Leonard Roberts

It's a rare treat when a movie that looks, from its synopsis and previews, to be formulaic tripe turns out to be fresh, spirited and truly entertaining. "Drumline" is just such a movie.

Built on the chassis of a sports-underdog plot, this energetic, hip, feel-good flick stars wiry, charismatic newcomer Nick Cannon as Devon, a cocky freshman marching band drummer from Harlem who arrives at Atlanta A&T expecting to become the campus king of sticks and snares without having to pay his dues.

The kid is a spectacular drummer, as he proves during an early audition scene. He flawlessly, boldly rat-a-tat-tats his way through the robust piece the bandleader (Orlando Jones) expected him to play, then adds a little solo on the end just to show off. It isn't long before he's butting heads with the drill-sergeant-like upperclassman who leads the drumline, and that guy's not about to let some snot-nosed hot shot treat his section like a back-up band for showboating solos.

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