Drumline

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Does more than capture the excitement of marching bands; it gets their clockwork beauty as well.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

The final drum-off (c'mon, you knew it would come down to that) resembles a combination of music, gymnastics and martial arts, and I don't think I've seen a more pulse-pounding scene this year.

Chicago Reader Ted Shen

Exuberant music and precision choreography furnish the thrills in this thoroughly enjoyable saga.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

Every holiday season needs a pleasant surprise, and this year it's Drumline. This entertaining and enthusiastically told tale shrewdly energizes its way-familiar plot line by setting it amid one of the greatest and least-known spectacles in American sports.

Film Threat Marcus D. Russell

This film takes chances and is abundant with style, seeming to pick-up where "Brown Sugar" left off, introducing editing conventions not normally accustomed to African-American film.

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan

Shakes, rattles and rolls the house, building to a climax that makes you almost forget you're in a movie theater and not a football stadium at halftime.

Austin Chronicle Kimberley Jones

Good, clean fun, with none of the icky aftertaste so common to “family friendly” ware, Drumline proves irresistible in more ways than one.

San Francisco Chronicle Jonathan Curiel

These aren't the marching band songs of your father's or mother's generation but a musical expression that is modern and exciting to watch.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Entertaining for what it does, and admirable for what it doesn't do. It gets us involved in band politics and strategy, gives us a lot of entertaining halftime music, and provides a portrait of a gifted young man who slowly learns to discipline himself and think of others. That's what it does. What it doesn't do is recycle all the tired old cliches.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Because the script is smart enough not to insult us and to develop a group of interesting characters, the act of watching the film is an entertaining experience rather than a tedious exercise.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

It's a tribute to the sheer professionalism of this crossover charmer that it holds your interest for two solid hours.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

Everything in Drumline engages, from its likable cast to its breathtaking finale. Only the most jaded viewers won't be cheering by the end.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

A bonanza of pop uplift. It wraps the up-from-nothing drama of ''Flashdance'' in the sassy, interracial pep rallying of ''Bring It On'' and the military romance of ''An Officer and a Gentleman.''

Chicago Tribune Mark Caro

That it's got a positive message may strike some as decidedly not "edgy" -- but they should be too busy stomping their feet to notice.

Variety Joe Leydon

Brimming with heart and humor -- Drumline is a formulaic crowdpleaser set in the competitive world of university marching bands at predominantly black universities.

TV Guide Ken Fox

Who knew marching bands could be so sexy?

The New York Times Dana Stevens

If all this does not quite add up to a coherent movie, it does produce a bouncy, boisterous and charming one, which becomes downright thrilling when it shows the bands in action.

Salon.com Charles Taylor

When the camera is floating up high, as the band practices its moves on the field, you can imagine Busby Berkeley watching somewhere, jealous that he never got his mitts on a marching band.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

The marching bands' duels are as fun as the cheerleader wars in "Bring It On."

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Bogged down by a lazy script and underwhelming performances. Fortunately, there's no hiding his jubilant passion for ritual and symmetry, which makes each perfectly choreographed band scene a genuine thrill to watch.

USA Today Mike Clark

If it's conventional, it's also competent. Thanks to director Charles Stone III (of the famed "Whassuup?!" Budweiser spots), the clichés at least have a good beat.

Portland Oregonian Kim Morgan

It's an odd, overly long picture, filled with too many pauses but dotted with just enough funky band sequences to keep you interested.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Along the way the film loses sight of the joy of music that supposedly pushes them all.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jennie Punter

Comes close to collapsing under the weight of drawn-out scenes and an earnest story that piles on minor themes and subplots, but the energy and visual kick of the band numbers saves the day.

Village Voice Mark Holcomb

An exhilarating serving of movie fluff.

Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson

If you were ever in marching band, you'll love this; if not, stay far away.

LA Weekly Mark Olsen

It's like a musical with no big numbers, or an action film withholding the explosions.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

Essentially "Bring It On" minus the effervescence, star power, energy, and brisk pace -- in other words, everything that made it bearable.