Review of Rock of Ages (2012) by Marischa B — 27 Jun 2016

This mess of a flick has come about in this current craze for musicals, which I refuse to be a part of (evidence to the contrary will be eliminated). Relative unknowns Diego Boneta and Julianne Hough headline this film with stars Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Mary J Blige, Catherine Zeta Jones, Malin Akerman and more dancing, singing, drinking, awkwardly licking each others faces and terrible 80's hair-styling around them.

Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) is just a small town girl, living in a lonely world who took a midnight train going anywhere while Drew Boley (Diego Boneta) is just a city boy ... you get the idea. They're young, they're attractive and they're talented singers with ambition but are overlooked. Sound familiar? They meet, they fall in love, they fight and sing and dance their way through it all. Fans of the 70's and 80's will at least enjoy the music and jokes thrown in at the expense of that era and the change of the music scene. Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand provide "comic relief" as the two drunken bar-owners/workers who have a torrid love affair to REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling".

The one saving grace to this film, and it pains me to say this, is Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx. An out of control, drunken rock star seemingly on his way out. He brought the most interesting moments and insights into his character and his chemistry and interaction with Constance Sack (Malin Akerman) was amusing to watch. Sadly his character wasn't in the film as much as he could have been. I think Stacee Jaxx as the main character and storyline would have been more intriguing and enjoyable than the plain young songbirds trying to make it big in a big city. Whenever the other stars are around, especially Cruise, you tend to forget about these two underdogs.