Review: The Naked Brothers Band Movie
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that the satire in this mockumentary
about the highs and lows of young stardom may be too subtle for
tweens without a grasp of the tumultuous nature of the music
industry (in other words, most of them). They may only see the
over-glorified celebrity lifestyle. Swelling egos and creative
differences cause conflict within the band, including some
name-calling. The under-10 kids on screen have very little
adult supervision, and conversations touch on topics like how
babies are made, homosexuality, hand gestures with suggestive
meaning in other cultures, and (from a 6-year-old) the strong
desire to kiss lots of girls. The movie is tied to a TV series
that's better suited to the target tween audience.
Families can talk about the music industry. Do you think this movie accurately portrays the ups and downs of fame? Which parts don't seem realistic? Does it make you wonder what really goes on behind the scenes with celebrities? Why do you think people are so interested in famous rock stars' lives? Families can also discuss the challenges of following your dreams. Kids, do you know what you want to be when you're older? What got you interested in that? Is there anything you can do now to start preparing for your goals?
Common Sense Media Review
THE NAKED BROTHERS BAND MOVIE chronicles the life and times
of a kid band that's led by two very talented singing and
songwriting brothers. But thankfully, despite the title, the
real-life siblings who anchor the fictional band (which is
actually called The Silver Bullets) aren't naked. (Confused
yet?)
This somewhat convoluted mockumentary follows the Bullets through their concerts, rehearsals, and road trips, recording their thoughts on fame, romance (mostly, given their age, the ickiness of it), and early adolescence. Striving for the feel mastered by This Is Spinal Tap , the cameras capture the ups and downs of life in the spotlight as members open up in individual interviews about their struggles with friendships tested by rising egos and the group's eventual breakdown over creative differences.
Created and directed by actress Polly Draper ( thirtysomething), this high-concept movie is the brainchild of her sons, Nat (age 9) and Alex Wolff (age 6), who star as the band's leaders and songwriters. In real life, the talented Wolff brothers began performing with preschool friends at a young age as The Naked Brothers Band; original band members Joshua Kaye, David Levi, and Thomas Batuello sing alongside the Wolff boys in the movie.
Nat and Alex's dad -- jazz musician Michael Wolff ( The Arsenio Hall Show) -- also joins the family affair, stepping easily into the role of his sons' onscreen father. Draper leaves her director's chair for a few cameo shots, and a host of other stars -- including Uma Thurman, Julianne Moore, Cyndi Lauper, Tony Shalhoub, and Ann Curry -- also make brief appearances.
The premise of The Naked Brothers Band Movie is intriguing and certainly offers a tongue-in-cheek view of a celebrity-obsessed culture that idolizes even the youngest performers. But most of the subtle satire will probably be missed by tween viewers unfamiliar with the trademark turbulence of many musical groups -- essential background for grasping the movie's humor. Young audiences instead will see only the band members' unrealistic, glorified lifestyle: they don't attend school, they seem to have limitless free time for sitting around talking about themselves, and they often enjoy basking in their own popularity.
A couple of potential eyebrow-raisers to watch out for: Most of the youthful characters -- particularly 6-year-old Alex -- toss out off-handed remarks that may start kids thinking about things like undetectably obscene hand gestures, how babies are made, the desire to kiss lots of different people, and whether having a crush on your friend's stepsister is considered "incense."
Younger tweens may prefer the spin-off series. Other similarly themed choices include Hannah Montana and High School Musical ; slightly older kids might also like School of Rock.
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