Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes

      Bandslam

      2009, Musical/Comedy, 1h 51m

      104 Reviews 100,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      Critics Consensus

      Bandslam is an intelligent teen film that avoids teen film cliches, in an entertaining package of music and coming-of-age drama. Read critic reviews

      You might also like

      See More
      Ramona and Beezus
      Flipped
      Penelope
      Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
      Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

      Where to watch Bandslam

      Rent/buy Rent/buy Rent/buy

      Rent Bandslam on Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV.

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      Bandslam  Photos

      Movie Info

      A gifted singer/songwriter, Charlotte (Aly Michalka) hires Will Burton (Gaelan Connell), a new guy in town, to manage her fledgling rock band. She wants one thing from him: to help her win a contest against her ex-boyfriend in an upcoming battle of the bands. Charlotte's band comes together and seems to have a real shot at victory, while Will and dynamic guitarist Sa5m (Vanessa Hudgens) begin to make some beautiful music of their own.

      • Rating: PG (Thematic Elements|Mild Language)

      • Genre: Musical, Comedy, Romance

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Todd Graff

      • Producer: Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas

      • Writer: Josh A. Cagan, Todd Graff

      • Release Date (Theaters):  wide

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $5.2M

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Summit Entertainment

      • Production Co: Goldsmith-Thomas Productions, Walden Media

      Cast & Crew

      News & Interviews for Bandslam

      Critic Reviews for Bandslam

      Audience Reviews for Bandslam

      • Apr 01, 2012

        Surprisingly solid for a teen film. Vanessa Hudgens' acting and singing, unlike her previous overrated work in HSM, was this time greatly improved in quality (unexpected) even for a slight less-written part for her character than the other leads. The deep build-up in character (uncommon in most typical teen films) also worked in keeping up tension along with the romance dilemma side of it, and I noticed almost no such cliche throughout. Apart from a small amount of corny dialogue present in at least two minor characters, it's worth a decent watch.

        Super Reviewer
      • Jun 13, 2011

        Bandslam is clever, funny, charming, and insightful, and Gaelan Connell is a surprisingly charming lead, but it suffers from some odd inconsistencies in its story and tone. There's also an unhealthy dose of that teen musical goofiness we see too often.

        Super Reviewer
      • Mar 25, 2011

        Since "Sucker Punch" released today, I decided to review another film that stars that hot hottie, Vanessa Hudgens. "Bandslam" is one of the most poorly marketed films whose trailers looked like it was only going to appeal to Disney Channel's demographic. And this is coming from the studio that made the first "Twilight" look like it was going to be awesome. No wonder why it flopped upon its release. Not to mention that it was going up against "District 9" on its opening weekend. I eventually caught the film on DVD and I was proved wrong! The plot follows a kid named Will who is bullied and alienated in his high school. After him and his mom move to New Jersey, he meets a weird girl named Sa5m (the "5" is silent), who is played by ever-attractive Vanessa Hudgens, and a popular girl named Charlotte, played by Alison Michalka. Their school is participating in a Battle of the Bands competition known as Bandslam. Will is a music geek so he forms his own ska band to participate in the competition. "Bandslam" is not predictable tween-targeted garbage. This movie is actually too sosphisticated for tweens. It features smart, witty dialogue and like what the RT critical consensus says, it avoids cliches. It also avoids predictability. It also adds a good blend of coming-of-age drama. But the drama is not too edgy, folks. So don't expect Vanessa Hudgens playing a depressed, knocked up teen. "Bandslam" is a movie for music lovers like me. If you love classic rock from the 70's and 80's than this is for you! And if you're a Gleek, give this a watch as well. Heads-up for all the "High School Musical" haters: nobody bursts into song in this. This is a film you either like of love. As for me, I really liked it. "I do feel like Clark Kent."

        Super Reviewer
      • Mar 19, 2011

        feel-good coming-of-age teen drama with lots of good music and cute performances

        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All