A truly talented drum corp is really something to see. The precision, inventiveness and talent drummers exhibit is something worthy of a halftime show. The question is: Is it worthy of throwing a plot over it and making a movie?

In “Drumline,” talent from all over the nation comes together in one collaborative effort at marching band perfection. A movie about a show-style marching band — a flashy, high-energy style devoted to entertaining audiences — all we need is a good plot, a little acting depth, and we’re sold.

“Drumline” doesn’t offer either of those, however, and the audience is left to be entertained by a movie-length drum and bugle corps show with a plot as deep as a WB sitcom.

As Devon Miles (Nick Cannon), a gifted hip hop snare drummer, moves from Harlem to start at Atlanta A&T University, he finds his scholarship and talent mean little without the teamwork of his marching band peers. Able to outplay the rest of the drumline, he eventually earns a spot as head snare, and in the process butts heads with senior snare Sean Taylor (Leonard Roberts).

It’s obvious we’re going to need a little order before someone gets a drumstick in the eye, and who better than Orlando Jones to keep things serious? Jones, as marching band director Dr. Lee, delivers stern-faced inspirational quips, such as, “One band, one sound,” and creates a character with as much depth as his former alter ego — the 7-UP guy. As a supporting role, that may be OK, and Cannon and Roberts do both deliver believable parts. The rest of the cast is better off keeping mouths shut and feet marching, however.

As the plot builds, Devon gets a girlfriend in cheerleader Laila (Zoe Saldana). Tension boils over and Devon is out of the marching band. Sure enough, the girlfriend splits as well. For some reason, it seems like traveled ground, and the finale with Devon getting back into the band and back into his girlfriend’s arms, just in time for the Big Southern Classic, is unbearably contrived.

“Drumline” is director Charles Stone III’s second stab at directing feature pictures (the first was this year’s “Paid in Full”), but it’s going to take a movie more creative than this one to bring the fame he’s received from his music videos — for names such as Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest and Cam’ron — and his three-minute movie, “True.” That movie, and the subsequent commercials Stone created for Budweiser, are summed up in one word: “Whassupp!”

Creativity aside, the action-scene camera work in “Drumline” is outstanding, and the detail shots of the drummers as they bust out their incredible routines are worth seeing. With a real show-style marching band from Morris Brown, as well as Atlanta high school and college marching band members, the movie features an experienced cast of marchers.

This alone isn’t enough to carry the movie, and today’s social stigma tied to marching band will undoubtedly be a hurdle for “Drumline.” It is obvious, however, that with a mainstream hip hop soundtrack and socially cool characters, the movie is an attempt to throw away that stigma.

Without a doubt, a few people who think whales belong in “pods,” cows roam in “herds” and nerds travel in “marching bands” will be surprised — there’s some cool stuff on the field at halftime. “Drumline” is all show and no depth, though, and people will have to decide for themselves if that’s what they want out of their movie.