The first 40+ minutes of the heavy-metal-themed, coming-of-age comedy "Metal Lords" are pretty normal. These opening scenes work well enough to represent the film that follows. He lacks the charm — or the grit and emotional generosity — that define the rest of the film. But the script db. Weiss, co-creator of HBO's "Game of Thrones," takes some time to establish some canned brotherly tension between Kevin and Hunter (Jaden Martel and Adrian Greensmith), two high school friends who are a bitchin' in time. Metal bands struggle to form. for their high school Battle of the Bands competition.
Thankfully, during the film's back half, director Peter Soulet ("Raising Victor Vargas," "Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist") often sells this Gen X fantasy about lasting appeal (and character-development side benefits). Slows down quite a bit. Being a teenage metalhead.
In "Metal Lords", Kevin and Hunter's friendship is put to the test by Scottish-American cellist Emily (Isis Hensworth), whom Kevin likes, but Hunter does not, because, Eve, girls. This kind of feel-good/formulalike progression story already seemed bizarre when “Wayne’s World” director Penelope Spheres revived the He-Man Woman Hater Club for her Amblin-produced “Little Rascals” revival. Did. Nevertheless, Hunter inadvertently makes Kevin the school autodidact on the true meaning of metal.
"Metal Lords" ultimately focuses on all three major characters, rather than their limited roles, in pushing the plot to its foregone conclusion. The film may be cinematic comfort food, but its makers earn our trust and deliver all the necessary beats along the way.
That said: Hunter's loud personality dominates the first half of the film. He eventually becomes more interesting as a foil for the other characters, but Hunter initially (and repeatedly) steamrolls Kevin, his best friend, into overcoming his own (relatively mild) daddy issues. Is. Because Hunter gets almost everything he wants in life, he's just Dr. Sylvester (Brett Gelman), can't relate to his buggy divorced father. Thank you, Dr. Hunter's relationship with Sylvester develops a vibrant tenderness that reassures even their sharpest disagreements.
For some time, Hunter has been defined by the proliferation of band posters that line the walls of his basement, including early metal bands such as Judas Priest and Anthrax, and new acts such as Amon Amarth and Opeth. It soon becomes clear that Hunter has an outdated view of what is good about metal. Luckily, he's neither embarrassed nor indulged as a result of his callow behavior. And Emily and Kevin's awkward courtship eventually becomes a major part of the film's story, and not just a plot device.
There is a definite 43-minute twist in "Metal Lords" after Emily and Kevin have sex in the back of their family's van. Kevin accompanies her to her bedroom where Emily has a slight edge: they have a staring contest and, at her suggestion, he lies down on her. Emily is still essentially a stock character, but the honest and firm expression of her puppy love crush on Kevin proves that the film's producers know how to slow down long enough to deconstruct some familiar plot lines. Even Dr. Sylvester and Hunter's poor relationship also develops well due to the film's strong ensemble cast and comic timing in some key scenes, which are affectionate, funny, and well-developed enough to sell the film's otherwise canned drama. As such, Soulet and Weiss do a fair job of representing teens as we (or really, some of us) want to imagine them how they really are.
You might be wondering what this has to do with heavy metal music. "Metal Lords" is thankfully not so much about the true meaning of metal, as Linus might say, but rather how to enjoy being in a band because liking your bandmates can lead to a good performance (among other things). is inspired. The climactic battle of the band Scene is satisfying despite everything because the kids can't just actually play their instruments: the song they sing is actually catchy and unassuming teen metal anthem, with lyrics by Weiss and executive music producer Tom Morello. Music is. The song is aptly named "Torrent's Machinery".
Morello also has a cameo later in the film, as one of the celebrity angels and demons sitting on Kevin's vulnerable shoulders. It's a good bit and not because of any personal cameo appearances, but because of how long the scene lasts and how fun it is to reunite a group of rock gods as role models. It's hardly a basic conceit, but it's expressed quite well here, so yes, sure, why not?