It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Blistering performances.

I checked out Rise because it sounded like Glee, which I liked (until the college seasons), and it kind of is. Once again you've got a passionate guy and a bunch of talented hopefuls singing and falling in/out of love, although the singing is more integrated, so that the approach is less camp musical and more drama-with-singing. But both are about equally nonsensical.There are so many ridiculous moments and premises in this series, and the writers are drawn to showbiz cliches like moths to a flame. When a student is doing a poor line reading, the teacher says, "don't act, just be yourself" and suddenly he's great, because of course that's all it takes to get a great performance out of an amateur. Later the same thing happens when the teacher gets a great performance out of a struggling orchestra by snatching the baton from the teacher and saying, "hey, let's just try this. Everyone relax and go for it!"Much of the series involves the teacher's grand dreams bumping up against reality, resulting in the teacher making grand speeches. But often his choices are false. In an episode involving an elaborate set, my girlfriend and I thought of several ways to achieve the round towers they wanted cheaply, and neither of us are even theater people. The series also had an interesting attitude towards stealing stuff.Here's the thing though: I like the show. The cast is appealing, the corniness is often affecting, and the bits from the musical they're rehearsing make me really want to see it.So in short; dumb but I enjoy it.

I was excited about this show and from the ads I had expectations of something great, dynamic, and inspirational. It fell flat. I have no complaints about the acting and I feel bad for the actors because they worked hard - it shows. The show is too monotone and over-dramatic.

Absolutely love this show. Why did they cancel after one season?!

The first episode or two seemed to plod along, meandering, trying to find its footing while providing the introductions and exposition to get everyone on the same page. I wasn't sure I was going to stick with it, but I'm glad I did, as it has since picked up the tempo and the intensity, and I think today's youth would benefit from seeing themselves on the screen, much as my generation did with shows like "My So-Called Life." It doesn't gloss over the myriad issues kids today are facing (man, I feel so old saying these things), but it also shows the difficulties and challenges faced by the parents and adults. I hope the show is picked up again, as it has great potential and a talented cast.