Rock of Ages is out in theaters now, so you better get your ’80s and run out to see this rockin’ movie now.
Now I have to admit when I heard that Adam Shankman was directing this movie, I didn’t want to see it because I got so sick of him on So You Think You Can Dance. Then when I heard that Tom Cruise was going to play Stacee Jaxx, I said no way you could get me to the musical because I hated him The Firm, Born on the Fourth of July and Vanilla Sky thus swearing off of his movies. But I put my hatred aside and boy I am glad I did it because I freaking loved this film. In fact I will go on record and say that Cruise was born to play this role. I would be surprised if he didn’t get an Oscar nom for playing the troublesome rocker legend because he is just that amazing in it.
But he is only one of part of the movie and the rest of the cast also does an extraordinary job bringing hair metal to the big screen. Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) is moving from Tulsa, OK to Hollywood to make it as a singer. On her first day there, she is mugged and Drew Boley (Diego Boneta) helps her, and it is love at first sight for both of them. Seeing that everything she has is gone, he tells her he get could her job at the bar he works at. The Bourbon Room is owned by Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) who doesn’t want to hire another singer wannabe, but his right-hand man, Lonny Barnett (Russell Brand) convinces him to employee her since they are down a worker and they have a big show the next night. The biggest rock star of 1987 Stacee Jaxx is playing his last gig with Arsenal there before he goes solo. Only thing he is very temperamental and no one knows if he will actually do it. Even his manager (Paul Giamatti) doubts he can get his star there on time and he needs to because he scheduled a huge interview with Rolling Stone. Constance Sack (Malin Ackerman) is the unfortunate reporter who will have to interview the man who keeps all of his words for his music and he will make their interview very difficult. Dupree’s problem isn’t only if Stacee Jaxx will be there, but he also has the Mayor’s uptight wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) protesting the concert and she wants to shut the club down. Her goal isn’t that hard to do because Dupree desperately needs the money from Jaxx’s show to keep the club open. So now you know the first act of this movie musical, you have to go to see the film to see how that night changes everything for everyone in the second act.
That and it is so bitchin’ to hear the music of Journey, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Night Ranger, Twisted Sister, Pat Benatar, Foriegner, Poison and many more tell the story of Rock of Ages.
When it comes to the acting Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand are perfect as to the Ying to his Yang, the Laurel to his Hardy and the Richie Sambora to his Jon Bon Jovi. You will love them as much as they love each other. Who knew that Zeta-Jones could play such an uptight bitch with a secret you will never see coming. Ackerman wins you over as the reporter with a tough assignment. And Hough and Boneta nail the part of young lovers who are struggling to make it in Hollywood as they try to make their relationship work. But the biggest star of this film is Stacee Jaxx’s partner Hey Man. Hey Man is a monkey, who steals every scene in movie that perfectly captures the era.
So what are you doing still reading this, why haven’t you gone out to see Rock of Ages already. I promise you will love it so much, you will buy some hairspray after the movie to make your hair just like the musicians in the movie and there is a reason why we don’t our hair like that anymore.
