Rock of Ages

After the now customary 15 minutes of previews that preceded Rock of Ages in the theater, I apparently forgot that I was strapping in for a two hour musical. I have nothing against musicals, but for us non-theater folk that first moment of singing tends to be a bit jarring. Based on the Broadway hit of the same name, the film uses classic rock hits of the late 1980s to tell the story of an LA based venue, two young people looking for fame and a jaded rocker, who has lost his edge.

Having not seen the play, the casting in the film is a great asset. Tom Cruise’s performance as an Axl Rose-type front man, Stacee Jaxx, is both hysterical and perfect. From the scenes of implied craziness to the surprisingly believable stage performances, it’s pretty clear the guy can act outside of his Mission Impossible comfort zone. Even with some awkward and bulky dialogue the majority of the cast does well, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, and Catherine Zeta-Jones are among the big names. The leads, Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta, fit their roles though they don’t provide the same spark of entertainment the supporting players do.

The film runs too long, as some of the ballads in the middle do little to move the story along. But a number of the musical numbers translate well to the screen, especially the mash-up songs. Being that the audience also knows the music, there is a sense of inclusion there that wouldn’t come with original songs. I know I was tapping my feet along with Tom Cruise dressed like Axl Rose singing Bon Jovi. What a movie this is. Ultimately, fans of musicals and classic rock will be most drawn to Rock of Ages. But most other should find it reasonably enjoyable.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.