Jack Black simply rocks.

In the family-friendly "School of Rock," Black shows why his popularity is rising so fast - he's charming.

In the film, Black portrays Dewey Finn, a well-meaning, but far too enthusiastic, guitar player in a struggling rock band. After being fired from his band, Finn is forced to come up with his share of the rent for his apartment or face homelessness.

So he impersonates a substitute teacher at an expensive prep school. Black, in typical stoner fashion, has no interest in getting involved as their teacher, but rather in winning a battle of the bands contest.

His search for some bandmates is fruitless until he discovers his class has some of the most talented musicians he has ever heard.

Black seems to throw himself into the role and is fantastic as the daydreaming, rock demigod. Much of his humor is based on his portrayal of the lovable loser, who wants to do nothing more than make music people like - he's not interested in making tons of money or being famous. Much of the character's philosophy also seems to be a commentary on the music of today, with Finn telling the class about how rock music is about "sticking it to the man."

The camera seems to love Black, who uses his body and distinctive eyebrows to capture the attention of the audience. He also works well with the children in the film, changing the pitch of his voice and using his face to give many different expressions.

Richard Linklater directed "School of Rock" and was probably the most qualified to handle the subject matter. Linklater is a master at making films exploring youth and rebellion - what rock is all about. His 1993 film "Dazed and Confused" told the tale of teenage youth in 1976 and the problems they faced growing up in suburban Texas. Another story of rebellion was his 1991 film "Slacker," which used a series of vignettes to discuss the social outcasts in Austin, Texas.

Mike White wrote the script and had Black in mind to play the character when he started. His writing credits include the critically acclaimed film "The Good Girl," which starred Jennifer Aniston as a cradle-robbing discount store clerk.

White set up a perfect playground for Black to jump up and down with a guitar. The actor was let loose with a subject many fans connect him with - rock music. Black was able to jump around and scream at the top of his lungs while being put right in the center of the square community.

But there lies the film's biggest downfall. The idea of throwing a hip character into the geek world has been done before. The film has already been compared to "Sister Act," with Whoopi Goldberg. It has a predictability to it because you know it has to have a happy ending.

In addition to writing the script, White also plays Black's quiet and passive roommate Ned Schneebly. His character had been in a metal band with Black but gave up his rock dreams for a controlling girlfriend, portrayed by Sarah Silverman. While Silverman's character didn't have much in the way of screen time, she has the ability to play every buddy's wench of a girlfriend.

And as far as the music goes, "School of Rock" is packed with classic rock 'n' roll in the background and on the soundtrack. Bands such as The Who, Cream, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin are either on the soundtrack or are played throughout the movie. These bands helped define the guitar-driven rock of today.

But mentioning the background music can't go without mentioning the young musicians in the film. The children in the band Black creates were all previously unknown child prodigies and were capable of playing the music in the film. Their real-life talent alone made the music worth listening to.