School of Rock is one of those rare family movies that actually works—it's funny, it's got heart, and it genuinely celebrates kids being creative and weird. Jack Black is in full Jack Black mode, which means manic energy and some boundary-pushing humor, but he's also surprisingly tender with the kids.

The core message—that passion and individuality matter, that music is powerful, that uptight systems can be loosened—is genuinely enriching. Yes, Dewey lies his way into the job, and yes, there's some rule-breaking, but the film treats this with enough complexity that older kids can have real conversations about it.

It holds up remarkably well for a 2003 movie. The music is still great, the humor isn't cringey, and the kids are treated like real people, not props. If your kid is 9+ and can handle some mild language and a protagonist who's definitely not a role model in the traditional sense, this is a solid pick. It's enriching without being preachy, funny without being mean, and genuinely entertaining for both kids and parents.