Go, See, Talk! Review: Rock of Ages, 2012, dir. Adam Shankman

I’m in a strange, middling place with Rock of Ages, the cinematic adaptation of the Broadway show of the same name; at any distance it’s something of a mess, but I had a good time with it anyhow. I’m not sure if that’s a recommendation or not, though Tom Cruise is certainly compelling enough as drugged-up, sexed-out veteran rocker Stacee Jaxx to be worth the price of admission on his own. (Nearly.) Rock of Ages rambles, spreading itself out to paper-thin density over the span of a two-hour running time. After a point I’d argue it would have been better without the frivolous and flat love story carried out between leads Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta, who are talented but unable to carry a whole film on their shoulders (especially when the secondaries are Alec Baldwin, Cruise, and Paul Giamatti, among others). 

Is it an unforgivable catastrophe? Well, it’s incompetently made and the sets look incredibly cheap, but Rock of Ages has the power to entertain with its turned-up volumes of silliness. Take a look over at Go, See, Talk! for my full thoughts.