Rock the Kasbah

Open Road Films (II) | Release Date: October 23, 2015

4.1	USER SCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 35 Ratings

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jimmydodgieOct 28, 2015

How can an actor go from a career high movie like St. Vincent to this movie which is pure torture to sit through. Blame game has to focus on the script by Mitch Glazer which is awful. But Levinson and Murray read the script so what were theyHow can an actor go from a career high movie like St. Vincent to this movie which is pure torture to sit through. Blame game has to focus on the script by Mitch Glazer which is awful. But Levinson and Murray read the script so what were they thinking!

I wish i could get back my 1hr and 40 minutes I took out of my life to watch this train wreck. We went to watch it on Tuesday night when movie prices were only $6.00. I still got ripped off. I should have checked the reviews beforehand. Only 20 people in the theatre. NOBODY LAUGHED. I repeat NOBODY LAUGHED in the theatre.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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bds92Oct 24, 2015

No doubt it's a hell of a cast, but I can't see a movie with an average score of 29.

What really bugs me is this: the movie is called "Rock the Kasbah," yet the song "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash is not on the movie's soundtrack! How canNo doubt it's a hell of a cast, but I can't see a movie with an average score of 29.

What really bugs me is this: the movie is called "Rock the Kasbah," yet the song "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash is not on the movie's soundtrack! How can that possibly be? What were they thinking? I thought that was a given! Maybe that's why the movie is rated so poorly.

Lesson learned: respect The Clash.… Expand

1 of 12 users found this helpful111

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TVJerryOct 26, 2015

Much like Bill Murray's character in this movie, director Barry Levinson has seen better days for hits. Murray plays a has-been rock manager who finds himself stranded in Afghanistan, where he discovers a local woman with a beautiful voice.Much like Bill Murray's character in this movie, director Barry Levinson has seen better days for hits. Murray plays a has-been rock manager who finds himself stranded in Afghanistan, where he discovers a local woman with a beautiful voice. Despite cultural taboos, he sets out to make her a star. This movie is a full-on Murray vehicle and if you're a fan, that's all you need. It's obvious that this is directed by a seasoned filmmaker: it's fully competent, but the script lacks many genuine laffs (and the resolution is left unsatisfactorily unexplained). Lively energy, but falls flat more often than not.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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TheQuietGamerJun 11, 2016

It's basically just Bill Murray having a crazy time in Afghanistan. He runs into mercenaries, arms dealers, and a really sexy Kate Hudson. Along the way there are explosions, stolen passports, and other crazy hijinks before the movie settlesIt's basically just Bill Murray having a crazy time in Afghanistan. He runs into mercenaries, arms dealers, and a really sexy Kate Hudson. Along the way there are explosions, stolen passports, and other crazy hijinks before the movie settles on the core plot of Murray's "Richie" stumbling onto some real talent. The results are unfortunately rather uneven.

As far as the comedy goes it's got some chuckles here and there and some one liners that may grant a little more of a reaction. Bill Murray is just as fantastic as ever, so that ensures at least a few laughs no matter how bad the material is. Not that it actually is bad, just sadly lackluster. While far from a laugh riot we at least get Murray's rendition of "Smoke On The Water" and some clever one liners.

The rest of the cast is just as good. They just aren't given as much to do. We've got the likes of Bruce Willis and Danny McBride in more humorous, albeit limited supporting roles. It's not hard to notice though that a lot of these characters don't stick around for long. They'll show up for a gag or two and maybe move the plot along a little and then they're gone. It naturally leads to some muddled storytelling.

Like I mentioned earlier in my review, a lot of crazy stuff happens before the movie starts to deliver the tale it wants to tell. When it does finally start telling it, the movie tries to offer up some commentary on Middle Eastern culture. It never quite manages to actually say anything and as a result there's nothing profound to be found here.

While there are some amusing bits scattered throughout it's just not funny enough to be considered a good comedy. It's also not smart enough to be considered good satire. With characters regularly coming and going in the plot it's kind of hard to care about what's going on, especially when some departures make elements of the plot hard to follow.

This is the Murray show. The actor is once again as likable as ever and elevates the material to something higher than it's worth. He manages to wring some laughs out of the dry material. Unfortunately he can't work miracles. All in all it's an ill-conceived movie. One that perhaps was trying to do something good, but was unable to do so thanks to the botched execution. Bill Murray is able to make it watchable, but unable to make it worth watching.

5.2/10… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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EpicLadySpongeJun 24, 2016

Ouch, that cast has got to hurt a voice after this movie. I'm so sorry for them. Not for any cause of this movie to exactly ask me the question of why it exist that's for sure.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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StevieGJDNov 9, 2015

Bill Murray can be so good in the right movies and so not good in the wrong ones. This is the latter. I hope he got paid a lot to be in this POS. There are mild moments of amusement, but far more moments of boredom. And Barry LevinsonBill Murray can be so good in the right movies and so not good in the wrong ones. This is the latter. I hope he got paid a lot to be in this POS. There are mild moments of amusement, but far more moments of boredom. And Barry Levinson made this junk? That's just sad.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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lukechristianscFeb 12, 2016

Bill Murray's performance in "Rock The Kasbah" is redeeming, look it's not perfect and doesn't need him or a cast this great, but a star like Murray makes this 1 hour and 40 minute film interesting, despite it's boring and I barely give aBill Murray's performance in "Rock The Kasbah" is redeeming, look it's not perfect and doesn't need him or a cast this great, but a star like Murray makes this 1 hour and 40 minute film interesting, despite it's boring and I barely give a crap about the characters. While visiting Kabul Afghanistan Richie Lanz (Bill Murray) a washed up music manager, who just lost his client Ronnie (Zooey Deschanel). He finds luck when he discovers a Pashtun teenager Salima Khan (Leem Hubany) singing under a cave, her dreams are becoming the first female to complete on the television show "Afghan Star." With help from a savvy hooker (Kate Hudson), two war profiteers and a trigger-happy mercenary (Bruce Willis). Richie embarks on a mission to make sure his new protegee gets discovered. There are a few okay performances in this messy unwell made film.But this film is wild, and Murray makes this film interesting. 3 out of 5… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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ydnar4Jan 19, 2016

This movie is so bad it hurts and I love Bill Murray. Rock the Kasbah has a pretty interesting concept but its just so flat and unfunny that it is pretty much unwatchable. Murray gives a decent performance but its certainly not going to doThis movie is so bad it hurts and I love Bill Murray. Rock the Kasbah has a pretty interesting concept but its just so flat and unfunny that it is pretty much unwatchable. Murray gives a decent performance but its certainly not going to do down as one of his best. Despite getting almost all the attention throughout the film Murray's character developed very little. He was essentially the same **** at the end of the film that he was at the first. Then you have Kate Hudson and Bruce Willis (I should've known it was bad if Willis was in it) and both their characters have fairly minimal roles that really just do not mean anything to the viewer. Finally the third act is atrocious. Rock the Kasbah is just such an intolerable mess that I really can't recommend it to anyone. Please just save yourself some misery.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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RalfbergsJan 8, 2017

I really thought this will be much better after seeing that Murray, Willis and other actors are in this. In the end I'm not even sure what all of it was meant to be. It had some parts where I thought it will get better but it changed fast andI really thought this will be much better after seeing that Murray, Willis and other actors are in this. In the end I'm not even sure what all of it was meant to be. It had some parts where I thought it will get better but it changed fast and got worse again. Don't waste your time with this one. Only giving it a 4 because I like actors in it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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horrorliefhebMay 14, 2016

-Rock the Kasbah is a 2015 American comedy film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Mitch Glazer. The film stars Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Leem Lubany, Scott Caan, Danny McBride, Kelly Lynch, Arian Moayed,-Rock the Kasbah is a 2015 American comedy film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Mitch Glazer. The film stars Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Leem Lubany, Scott Caan, Danny McBride, Kelly Lynch, Arian Moayed, Taylor Kinney, and Beejan Land. The film was released on October 23, 2015, by Open Road Films.

--Box office:

-According to Box Office Mojo, the film had the fifth-worst opening of all-time for a film playing in 2,000+ theaters, grossing an average $731 per venue (fellow opener Jem and the Holograms had an even worse $570 average).

--Critical response:

-Rock the Kasbah received negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 8%, based on 107 reviews, with an average rating of 3.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Shareef don't like Rock the Kasbah, and neither will viewers hoping for a film that manages to make effective use of Bill Murray's knack for playing lovably anarchic losers." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 29 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "B–" on an A+ to F scale.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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ourtimehascomeJul 19, 2017

Rock the Kasbah suffers only from one thing, and that's not having "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash in its soundtrack. Instead there's mostly Cat Stevens, which has the ability to pacify most of the middle-east. At least that's what I learnedRock the Kasbah suffers only from one thing, and that's not having "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash in its soundtrack. Instead there's mostly Cat Stevens, which has the ability to pacify most of the middle-east. At least that's what I learned from the film. Bill Murray delivers yet another enjoyable performance. The plot is constantly moving from hilarious event to another. Though it isn't until late in the film when the actual conflict is introduced. Before this, Murray simply moves around and meets people like an American prostitute played by Kate Hudson, arms dealers Scott Caan and Danny McBride, and Bruce Willis as a no-nonsense mercenary with a heart of gold. Surprisingly, all of them continue to be heartwarming and funny, despite the lack of focus.

Once the conflict presents itself though, the story becomes a bit predictable, with a few interesting diversions inbetween. Overall, it's a satisfying film. It certainly doesn't deserve the negative criticism it has received, being a box office bomb.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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