Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages is a film adaptation of the musical on Broadway. I'm across the country so seeing the play live is much too expensive. When I heard Tom Cruise was singing and was playing a rocker, my curiosity was peaked, to say the least!

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I finally just watched Rock of Ages for the first time. WOW. I really loved all of the cameos! I caught all of them the first time around! But I have to say, I'm liking this bizarre turn in Tom Cruise's career! From Tropic Thunder to Rock of Ages, fantastic! The "Rock You Like a Hurricane" number in the film was my favorite! I didn't like that Julianne Hough sounded like Britney Spears through most of her singing....that got old fast. Great to see Constantine Maroulis, Nuno Bettencourt, Debbie Gibson, and Sebastian Bach making appearances! Given it's now 2 am and I'm feeling great, I'd say it was worth it to stay up late and watch it!

This film was off to a great start! The classic rock of the 1980's is one of my favorite genres. Some of the greatest bands, powerful voices, and artists came from this era. Bon Jovi is still around today, as well as KISS, Journey, and Def Leppard. Even some grungy bands like Guns N Roses lasted the test of time. I still hear their music now and it still gets the crowd amped. 

The film begins with a small town Oklahoma girl, Sherrie, who takes a Greyhound bus to Los Angeles with dreams of success as a singer. This is what LA is known for, and the idea is cliche. Upon arrival she learns the harsh city is quite dangerous, and bumps into an aspiring rock singer, Drew, who works at a bar known for the famous bands that perform there. He gets her a job there and they begin a romance. Sherrie is played by Julianne Hough, who sounds a bit like Britney spears through most of the film. And Drew is played by Diego Boneta. I have to mention Tom Cruise at this point. He plays a famous rocker by the name of Stacee Jaxx. He is a cross between Axl Rose and Bret Michaels of Poison. He is extremely eccentric, and stereotypical, which is what makes this character particularly funny. Tom Cruise did his own singing in this, which is impressive, although his voice is manipulated slightly to sound more like Axl Rose. He needed to sound more like an 80s, raspy, falsetto hitting singer. He really stole the show for me. There is a point in the film when Stacee has hit rock bottom in his personal life, and goes to a strip club to prove he hasn't lost anything. Sherrie is currently working there to make ends meet after her romance with Drew fell apart. She has to dance for Stacee, and he is paying a lot for it. Given his reputation Sherrie attempts to be strong, give him what he wants, and be able to walk away after. "Rock You Like a Hurricane" is the song they duet while dancing in the private lounge. It is beautifully executed, the vocals were impressive, and Tom danced very well. Julianne is a professional dancer we know from Dancing With The Stars, so seeing her moves were expected. Tom kept up with her very well! At the moment of climax and the song is over, they are in a position to either physically give in or get out. They both realize this isn't what they want. 

The romance between Sherrie and Drew fizzles out halfway through the film, and after seeing Stacee Jaxx we no longer care about the romance. The relationship between Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin as bar and venue owners turned romance lacks in purpose and chemistry. It doesn't seem necessary to involve them when there is enough going on with everyone else. Then again, this would all be better placed on a stage instead of a film screen. All musicals and plays are condensed for the screen. 

Watch this film, you'll be rocking out the whole time!

Be sure to look out for Mary J. Blige, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Brian Cranston, and Paul Giamatti.