“Rock Of Ages” Review: Tom Cruise Does “Glee”
by Jim Moret
Is Rock of Ages timeless or just tired? Maybe both. With its stellar cast and equally great performances, you’d think all would be well. You’d be wrong. Rock of Ages reminds me of a real rock opera, Tommy, which was made into a movie 37 years ago. Tommy was ground-breaking as a record, powerful on stage, but fell flat on screen. As with Tommy, the problem here may actually be a product of the treatment not the tunes.
First, the good: Tom Cruise fans, rejoice — Cruise is terrific as Stacee Jaxx. Imagine combining the look of Brett Michaels (today) with the moves of Axl Rose (in his prime), and that gives you a sense of the amazingly buff star’s turn as a rock god. No question, Cruise owns the screen whenever he appears. Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand are brilliant together. Their comic timing is impeccable and must be revisited in a future buddy film. Catherine Zeta-Jones reminded me quickly why she won an Oscar for Chicago. Malin Akerman is surprisingly and disarmingly funny.
Read the rest of this article here.
