(Movie Review) Rock of Ages (2012)

Rock of Ages may have hit a sour note in the Box Office, but Cruise shines as Stacee Jaxx

Who doesn’t like pie, right? Well, for starters, I’m not crazy out it. It’s not that I don’t necessarily like it, just that there are a million things in the world that I would rather eat than pie. It’s always either too sweet or not sweet enough. So, naturally, if I do eat pie I make sure that there is a dollop of ice cream on the top. Why? Because I am positive that ice cream can cure any ailment and is the single greatest creation in human history. So, when you end up with a movie that is really just a little piece of “ok” pie, adding one dollop of something fantastic to it makes it a heck of a lot better. Tom Cruise (as Stacee Jaxx) is that dollop.

Storyline: Sherrie (Hough) arrives on the Sunset Strip to become a star. Local bartender Drew (Boneta) tries to help her out and offers Sherrie a job at the infamous Bourbon Room right before her idol, Stacee Jaxx, is to play his last performance with his band Arsenal. But things quickly go sour in Sherrie’s life and she begins to question if she should just throw in the towel and go back home. Some people aren’t cut out to make it in Hollywood…and some were made to conquer it. Which will she be?

This movie turned out to be a little more Glee/High School Musical than I thought it would be. Movies like Chicago, Sweeney Todd, and Across the Universe do a much better job of incorporating the music into the scenes and making it make sense. In that aspect, this movie could have done a much better job. Other than that, it was a really fun movie.  

Worth the admission? Does Stacee Jaxx wear a jewel incrusted codpiece? The answer is YES! The dialog is somewhat forgettable but the music is fun and the performances are good. The real reason to see the movie is Tom Cruise. While he is in less of the movie than the previews would lead you to believe, the parts that he is in steal every glint of spotlight. Not only is his rock persona one of the most memorable that I have seen in a long time (maybe since This is Spinal Tap…but for different reasons), but the guy put in months of voice training lessons just to nail the part. Seriously. His cover of Wanted Dead Or Alive, Paradise City and Pour Some Sugar On Me are on par with the originals and to prove that he could sing them he did it live on Ryan Seacrest’s show (will give a link at the blog). So go see it!