Rock Star
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: September 7, 2001 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
54
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
12
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Even though it's weak in the final stages, Rock Star has more than enough sparkle to last you. That's chiefly thanks to Wahlberg, the main firework of this movie. Read full review
80
SalonStephanie Zacharek
But even here, in a role that doesn't ask much of Wahlberg, I find plenty of evidence that he's among the finest actors of his generation. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyManohla Dargis
Wahlberg has turned into one of the most sympathetic and persuasive young actors around, and while his new movie remains safely, even shrewdly, in the middle of the road, he rocks. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeJay Carr
As generic as its title, but two things enable it to land: the basic likability of Mark Wahlberg as the wannabe protagonist, and the contagious energies in the rock concert sequences.
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The acting is excellent, and the movie has a good-natured spirit to match its ultimate faith in the hero's deep-down goodness. Read full review
75
New York PostJonathan Foreman
Easily one of the most enjoyable big-budget Hollywood movies to come along in a while, Rock Star is an unexpected pleasure. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
An irresistible movie about a guy who goes on a journey, the kind an audience can't wait to take with him. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
A genial look at what happens when a wannabe becomes a headliner, Rock Star only stumbles when it decides it has to deliver a lesson about What's Really Important. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
Raking over the same clichés as "Almost Famous," Rock Star is far less reverential -- it isn't burdened by generational nostalgia and doesn't take itself too seriously. Read full review
70
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Represents the usual victory of simplistic screenwriting conventions over the rich, gamy ambiguities of the subject. But while its slide into perfunctory storytelling dilutes the raw, silly spectacle of sex and noise, the movie still has enough wit and insight to make it worth watching. Read full review
70
Washington PostRita Kempley
The most unlikely of undertakings: an energetic feel-good movie about sex, drugs and other rock-related depravities. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
This movie is as packed with flashy bogusness as a lead singer's tight leather trousers. On the other hand, there's nothing bogus about the charisma and tough sweetness of Wahlberg. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
It's a goofy, tongue-in-cheek, my-gawd-how-could-we-be-so-dumb shrine, but a shrine nonetheless. Read full review
63
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Its familiar story has pleasing quirks. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
By the end of the film I conceded, yes, there are good performances and the period is well captured, but the movie didn't convince me of the feel and the flavor of its experiences. Read full review
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