Rock of Ages Review

I love campy musicals anyway. Add 80's rock 'n' roll, throw in Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Mary J. Blige, and I'm most definitely there. Rock of Ages, adapted from the Broadway musical, is like a long glee episode that took a time-machine back in time. This is compliment, I promise. (Warning spoilers follow).

Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) is just a small town girl all lonely in a bus pointed toward LA, where her grandmother has pushed her to pursue her dream. Classic newcomer moment happens when she steps off the bus and gets welcomed to the city by a friendly thief, who runs down the street with her only suitcase, which is of course filled with vinyl. Not even pretending to chase down this creep, Sherrie's soon-to-be boyfriend Drew Boley (Diego Boneto) darts across the highway to make sure she's OK. Not only feeling sympathy for her, Drew falls in love right away. He gets her a job at the Bourbon Club, run by Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) and Lonny (Russell Brand). From here, Sherrie and Drew's romance develops and has its problems, Drew gets a big break, they both have to sell out on their dreams for a little while, and then it all ends up happily fixed in the end.

The plot behind the love story brings the most interesting aspects of the movie together. Crazy protesters, organized by Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta-Jones) in a ploy to get more attention to her mayor husband's (Bryan Cranston) campaign, and part of her own inner rock demons, threaten to bring the Bourbon down. Dupree and Lonny need money fast and rock god Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) is the only one who can bring that kind of attention and revenue to the club.

While I love the musical scenes between Drew and Sherrie -- we get to see them sing their budding love in 'Waiting for a Girl Like You'-- some of the best parts of the movie involve the oversexed, irresistibly hot rocker Stacee Jaxx, an ass-hole for sure, but a groupie king nontheless. Perhaps the best scene is between him and the alluringly and deceivingly cute Rolling Stone reporter Constance Sack (Malin Ackerman), where she's trying to be a serious reporter, but she can't resist Jaxx's seething sexuality.

Alec Baldwin is the perfect hardcore rock-lover and Bourbon owner, who just wants to rock, but he has to take care of business too. Baldwin and Brand play well off each other, with Brand's zany Britishness and Baldwin's genuine and quiet young-at-heart charm. They end up playing their mutual love and  attraction with great comedic effect, a commonly acceptable way to play the gay card while keeping it light. I think this works well in this film, but I do wonder when it will be OK to not make same-sex attraction a joke just so it's easier for everyone. But, I digress.

The soundtrack to this movie is absolutely amazing. In an age of mash-ups, we get good fusions of 'Juke Box Hero/ I Love Rock 'n' Roll', 'Shadows of the Night / Harden My Heart', and 'We Built this City / We're Not Gonna Take It'. Cruise and Zeta-Jones sing well in a musical with the likes of Mary J. Blige, and the choreography is just simply fun.

Running at 123 mins, it is a long film, but every musical moment makes it worth your while. If you're an 80's rock lover, this is a great musical tribute to a wonderful era.

YYY
(out of 4)