't have a movie that was 2 hours of nothing but band performances so you HAD to wrap a formulaic story around it. "Boy meets girl/boy loses girl/boy gets girl back and learns the value of teamwork in time for the big showdown" is a formula that has worked for years -- and it works here!
Another poster remarked that the band camp scenes were unrealistic because they were too "militaristic" ... he didn't believe that (among other things) that the students would be made to run around holding their drums and so forth. Well, believe it!
I marched in one of these bands (Southern University in Louisiana) 20 years ago and back then, band camp was FAR MORE INTENSE than anything you see on the screen in this movie. YES, it is that competitive. YES, it is that grueling. YES, it is that disciplined. Black College marching band is serious business and this film gives you only a small sample of what it takes to "make the band."
The actual band performances are AWESOME and will definitely be an eye-opener to anyone who has never seen this type of thing before. More importantly, there is no sex, violence, drug use, and very little bad language (just the requisite "d*mns" and "h@lls" - nothing any more intense than prime-time television.) Equally important, the movie features strong male figures who resolve differences without resorting to pathological violence.
One last point -- the movie grossed 13+ million dollars in its opening weekend. And this was against Star Trek (18.7 M) and the Jennifer Lopez (19 M) movie. Although it finished in third place, it was shown in about 1,000 fewer theaters than those two. It had (by far) the highest "revenue per theater" for the weekend!
Do yourself a favor -- open your mind and see this movie -- you and your family will enjoy it! -
=G=29 April 2003"Drumline" tells of an Afro-Am high school grad and hotshot drummer who goes to college and learns it takes more than fast sticks to make the grade. Just okay as a light drama, this flick deserves high marks for making some positive points about the importance of rudiments and teamwork to success and for its tribute to, what is on most campuses considered un-cool, marching bands. What the film lacks in story it makes up for in marching band pageantry, music, and, most of all, percussion. A must see for anyone into marching bands and a should see for young people who dine on a steady diet of MTV and other entertainment junk food. (B)
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rhynostrength21 November 2020If you're a cool guy try it out, I watched this around ahhhh 8 o'clock while feathering it. Nick Cannon keeps it high and tight. I can see why people who are tok'd enjoy it.
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cliftonofun21 February 2021The thing about being in your 40s is a movie from 2002 feels somewhat recent to you and super dated to your kids. Regardless, this one works well for family movie night. The plot's pretty predictable (and basically summed up with "One Band, One Sound"), but the characters are likable, the HBCU setting distinguishes it from similar stories, and - of course - you get fun music along the way. I knew exactly what would happen 15 minutes in, but I didn't mind watching the rest of the movie anyway.
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eeeaa-4695721 November 2020The lead actor should've been replaced with someone who has more charm , like The Award winning actor Fedsmoker , the female lead's jeans wasn't as high as I would like it to be, I'm hesitant to call the director the R word but he did a horrible job. Keep feathering it brothers.
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view_and_review27 April 2007I've always had a mild to moderate fascination and admiration of marching bands; especially the marching bands of Black colleges. That and boredom got me to watch "Drumline". "Drumline" did nothing to hedge my feelings of marching bands. It did drive home a good message: preparation and hard work are more valuable than talent.
Nick Cannon played a showboating, hot-headed freshman drummer now in college where things are a little different. More is expected from you in college, such as responsibility, maturity, and all of those other characteristics associated with growing up. Devon Miles (Nick Cannon) wasn't displaying any of that. So, the movie had a cliché story of growing up, learning important life lessons, and David slaying Goliath. It didn't really move me one way or the other, the movie was very average. -
DeadInbred28 December 2002The movie looked good in its initial announcement, but choosing to make the movie about showbands was a major disappointment. It would have been better about a true marching band that really works to put together a good show, not goes out and learns in a day or two how to get in the shape of a car or play as loud as possible with a bad sound. The performance by Nick Cannon is abominable. A jar of jelly could have delivered a more riveting performance. Not only was Cannon a horrible actor, but he had the audacity to go on to Jay Leno and make fun of real marching bands. Real class act. All in all, don't see the movie, and if you do, don't think it is about marching band.
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SnoopyStyle16 August 2014Devon Miles (Nick Cannon) is a brash young drummer with a scholarship to Atlanta A&T. He was raised by a single mom in Harlem. Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones) runs the program but he's very traditional under pressure to update his style to compete against a rival. Devon flirts with dancer Laila (Zoe Saldana) immediately. Leader of the drumline Sean Taylor (Leonard Roberts) is challenged by Devon's rebellious nature and his superior playing. It all culminates in a big BET competition.
This is a pretty simple coming-of-age story against the backdrop an interesting African American subculture. Nick Cannon is great as the brash young buck and I didn't even realize that the love interest was played by Zoe Saldana until I watched it again recently. This follows a very traditional formula and delivers a very competent movie. -
beresfordjd18 April 2006This is one VERY dumb movie.Clichéd, weakly scripted and an insult to the intelligence of a moron. Whoever persuaded anyone to put up money for this sack must be some kind of genius salesman (or woman). Cannon could not act if his life depended on it and the supporting players are not much better. I doubt very much that this movie was aimed at anyone with an IQ above 2-in that it succeeds. I can watch almost anything but could not watch anymore than 30 minutes. I only made it past the first 5 minutes because I could not believe what I was watching. Why do movie makers insist on pumping out this rubbish is totally beyond me - did it make any money? The public deserve better than this.
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Kazou_Kuriyama21 April 2003Former drumline member here. Well damn, I guess I'll be the first drummer to say I liked the movie a lot. I swear, half of these reviews I'm reading are annoying - people bashing it because it's an all black movie, people bashing it because the band has dancers instead of a color guard, people calling the drumming rudimentary because they played in a drumline that did better blah blah blah.
What do you guys want, a documentary on marching band? If I was to make a Hollywood movie about the drumline I would have done the same exact things with the drum sequences - put in a gang of stick tricks and showmanship that would translate well to the screen. Nobody wants to watch flam taps for 90 minutes.
That being said, the last drum battle is one of my favorite things to watch. I love when the bass drum cadence comes in, the basses march in a circle, the quads toss each other their sticks between bars, and the snares have an orgy of backsticking and other stick tricks on a level you rarely see performed in real life. And the movie is only cliche as far as its kid w/ bad attitude needs to put his pride away plot goes. I don't watch Nickelodeon so I haven't seen one of those types of movies since I was... hmmm since I was 5. Far as what isn't cliche about it, there's a lot to like. One of the best things is that it immerses itself in Afro-American culture w/out any cliches at all - just life as it is down south at an all-black university. No guns, drugs, none of that stuff that you'd expect from a character who walks and talks like Nick Cannon's character does. I also liked the way they handled the white character in the band. The dialogue where they ask him why he went to the all-black college. His first reply is a wink at the audience, which would expect Hollywood to trivialize race relations like that. Then he goes, nah for real though, and gives a sincere answer that makes sense. -
huggy_bear16 October 2003I have to admit, I bought this movie for my son, who is also a snare drummer in high school marching band. I really didn't hold out much hope that I would actually enjoy this one at all. But, oddly enough, I really did enjoy watching this movie. I don't know why, but it kind of "grew" on me. The acting was good and the story was good also. Some of the scenes were a little predictable, but overall I would recommend this one.
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xenokitchen18 July 2003I hate this movie. I just think this movie is bad. The drumming is spectacular, but the dialogue is horrible, and the main character is a brat who can't even read drum music but somehow got a college scholarship for his drumming. It is also surprising that he got a scholarship because throughout the movie he rebels against the coach. You are supposed to feel sad for the star as he is kicked out of the drumline numerous times for various reasons, but i just felt glad that the movie might end there. But it didn't. This is an enormous waste of two hours in my opinion. One part of the movie that especially comes to mind when say "a waste of two hours" is a scene where the drumline section leader walks up to the drummers one at a time and plays on their drum with them walking forward. The drummers are supposed to follow. No one is is able to do it except, of course the star of the movie. But once he's is done playing the part with the section leader also playing on the star's drum, the band teacher walks up and says somethin to the effect of "you do what i tell you to do, and you're an asshole." I hate this movie. I nearly cried when i saw Ebert gave it 3 stars out of four. My rating: 2 out of 10 stars. And this movie earned that rating.
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moviewizguy8 May 2007A talented street drummer from Harlem who enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world, before realizing that it takes more than talent to reach the top.
After I've just seen the first 10 minutes of the film, I already knew it would be a fantastic film. I don't know why there is so much hate in this film on IMDb, with a low rating like 5.2/10?! Maybe people can't handle the fact it's just a really good film.
I like the marching band world. I'm in it at school and I love the fact it holds true to that. The bands in the film were creative with their skills, fun, and entertaining to watch! I don't even know if you could watching this film standing up without jumping with the beat because it will make your feet tap.
The acting by Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana, Orlando Jones, and Leonard Roberts were all good. This film, like Akeelah and the Bee, Last Holiday, and Barber Shop, is what makes films with a majority African American so good. The drum sequences in this film are amazing.
If you hate this film just because it's "black", you are what makes the world bad these days. This is afar from being a bad film. It's a wonderful, very entertaining, and has its funny moments. -
vivni6 September 2003Exceptionally talented drumming which holds your attention for a half hour or so but after 2 hours your mind goes numb.......if I never hear another drum beat again it will be too soon. Who on earth thought to make a movie of such a load of drivel. I was expecting a tongue in cheek comedy. I could not have been further from the truth!
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sirysqb21 November 2020Love watching nick cannon show me where it spits! Nadav is right, cinematic masterpiece. Keep it high and tight, and don't be stingy!!!
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Stuart_C_Davis23 December 2002This movie depicts the band of a Black University very well. The only thing I think this movie is lacking is the actual experience of the life on a black college campus. Otherwise, it was all around entertaining. I commend the writers, producers, and the cast of "Drumline". It's a reminder to all those who attend a Historical known Black University.
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I'm a former band guy, and watched this movie knowing how cheesy and foumulaic it would be, but I assumed I would enjoy it the way my wife, a former cheerleader, enjoyed "Bring It On." Nope. There's nothing enjoyable about this movie. The story was cliche, the characters were stock, the direction was amateur, the situation was ludicrous, and the music and marching were a joke. I kind of thought they'd use, or at least model themselves after, real SWAC or MEAC bands and players, but the music sequences, which should have been equivalent to the game sequences in sports movies or the performance sequences in arts movies (e.g. Fame, Center Stage, Bring It On - kinda), were so low quality they were laughable. 20 High Schools in my state could have easily won that competition, and every drum corp except maybe the Troopers. There was some special attention given to, can you believe it, the drum line, but ultimately, the sequences were boring and monotonous, and the cadences rudimentary and annoying. Since the story was utterly predictable, let me rate the performances in this movie, using BOA scoring:
Music Performance Individual: 12/20 - The closeups were the best part, and Devon was good enough to be in my college percussion section - on cymbals. Music Performance Ensemble: 5/20 - One band, one awful sound. They couldn't even play a Bb scale in tune. Seriously. Visual Performance Individual: 5/20 - Hey, Devon? Tick, Tick, Tick... Visual Performance Ensemble: 3/20 - Straight lines are not that hard to maintain when you stand still for 5 minutes.. Maybe you guys should be introduced to a thing called "Marching". In a few years we'll move on to another thing called "Drill Design." Music GE: 15/40 - Dr. Lee, let me introduce you to a thing called a "Theme". There's nothing wrong with quick cheers and fanfares in the stands being based on hip-hop, but you may have noticed that the melodic lines of most contemporary hip-hop tunes are not exactly ever-changing. In The Stone was cutting edge about 20 years ago, but now every high school band plays it. Visual GE: 4/20. Atrocious dancing, flat footed marching, no concept to the shows at all. While we're doing Band 101, there's a new concept called "Color Guard" you may want to look into.
Total score: 44/100. OK, so maybe I was too stingy: there are at least 50 bands in NM that could beat that score.
Oh, one comment made by another user I agree with wholeheartedly: UCLA sucks. Fight on, brother. -
johnharrison-122 January 2005I'm not a musician and know little about marching bands. However, this movie captivated my attention. The athleticism of these musical marchers was something I had never thought about until watching this excellent movie. The music is wonderful and the drumline competition puts the dueling banjos of yesterday to shame. The story line delivers a good message of how raw talent can be molded into disciplined success. The concept of teamwork and individual goals are blended into a believable and inspiring movie. I found the acting to be very good and will look for the cast in future movies. Nick Cannon and Orlando Jones never leave any doubt about the characters they are playing.
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Matti-Man12 February 2006So what if the plot is lifted from OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN? Even as a Brit who has no experience of the culture of college marching bands, this is one entertaining film.
Besides, there's something a bit more important going on here. At the core of this film is the path that Devon (Nick Cannon) takes from the point of having no concern for anyone but himself through to understanding the concept of teamwork and respect for those who are trying to help him be a better musician and, ultimately, person. Not a new message, but one I think we need more than ever in 2006.
How can you dislike a film like that? -
Low Man24 January 2008Why do people keep telling me to enjoy the music and not worry about the plot as if that's some kind of saving grace for the film? I'd probably have enjoyed some filmed performances of actual bands a whole lot more. If you feel a need to add some kind of plot to the genre, you really ought to make it plausible, even if you're going to make it formulaic and predictable. Spoilers coming between the stars.
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OK. This young kid gets a full ride scholarship in music to a college. Nobody could tell he can't read music?!?!!!?!??! I'm sorry, but that sort of thing just trips my ohfergodsakegimmeabreak switch, and it ruins entire movies for me even if they were otherwise pretty good.
Even getting accepted for training at a music school will require you to read a piece of music you will never have seen. The filmmakers, though, apparently want me to believe that he got a full scholarship to a music school without anybody checking that out? It might even be possible that such a scholarship could be given even with such a lack if the player is good enough, but it would certainly have been discovered prior to acceptance unless the school is being run by morons.
There's even a "sight reading" audition where he apparently was given the music beforehand. WRONG!!!!! Sight reading means it is plopped in front of you, and you get maybe 30 seconds to look it over before you have to play it. There's even a good chance that it was written shortly before auditions. Sight reading is a test to find out how quickly one can absorb an unfamiliar piece of music. Any chance to prepare it defeats the purpose of the test. The only reason to do it the way this film does it is that the story writer wanted to have this undiscovered deficiency in the character. That's just plain awful writing.
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So the plot if formulaic, predictable, and badly written. Maybe it's just me, but formulaic, predictable, badly written plots ruin my ability to enjoy the music. The performances were probably better than I thought they were because of this. That's criminal. -
Doghouse-610 January 2004I'm not one of those people who moans and groans that "movies today are so full of trashy language" (or sex or violence or whatever), and that there's not enough "wholesome" (that word gives me a pain) entertainment for the family. For all those who do (and even those who don't), here's an energetic film that manages to entertain while eschewing content that could conceivably offend anyone (unless they find even the tiniest amount of innocuous, lightweight hip-hop too much to take).
The thematic ground here - young hotshot learns to sacrifice for the good of the team; underdogs strive for triumph - has been covered countless times before, so DRUMLINE wisely boils the plot down to its barest elements, for the most part sidestepping the obligatory contrived obstacles and setbacks, and plays to its strength: the music.
This is a story about college marching bands, focusing in particular on the members of the percussion section, and a good 50% - if not more - of the film concentrates on the lively and elaborate performances of the bands, which are complimented by equally lively cinematography and editing.
No, it's not deep and, yes, it's old fashioned. In, fact, it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see Mickey and Judy in the roles of Devon and Laila (though probably with different names!). I mean, these are the cleanest livin' kids you'll see in any recent picture! But it's solid and it all works. Oh, and don't be scared off by the idea of so much college marching band music. Not being a football fan, my exposure to such things is limited to the Rose Parade, and I don't have a clue as to what state-of-the-art is for halftime entertainment these days, but, for what it's worth, this is the best college marching band stuff I've ever seen, and I wasn't bored for a minute. -
ernesttubb3 December 2003Sure, the script could have been better -- in fact, it was downright predictable -- but in this age of godawful black-oriented shows on WB and UPN, how refreshing to see a positive portrayal of black culture that did not feature one single bug-eyed stereotype. And Orlando Jones (a guy who knows how to bug his eyes) can act! Who knew? And man, those band performances were hot! I really enjoyed it. Not a classic, but still a needed movie at a time when the bar is set way too low.