Rating: 2.5/5 stars (Two-and-a-half stars)
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Star Cast: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand,Tom Cruise.
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What’s Bad?: The story can be found in between the collage of music videos; nothing new to offer in terms of story; it’s too long… it overstays its welcome.
Verdict: The fans of rock or those who have grown listening to Def Leppard, Journey, Guns N’ Roses etc. will find it a delightful journey into the past. But for the rest it’s just a musical that rarely has any story and overstays its welcome.
Loo Break: Several for the non-rock music fans.
Watch or Not?: You can easily avoid this one and save yourself from the overdose of drugs, sex, lewd and suggestive dancing all of which makes rock look like a really dirty affair.
Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) travels from Oklahoma to Los Angeles to become a singer like every other teenager attracted to the glamorous world of Hollywood. On the day she arrives, she loses her baggage but finds Drew (Diego Boneta) another wannabe singer-musician. He gets her a job in The Bourbon Room as a waitress and she takes it up instantly hoping to find her big break like her idol Stacee Jaxx did. Meanwhile, The Bourbon Room is under attack from bureaucrats for the bad influence rock culture is putting on the children of the city. Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta-Jones), the wife of Mayor Mike Whitmore (Bryan Cranston) is behind these protests and she is especially targets Stacee Jaxx. Why?
Well, Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) is another story altogether; a famous man professionally, who has made a mess out of his personal life, Stacee is trying to find that one song, one chance that will change his life and bring him back to his old self. While Stacee is trying to deal with his fame, Sherrie and Drew’s love story hits rock bottom only to give Drew a chance to experience Stacee-like fame. Will the love birds find happiness with each other? Will they be able to realize their dreams to become singers? Will Stacee Jaxx ever be able to get back to being who he really was? Will The Bourbon Room remain safe from the political eye? You will find answers to all these questions as the movie progresses.
A musical woven together with a string of events; that is how you can describe the Rock Of Ages. The absurdity with which those events pass is even more annoying. The music initially is not so impressive but in the latter half, it starts to get interesting and fun even for those who have never heard the music before. Just like the music, even the movie itself is much better in the second half. For a tribute to the Age of Rock, it has all gone really wrong.
Tom Cruise is a true star. His doped, not-a-care-in-the-world attitude, sculpted body, excellent performance on stage: everything will just blow your mind. Russell Brand is another star. His comic timing, his accent and his natural acting are just superb. Catherine Zeta-Jones is another delight to watch. Each and every person seems so much into their characters that the movie seems like an injustice to the actors’ performances and talents.
The movie could have been so much better than this. They had the legendary music, the superb star-cast and a love-fame story that always works but director Adam Shankman has failed to use these elements to the film’s advantage. The music of Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard, Foreigner, Journey, Poison, Europe and Twisted Sister comes together in a package in this movie. But for the non-rock fans all this seems will be a complete disconnect. The sets, drugs, dance moves, expletives, all seem to lend a lot to make this musical, but the film rarely gives the feeling of the bygone era with its glitz and glam feel.
As a film, it lacks a solid story or any new offering. And even if you are a rock ‘n’ roll fan, it will be very hard to wade through the mindless babble they call story, to get to the end of Rock Of Ages.
Rock Of Ages releases in India on 15 June 2012.
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