If you've forgotten any rock songs from the 80's, never fear. They play each and every one of them in Rock of Ages. Of course, this is not a problem if you are a fan of the era, which I am for the most part. Subsequently, I have become a groupie for the Rock of Ages, a flick that combines some fresh faces with plenty of star power to rock the joint.
Sherrie (Julianne Hough) is just a small town girl...living in a lonely world. She took a midnight train going anywhe...wait, going to Los Angeles. Drew (Diego Boneta) is a city boy, born and raised in south Detr...wait, I don't really know where he's from but he's a bar keep at the infamous Bourbon Room. It's a famous rock joint managed by Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) with help from Lonny (Russell Brand). The trouble is simple: the bar is struggling. Dennis hasn't paid taxes in more than a year. Just as frightening, he's facing an upstart fundamentalist group led by mayoral first lady, Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta-Jones), that wants to bring Rock-N-Roll to it's knees. Dennis is counting on megastar, Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) to save the bar. The trouble is simple: Stacee is out there. By out there, I mean...well, he's well beyond the rings of Uranus and his greedy manager Paul (Paul Giamatti) is no help. Drew and Sherrie are trying to save the day, but these star-crossed lovers have issues of their own. Yadayadayada...it takes a combined effort from all involved to salvage a rock museum like the Bourbon Room.
It's good. I'll go with 3.5 Stars on this one. I'm not typically a fan of musicals, but Rock of Ages is an entertaining rock-n-roller coaster ride, carrying plenty of tunes with everything from Pat Benatar to Starship. It's fun. Sure, the music is good...great at times, but the characters are just as enjoyable. Actually, they made it for me. Except for some Def Leopard and Journey...those scenes, well--rocked! Tom Cruise is awesome as Stacee Jaxx. He's tremendous in the zany, off-kilter rock star role. I love when this guy moves away from his signature action/adventure genre in favor of the whacky. I'm still laughing from his role in Tropic Thunder. Meanwhile, the newcomers are solid in their own right, while Baldwin and Brand provide added comic relief.
On the downside, it's loooooong. I can deal with a 2-hour flick when the story sweeps the time away in favor of an enthralling adventure. This plot is not bad--it's certainly predictable, but let's face it, this flick is about the music and the star power. It was certainly a fun ride and, with a strong ending, which made the 123 minutes well worth it. However, I admit that around the 90-minute mark I was reaching for the remote in my mind in an effort to fast forward this one a bit.
All in all, if you're a rock fan, especially a rock fan from the 80's, you'll want to see this one and see it BIG. If you have no use for the big hair or rock and roll, then there's probably not even a reason to rent this one. If you're not sure, well, Don't Stop Believin' and go for it! It's a good time!
True...OUT!
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