Richard Linklater knows his classic rock, as both Dazed and Confused and School of Rock gave shining examples that when familiar radio hits frame characters in just the right light, they take on a whole new appreciation. The soundtrack for his remake of the Walter Mattheau classic Bad News Bears follows this same course, but with less effective results. While
Grand Funk Railroad's "Shinin' On,"
Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold," and
Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" are fine in the film, they're pretty crappy songs to just sit down and listen to for no good reason.
Alice Cooper's "Muscle of Love" is great, and
John Fogerty's "Centerfield" is a no-brainer, but do you really need to hear new cuts from
Phantom Planet and
Simple Plan? This could have been a lot more fun, but there's too much time spent on forgettable material both new and old -- with just under five minutes of his terrific score represented, composer Edward Shearmur gets the biggest shaft. ~ James Christopher Monger