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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: BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Reel Rating: 3 out of 4 Reels Cast: Nat Wolff (himself), Alex Wolff (himself), Cooper Pillot (Cooper), Allie DiMeco (Rosalina), Michael Wolff (Michael), Thomas Batuello (Thomas), David Levi (David), Quaasim Middleton (Quaasim), Jesse Draper (Jesse). PLOT SYNOPSIS: "The Naked Brothers Band" is a television series on Nick, Jr. It follows the adventures of brothers Nat, 12, and Alex, 9, who have a band and a thriving music career. This DVD contains three episodes from the series: "Battle of the Bands, Parts 1 and 2," and "The Song." Sex/ Nudity: Nat grabs Rosalina's butt, a character goes on-stage in his underwear. Violence/Gore: Sibling rivalry that gets physical. Profanity: Mild words like butt, cheeky, and poop. Which Kids Will Like It? Ages 6 to 10 who like documentary-style movies about kids, music, and bands. It's an edgier version of the shows on the Disney Channel, a kid-sized mockumentary that pokes fun at rock bands, akin to VH1's "Behind the Music" series. Will Parents Like It? Entourage…Naked Brothers…Entourage…Naked Brothers…Ok, Entourage wins out. But the Naked Brothers are ok for kids and always end with a good message (and they're not naked, by the way). Special Features: Three music videos: "LA, "Girl of My Dreams," "Nowhere"; Nat and Alex Rock Out and Speak Out; Cooper: The Man Behind the Glasses; Full Screen format. EXPERT REVIEW: Fans of the Nick, Jr. series will love this DVD. Created by Nat and Alex's real-life mom, Polly Draper (best known for playing Ellyn on the 80's series, "thirtysomething"), the series follows the adventures of the brothers in their quest to become a famous rock band. While elements of the story are true (they're brothers, and they have a band), much of it is fictional. In the series, the brothers don't have a mom, and their dad (played by real-life dad Michael Wolff) is an accordion-playing dork. In real life, he's a musician and former bandleader for "The Arsenio Hall Show." The first two episodes follow the band as they compete in a Battle of the Bands competition. But Nat's crush, Rosalina (who plays bass in the band), is sweet on the competing band's leader, a British punk-rocker named Bobby Love. But Bobby isn't all he's cracked up to be. In fact, he's not even British. In the third episode, Nat and Alex write the exact same song to perform at a benefit concert. The question is, who copied whom? And can they figure it out without tearing each other apart? This DVD is by parts funny, heartwarming, and goofy. Kids will like it because Nat and Alex are just regular kids, sharing a room with a bunk bed, dealing with crushes, and hanging out with their friends. Parents will like it because it's cute and has less grown-up content than their first movie, "The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie." And there's always a good message. The music isn't half-bad either. Still, this DVD will probably appeal most to fans of the television series. 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