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 Reel Life with Jane!Get the latest scoop on family-friendly movies at the theatre and on DVD! THE NAKED BROTHERS BAND: THE MOVIE
MPAA Rating: Not Rated Should you bring the kids? It's ok for kids 9 and older, but some of the content seems inappropriate for kids, in general. For more info, see "Bringing the Kids" below. THE STORY: This movie is a prequel to the Nickelodeon series by the same name, which debuted in February 2007. It follows the adventures of real-life brothers Nat and Alex Wolff in their quest to become a famous rock band. Contrary to the title, the band performs fully clothed. Also, while elements of the story are true, much of it is fictional -- a mockumentary that pokes fun at rock bands akin to VH1's Behind the Music series. The series and movie are helmed by Nat and Alex's real-life parents, Michael Wolff, a musician and former band leader of The Arsenio Hall Show, and Polly Draper, best known for playing Ellyn on the hit 80's series, thirtysomething. Not surprisingly, Arsenio Hall and most of the cast of thirtysomething show up in this movie. The story begins with Nat, 9, and Alex, 6, playing in a kid band called The Silver Boulders. Other members of the band include Joshua Kaye, Thomas Batuello, and David Levi – all kids, of course. The band is wildly popular, and we see the band members interacting with stars like Cyndi Lauper, Uma Thurman -- who asks for an autograph for her kids, but "address it to Uma," she says -- and Julianne Moore, whom Nat chats with in the green room at The Conan O'Brien Show. Whereas Nat is sweet, smart, and gets along with everyone, hyperactive Alex has a tendency toward inappropriate potty-mouth remarks. The band is managed by Cooper (Cooper Pillot), a pint-sized worldly-wise manager sporting horn-rimmed glasses. But the road to stardom is fraught with challenges, not the least of which involves the relationships among the band members. They start fighting over things like song choices. Nat wants to do meaningful songs like "Rosalina," named after a girl he has a crush on. The others would rather do songs like "Boys Rule, Girls Drool." The band breaks up over the debacle. The two brothers sink into despair over the loss of the band. They hang around the house and watch episodes of The Little Rascals. Alex develops a lemon-lime soda addiction that lands him in a rehab "Soda-holics at Sea" program. There, he meets other soda-holics, like Monk's Tony Shalhoub, who says he was devastated by the band's break-up. Nat and Alex vow then and there to start a new band called The Naked Brothers Band, harking back to an earlier time when they DID perform mostly naked and simply banged away on whatever was handy to make "music". They agree to let their accordion-playing dad join – a decision they "immediately regret." As it turns out, Nat's crush, Rosalina (Allie DiMeco) is a super musician who can play any instrument. So they sign her on, as well as guitarist Cole Hawkins. Meanwhile, the other members of the group have started a new band called The Gold Boulders. They cross paths with Nat and Alex again when they open for The Naked Brothers Band in Chicago. BRINGING THE KIDS: PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): This movie is beyond the scope of preschoolers. More age-appropriate band-DVDs include The Doodlebops (their newest DVD, Get Up & Groove With the Doodlebops, is schedule for release on April 24, 2007) and The Wiggles (their latest, Racing to the Rainbow, was released March 6, 2007). GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): While this movie is targeted at kids aged 9 to 12, some elements seem inappropriate for this age group. I understand that they're poking fun at real rock bands, but really, showing a kid sink into an addiction of any kind just isn't cool (we see Alex curled up asleep amid mountains of aluminum cans). This movie didn't hold the attention of my 10-year-old daughter. My 12-year-old son watched it with me, but rolled his eyes every time the band sang – although some of the tunes, most of which were written by Nat, are surprisingly catchy. Still, fans of the TV series will no doubt love this movie. TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): The movie starts slow, and you wonder if they're going to get beyond anything but "filler". But after about 30 minutes, the plot starts to evolve, and you find yourself engaged and interested in how it's going to turn out. Older kids might find some references funny, like Nat's affected British accent every time he talks to Rosalina, and the band's rooftop concert, a reference to the Beatles' similar rooftop concert. Still, I don't think it'll hold the attention of most tweens and teens unless they're fans of the TV series. BONUS FEATURES: - Bonus CD features music from the movie, including "Crazy Car," "Motormouth," "That's How It Is," "Hardcore Wrestlers with Inner Feelings," and "Rosalina". - "Crazy Car" Karaoke Music Video. Sing along with the band. - Making of the Movie Featurette. Behind the scenes with the cast and crew. - Sneak Previews: Zoey 101, The Complete 1st Season (2-disc set); The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie; Avatar: The Last Airbender, Book 2: Earth, Vol. 1; SpongeBob SquarePants, Seasons 1-4; Nick Pics (selected episodes from Nickelodeon shows), Vol. 1-4 sold separately or Vol. 1-3 as a box set. JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM : One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it. Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender. Three Reels: Pleasant. Something to talk about. Four Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of. Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries. Visit her online at www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or email jboursaw@charter.net
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by Jane Louise Boursaw