OH MY GOD! I LOOOOOVED ROCK OF AGES!!!!- Page 2

[pat_NYborn]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 10:50pm

Just saw it this afternoon...first off was shocked at how much it differed from the stage show. Enjoyable nonetheless, Tom Cruise definatly steals the show. Also took notice how few people were in attendance! WIll be interesting to see its box office total this weekend.

[Idiot]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 1:54am

Just got back. Wow, that was atrocious. I've rarely seen a more poorly directed movie.

On one hand, why be mad at a pixie stick for not being a meal?

On the other hand, by the end I'd totally stopped believin'.

[rorschach37]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 2:21am

While I do think it could've been better, I really enjoyed the film. I loved the original stage version very much and felt that several of the changes made were completely unnecessary, but nonetheless I don't think it deserves nearly as much of a beating as the critics are giving it. Also, Tom Cruise steals the show completely and I have never really been a big fan of his before. His singing really surprised me as well. The thing that bugged me the most was Justice's lack of purpose in the film. Honestly, she was only there to sing her songs and that was it. The sort-of motherly connection she had with Sherrie in the show was really lost in the film.

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 2:24am

I enjoyed the movie as well. The only problem I had with it was Julianne Hough and her Vanessa Hudgens High School Musical vocals.

[rorschach37]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 2:27am

I was actually not expecting much at all from Hough after reading all the comments on here, but to be honest I thought she was great. Her vocals reminded me of Amy Spanger.

[Fan2]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 6:18am

Box office from Deadline.com:

>>>>....Contrast that with today’s newcomers which each should have earned over $20M this weekend because of their star power. But New Line/Warner Bros’ Rock Of Ages (3,470 theaters) is falling to earth with a thud. Which Hollywood expected because the pic had been tracking poorly for weeks (and even went down at one point week to week). The studio felt the 1980s period piece was a hard sell to younger moviegoers. I suspect the problem was casting. Russell Brand has been repellant to moviegoers, while Tom Cruise as iconic rocker proved just too incredulous for audiences. The PG-13 musical is looking to open to only $15.5M after taking in just $5.5M today. Given that the pic was based on the Broadway warbler, it did far worse than Mamma Mia which with the same pedigree opened to $27M. It cost $75M. Warner Bros was holding out hope, though, for a good CinemaScore that could result in great word of mouth and therefore great legs for the film. It didn’t materialize: audiences only gave Rock Of Ages a mediocre ‘B’. There’s just no way to save this s(t)inker…<<<


Box Office Numbers

[WEDHEAD]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 10:13am

Saw the movie and thought it was decent. Some bright moments, but overall it doesn't live up to the energy and charm of the stage show. There were too many unnecessary changes. The movie was not aware of itself, as the show is. Lonny is no longer the figure that drives the story and keeps everything moving along either. I felt like maybe adding even more numbers in could've helped a bit. I love the stage show and wish there could've been a better movie for it. The movie may generate a cult following over time though...

I'm hoping this movie doesn't harm the stage version in any way. Any thoughts??

[anthony95401]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 10:44am

Horrible movie. I love the stage version, but this movie was tonally all over the place, lacked fun, and had no authentic rock voices or energy. Cruise gives a game performance, and is the best thing in the film, but the whole thing is misguided. It's like a two hour Glee episode on hair metal. Disappointed. I was hoping for much better.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 10:47am

A two hour GLEE episode? You've obviously never seen an episode of that horrible show if you think the two are even remotely comparable.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 12:02pm

Well I saw it last night in a half empty house...which was not a good sign.

I've never seen the stage show so this is the first time I'm being exposed to this material.

I was 19 years old in 1987 this music was the music of my generation...so the music for me was the best part of the film.
I was very impressed with the way they utilized the songs.

I went to see it with my best friend Derek. We've known each other since we were 13. He's not a big musical lover, he's strictly an action/adventure/sci-fi buff, but the music we grew up on and loved so much is really what convinced him to go see it with me.

Every time the opening strains of a song would start we would look at each other because we just knew which song was coming next. It just took us back to a more "innocent" time and place in our lives. We had a blast.

He even tolerated Russell Brand, and that's saying a lot because he CAN'T STAND Russell Brand!

Some of it was a bit dis-jointed. Mary J. Blige's vocals, as always, were on point but she's utterly wasted in the film. I'm guessing her character has a lot more to do in the stage show.

We were both really impressed with Tom Cruise. He hit it out of the ball park, it was fun seeing him hang loose and really let go in a role like this and his voice reminded me so much of Axl Rose's..it was just really uncanny.

I'm already familiar with Diego Boneta from his telenovela work and his albums Diego and Indigo so I'm really glad he's gotten the chance to prove himself in the mainstream Anglo market and hopefully make a successful cross over. He deserves it.

I know many on here are not fans of Julianne Hough or her portrayal of "Sherrie" but I thought she was adorable. I had absolutely no problem with her vocals on this and I was kind of mislead by all the backlash on here.

Don't get me wrong, the movie is in no way, shape or form a masterpiece or even ground breaking. But it was entertaining and at least for me not as bad as many here and elsewhere are making it out to be.

[WEDHEAD]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 12:35pm

You're right, Anthony. It definitely is all over the place and the voices are extremely poppy. Overall, I think they should have let Chris just write the entire script and find a better director.I just don't think Shankman is gritty enough for this stuff. I definitely had fun watching it, but it made me just want to go see the stage version again. My theatre was just about empty too.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 12:44pm

Im sorry but ROCK OF AGES isn't "gritty" and isn't supposed to be.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 12:51pm

ROCK OF AGES is a satire, a spoof, a send up of late 80s culture, music, style and fads. It isn't a documentary for cripessake. It wasn't supposed to be gritty.

[LJ2]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 1:11pm

Shankman may have decided not to make it more gritter has the processed went along, but in his earlier interviews he absolutely said he'd make it more grittier.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 1:14pm

He may have realized that it didn't require to be grittier and abandoned that original decision.

[WEDHEAD]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 1:22pm

Yeah, maybe 'grittier' isn't the right word lol. I guess, I always just envisioned a "Decline of Western Civilization" type of look with the musical numbers becoming like the music videos of the era. The movie isn't bad, but it definitely lost something in the translation.

Of course you will lose the live concert atmosphere and the narration by Lonny, but I thought that the movie should have at least been more aware of itself just as the musical is.

[WEDHEAD]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 1:37pm

From this review:

http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_20848137?source=inthenews

"It only makes matters worse that Constantine Maroulis, who was indelible as Drew onstage, has a tiny cameo here. He's a reminder of what the movie is so palpably missing: the raw and unruly hunger that drives someone to bare their soul in the spotlight."

That review is pretty spot on I think. The lines are delivered too straight at times, particularly by Diego and Julianne. I never felt like they were in love with each other and fall to stripper and boy band singer didn't seem as strong as it should've been.

[JP2]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 1:59pm

Yes, they should have cast Constantine as Drew. Other than the fact that he's 15 years too old to play the character on screen and the general public doesn't like him, he would have been amazing!



Diego was just fine. My second favorite Drew, next to Joey Taranto.

[WEDHEAD]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 2:24pm

I'll take 15 years too old if I'll get a better performance. Diego wasn't bad, I just think he needed some better direction. Most of my problems with the film version I feel are because of Adam Shankman's directing. I'm just not sure this was the right piece for him. I'm not even sure how much writing is actually from Chris... I don't think there were any lines carried over from the show. I could be wrong though. Again, I didn't hate the movie. I just feel very nit picky about it because of how much I enjoy the stage version.

My favorite Drew performers would have to be Constantine, Dan Domenech, and I think Justin Sargent is doing a phenomenal job right now.

[JP2]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 2:27pm

Saw Justin last week, and yes he was great. Loved Dan, as well.

I'll agree about the direction though. What I loved about Hairspray is that it never forgets that it's a comedy, and every musical number and every spoken word is laced with humor. That's just not the case with Rock. Especially the Drew/Sherrie romance. Shankman plays it so serious that it just feels out of place with the rest of the film. But, I feel Hough and Boneta do their best.

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 2:39pm

I'm looking forward to seeing the film although it doesn't sound like it lives up to the show. I understand Tom Cruise is the standout and I can't wait to see him in this. (I'm able to separate the man from the art, lol).

btw, Constantine does not look his age at all, and I thought he was the definitive Drew. It's a shame he wasn't cast. I'm also sorry they didn't keep Franz. Wesley as Franz in the film would be my reason to go.

[WEDHEAD]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 2:40pm

Yes, exactlly. I thought he handled Hairspray much better. I enjoyed the movie and had a fun time. As you mentioned, those moments for Drew and Sherrie were just too serious in tone. I do agree that they did their best with what they were given, I just feel in another directors hands, the project could've been really solid. And Tom Cruise stole every scene.

[Idiot]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 2:42pm

Reason why I think this movie is horrid:

The Direction.

Specifics:

*He took us in to numbers fairly well, but too often (almost every time) couldn't transition us out of them.
*As others have mentioned, TONE. Alec Baldwin was taking his character too seriously with only a mild wink. Catherine Zeta Jones was just short of being in a John Waters film. The female lead (can't think of her name) and Paul Giamatti were the only two actors who seemed to know what kind of film they were in. While Cruise committed to his character, you still could only see 'Tom Working Silly'. This kind of inconsistency falls right in the director's lap.
*It looks like a YouTube video. No elegant camera choices, and flat flat flat.

[LJ2]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 3:37pm

This script was not chiseled in stone, it could have easily been adapted for an older Drew. The Boy Band story line could have been tossed as easily as Franz and Regina. There are changes all over the script.

A monkey was added; an older Drew was do-able.

[Idiot]

Posted: 6/16/12 at 3:41pm

"A monkey was added."

This is almost always a sure sign of doom.