Read Mixed User Reviews for Rock of Ages

4

fredinwhiterockNov 8, 2012

I was thoroughly looking forward to this after seeing ROA live on the Toronto stage. The movie is a major disappointment. Aaron Walpole was hilarious as Lonny on stage and Russell Brand was just plain flat here. Julia Hough was lovely to lookI was thoroughly looking forward to this after seeing ROA live on the Toronto stage. The movie is a major disappointment. Aaron Walpole was hilarious as Lonny on stage and Russell Brand was just plain flat here. Julia Hough was lovely to look at as Sheri but her version of sexy was "Gleeful" and she can't rock. The killer however was the general treatment of the music. 80s hairband music has to be raw and rocking. What the heck were they thinking by smoothing out all of the edges and autotuning all the voices? This movie production made me 'Stop Believing".… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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4

RikiegeDec 7, 2012

Good music, but the movie is very bad.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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5

Paulyd90Dec 12, 2012

All I can say is that it was alright but not the best movie I have ever seen. My friends dragged me along to see it and all I like was the remakes of brilliant rock songs which I like that is all I liked about Rock of Ages

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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6

a7xfanJun 20, 2012

I would give this movie a 6 only because of the fact that the plot is very slow and runs on thin ice the entire time, but Julianne Hough who is beautiful does a pretty good job, and Tom Cruise who has a good rock voice surprisingly made thisI would give this movie a 6 only because of the fact that the plot is very slow and runs on thin ice the entire time, but Julianne Hough who is beautiful does a pretty good job, and Tom Cruise who has a good rock voice surprisingly made this enjoyable. I knew all the songs and was singing along to about most of them. I hated it but I loved it. Go see it in theaters.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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5

zendoaJun 15, 2012

It's hard to figure out what type of film they were trying to make here, but for those looking for a quick 411 on what to expect here's the bottom line: For the 21 and under crowd who enjoy such films as High School Musical and Hannah MontanaIt's hard to figure out what type of film they were trying to make here, but for those looking for a quick 411 on what to expect here's the bottom line: For the 21 and under crowd who enjoy such films as High School Musical and Hannah Montana - this might be right up your alley. For the over 21 crowd- if you're looking for a musical to see with your BFF, or GBF, or both and don't mind musicals geared more towards talented singing and less about story and plot then this will also fit the bill.

However, if anyone was under the delusion that this would do for the late 80's/early 90's era, what Grease did for the 50's then to say that this was off the mark would be an understatement of legendary proportion. If anyone was hoping that the fantastic camera work, lighting, sound and locations coupled with nostalgic tunes would have the same impact as Moulin Rouge, but in a more modern period then once again- legendary understatement. Part of the problem is with what normally can be considered a Hollywood strength- continuity. The year that this story takes place may represent the beginning of the peak of Hair Band Rock N' Roll, but certainly not the transition out of it, which obviously came years later. The fact that a majority of the songs used for the film weren't even released yet in the time frame that the story is set. Also- it seemed like the story was Frankensteined together using a part of the plot from a modified Coyote Ugly- only the boy is more the focus. And although all of the people in the movie are likable, due to the films' immense ensemble cast it's not possible to relate to, or understand the nature of any character since we only spend a few minutes at a time with each. I should also point out that the story of the young female lead is unsuitable for young girls and gives a very poor impression of how to make difficult choices in life.

Most upsetting of all is that for those of us that grew up in the era when Rock N' Roll was at its' peak, the portrayal of those we used to idolize, or quasi-worship and possibly even be, is beyond stereotypical and one dimensional and ultimately highly offensive. I for one was hoping for a movie that might bring back some great memories of a time and place when being irresponsible and naive were just a part of being acceptably ignorant and free. Back then, thanks to the lack of technology, private moments and stories easily became inside jokes and were almost always attached to a favorite song that later in life provokes nostalgia.

I suppose overall I was simply confused. I didn't know what the film was trying to do, or say and it felt as if it was an entertaining movie solely for the sake of being entertaining as a musical. Kind of like a talent show routine, only longer.

Despite all of this, I do believe that all of the cast did an exceptional job and the talented singing was absolutely the highlight. On par with Duets in terms of quality. I was refreshingly surprised at how great Tom Cruise's voice was- even though I never quite understood what his character's impediment was.

Having spent several of my personal developmental years on the Sunset Strip I found most of the references and innuendo to be comforting and funny at times. I am not sure if this will be the same for anyone who hasn't grown up, or spent a substantial amount of time in L.A. As far as hilarity goes, I counted a total of 8 occasions when the audience laughed at situations in the film, but they were all very short lived. So this movie is not quite a comedy with a touch of wannabe romance that has shockingly little drama and definitely no action, but it is a musical by definition and therefore I split the difference and gave it an honest 5. If you want to see a real Rock N' Roll film with great music, a compelling story and real soul- go rent Almost Famous. I applaud the effort to bring a lighthearted movie with the intention of cheering up a somewhat depressed culture, but at the end of the day Rock of Ages simply lacks heart.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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5

TVJerryJun 19, 2012

The biggest surprise: this movie is funny (intentionally). Sure, there's a trite love story, but the supporting cast provides quite a few laughs. What takes up most of the time is a string of anthem rock classics sung by every member of theThe biggest surprise: this movie is funny (intentionally). Sure, there's a trite love story, but the supporting cast provides quite a few laughs. What takes up most of the time is a string of anthem rock classics sung by every member of the cast. Some are fun and successful (the best gay love song ever), but many are downright embarrassing. Tom Cruise, as the metal god, is sometimes swaggering cool, sometimes funny. Adam Shankman's direction/choreography is occasionally dazzling. Overall, this non-stop barrage of rock music videos succeeds on some levels and is simply silly on others.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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4

Knicksfan7Jun 18, 2012

So this certainly wasn't a perfect film. Do not go in with high expectations unless you are specifically looking for a cheesy love story musical with bad acting and lackluster directing. Their were so many flaws with this film, acting being aSo this certainly wasn't a perfect film. Do not go in with high expectations unless you are specifically looking for a cheesy love story musical with bad acting and lackluster directing. Their were so many flaws with this film, acting being a big one, but it was just filled with awkward and cheesy moments. Some of the singing was just uncalled for, some of the actors just burst into song at random awkward moments. The positives of the film? Tom Cruise was awesome, great soundtrack, and some decent comedy but thats about it. I was very disappointed with this movie considering i went in expecting a hilarious musical with a great cast but it didn't work out so well. I would not recomend this film to anyone. 3.5/10… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

GagaForGhibliJun 18, 2012

Sadly This Movie Is Less Than Perfect The Covers Are Ok This Will Be The Most Overated Movie Of The Year! I Am This Close To Giving This Movie A 5...'

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

btzneb92Aug 12, 2012

Russell Brand still sucks, and a lot of the movie is just pure plain awkward.
Russell Brand still sucks, and a lot of the movie is just pure plain awkward.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

ShiiraJul 13, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When it comes to explaining rock and roll, only Pete Townshend, according to Jeff Bebe, lead singer of the fictional band Stillwater, can articulate its essence with any intellectual rigor. He believes in all earnestness that the poetry of sex and drugs will save the world. So did the filmmaker, once upon a time, as a cub reporter for Rolling Stone in his 2000 bildungsroman Almost Famous. By the 1980s, the seasoned journalist probably knew that mom was right: rock and roll was indeed the poetry of sex and drugs, but at least those artists stood for something; they wanted to end the war, unlike, for instance, Def Leppard, who probably had no aspirations of, for starters, ending the cold war. Ultimately, the music of the sixties was the poetry of social consciousness. Stacee Jaxx, however, we can reasonably conclude, has no thoughts on the Falkland Islands crisis, the closest thing to Vietnam, concurrent to his epoch in time. Rock of Ages is Lester Bangs' worst nightmare. This jukebox musical plays like a paean to The Industry of Cool, the label Bangs affixed to a music biz he saw that was, to his chagrin, being commodified. Still, despite whatever reservations one may have about the artistic bankruptcy of a banal hair metal band such as Arsenal, who in Rock of Ages, comes under attack by the mayor's wife, you still had to, as the Beastie Boys so eloquently put it, "fight for [their] right to party." Jaxx has the right to pour sugar on whomever he pleases. Patricia Whitmore, unmistakably, is modeled after Tipper Gore, who in 1984 formed the P.M.R.C., the organization responsible for labeling records with potentially offensive lyrics, after the almost First Lady caught her daughter singing along to a Purple Rain album track, the incendiary "Darling Nikki". Aaaah, Prince. When it came to explaining rock and roll during the MTV age, nobody defended it better than Jello Biafra, who on an early episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, faced Gore down, and charged the religious right-funded organization with "play[ing] on the fear of parents too chicken to talk to their own kids." Being, supposedly, a liberal democrat, Gore's conservative agenda seemed at odds with the party's ideals, and her own roots. Coming of age in the late-sixties, it would seem inconceivable that Tipper had never experimented with drugs, or put the needle on the groove of The White Album. There had to have been a skeleton, similar to the osterological frippery in Rock of Ages, when the truth comes out about Patricia, who turns out to be a former groupie, hidden in plain sight within the gatefold sleeve of Arsenal's debut album, posing alongside Stacey, practically naked. Patricia, however, differs slightly from Gore, in that she may not necessarily be a Christian. A sort of veiled commentary, at the outset, is made on the Bourbon Room marquee, where it publicizes Bad Religion as the club's headlining act for the night. On a subtextual level, what foretell could that bad religion be? If Patricia's rendition of Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", in a church, no less, provides any indication, the bad religion must be Christianity. The couplet: "You're a real tough cookie with a long history/Of breaking little hearts like the one in me," on the surface, shows the moral crusader addressing her long ago fling with Jaxx, but the lyrics can also easily be construed as a rebuke against God. Even more blasphemous than singing a secular song in a house of worship, is the application of the sadomasochistic theme inherent in the Benatar "classic" to Jesus' crucifixion at Golgotha. She's a Scientologist, just like the man who plays the archetypal headbanger. During Foreigner's Christian-sounding "I Want to Know What Love Is", Cruise sings to Malin Akerman's ass, then vagina, as they pantomime sex in a dressing room. The hyper-carnality of Stacy Jaxx, more than overcompensates for the Abba-fying of REO Speedwagon, when Dennis and Lonny out themselves, thereby appeasing Cruise's church, known for its promotion of reparative therapy. Christopher Hitchens was right. Religion does poison everything. Wasn't Rock of Ages supposed to celebrate rock and roll as a religion in its own right, a salve for the broken soul, like when Sherrie tells Jaxx, "When my hamster died, your music really helped me through?" Lester Bangs must be rolling in his grave. As a retort to the proselytizing activists cries of "We're Not Going To Take It", the film uses Starship's "We Built This City"(a band, and song, reviled by many) as an unlikely anthem that embodies the bacchanal genre's so-called spirit. Rock of Ages gets its history wrong. Boy bands didn't kill hair metal bands like Arsenal, and their real life contemporaries. Nirvana did. While Jaxx belts out "Don't Stop Believin'" to a sold-out crowd, in the real timeline, Kurt Cobain was checking out Green River at some tiny Seattle club.… Expand