I've had so many friends tell me how much they enjoyed the stage version of Rock of Ages, but it's just never interested me that much. So I am really surprised how much I enjoyed the film version! For me, it was a combination of seeing the Sunset Strip as it looked in the mid-80's, including the old Tower Records on Sunset (and boy do I miss Tower Records!) and a ton of great songs from Foreigner, Def Leppard, Journey and many more. Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta are young wannabe singers in Hollywood working at the legendary Bourbon Room, managed by Alec Baldwin & Russell Brand, both of whom are hilarious. Great support from Paul Giamatti as a slimy agent, Catherine Zeta Jones as an uptight morality crusader with a secret and Mary J Blige as a strip club owner. The movie only really REALLY comes alive though, when Tom Cruise is on screen as legendary rocker Stacee Jaxx. In his usual style, Cruise commits 100% to the role and completely, COMPLETELY kicks rock and roll ass. Love him or hate him, Cruise's stage presence is undeniable and he has a shockingly good singing voice and all the moves of a rocker. This isn't a movie star pretending to be a rocker, he IS a rocker. It's a fantastic performance and when he's on screen, ROCK of AGES truly ROCKS. Unfortunately, every scene Cruise isn't in somewhat pales by comparison. Fun, jammed with classic 80's rock and more than a few laughs from an all star cast, Rock of Ages is a good time and we'll roll it a B-.
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