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Drumline

I'm not quite sure how we ended up adding Drumline to our movie queue. The story of a Harlem kid who plays the snare drum and gets recruited to play in the marching band of a southern college sounds, well, pretty cheesy on the surface.

But the movie was actually pretty enjoyable, if rather formulaic. Of course, the kid comes in all cocky, starts immediately flirting with upperclass(wo)men, and needs to learn how to work as part of a team instead of being a self-centered showboat. There's the stern yet caring band leader/conductor, played by Orlando Jones in a surprisingly restrained role. There's the bitter rival/drumline leader who stands in the way of success but ultimately teaches the kid how to succeed in the band. And of course there's the love interest, who is won over by his charm but then flakes out on him at the crucial moment.

Yet, in spite of the formula, it was done well enough that the characters were interesting and the movie engaging. The whole marching band culture was a new and interesting setting for a plot line that is traditionally used in sports movies.

Overall, it was a fun movie to watch, but nothing particularly groundbreaking. 2.5/4 stars.