Movie reviews
Set in 1987, just as hair metal has reached its zenith, Dennis Dupree’s (Alec Baldwin) LA club, The Bourbon Room, is the place to be. The wolves are at the door, though, as Dennis is losing money and the bible-bashing mayor’s wife Patricia Whitmore (Catherine Zeta-Jones) has promised to close the den of iniquity down. But hope comes in the shape of shady rock manager Paul Gill (Paul Giamatti) who persuades megastar Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) to play his final gig there.
Meanwhile, Malin Akerman’s Rolling Stone journalist wants an interview with the permanently zonked Stacee, and club barman Drew (Diego Boneta) and waitress Sherrie (Julianne Hough) do their best not to fall in love to a Journey song (yes, that one). It’s all entertaining fluff with lots of big hair and leather pants but Rock Of Ages isn’t as much fun as it should be. Cruise has a ball sending himself up (again) but hamstrung playing a perpetually drugged up, burned-out rockstar he can’t cut loose. And although it’s great to hear those classic air-punchers again, the songs here are watered down sexless Glee versions. Disappointing.
