Movie Review – Rock of Ages

Who’s In It?

Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Alec Baldwin, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta Jones and Russell Brand

Whats It About?

Set in 1987 LA it follows a small town girl and a city boy who meet on the Sunset Strip, while pursuing their Hollywood dreams and chasing stardom.

Review

Based on the guilty-pleasure Broadway show of the same name, Rock of Ages follows in the footsteps of Mamma Mia, Hairspray and Glee in putting the fun back into musicals. With hits by the likes of Poison, Def Leppard, Journey, Bon Jovi and a mullet wearing Tom Cruise, this crowd pleaser is a little light on laughs but big on charm.

Rock of Ages young stars have real chemistry between them but the love story doesnt overshadow the movies real strength – karaoke classics with the volume pumped up!! There’s some great comedy support from Baldwin and Giamatti too but Zeta Jones and Brand’s performances seem a little out of tune with the rest of the cast.

The biggest risk for the movie was always going to be Cruise… but when he arrives on-screen posing and posturing like a drunken, washed up Axel Rose he does what all great front men do – he reaches for the mic and steals the show!! He nails the rock-god image and delivers all of the movie’s best scenes, not least a sizzling, steamy duet of “I Wanna Know What Love Is” with Malin Ackerman!

This is a movie best enjoyed with a few friends and a few drinks. It may not be a summer chart-topper but then some of the best guilty pleasures are one hit wonders!!

(Images courtesy IMDb & Movienewz)