Rock of Ages

great movie full of 80s music and fun to watch

Got this on Amazon Prime so we can stream it any time we want.

I have seen this movie a number of times and have enjoyed it. I love 80's music and I enjoy musicals so it was a given that I would like the movie even if it was cheesy - which it is. I will say this though before I go on. I rented the movie on Amazon after seeing it five or six times over the course of a few years and realized that I had been watching the extended version with some scenes cut out of the actual cinema release. The movie I saw tonight on Amazon was the cinema release and was missing those cut scenes and BOY did I miss them. One of the best scenes is completely cut out and that is when Tom Cruise's Stacee Jaxx goes into a bar where Julianne Hough's Sherrie is working and they sing "Rock me Like a Hurricane" together in the VIP room of the club. It's a great song and the scene is excellent. And you won't see it unless you see the extended or unedited version. It is on YouTube though. A few other scenes are missing as well but don't take much away from the final cut.Having said that, this movie is a dramady. It tries to be funny and it works some of the time and it tries to be poignant and it works some of the time. The music is amazing for anyone who likes 80's rock songs and all the actors used their own voices for their songs including the star of the movie, Tom Cruise, who has a great voice and played the aging, nearly washed up rock star perfectly. I never thought I would believe that Tom Cruise was a drunken, long haired, 80's rock god but I did while I was watching this movie. He is hardly recognizable with his long hair and tattooed body and he has the entitled, out of control rock star shtick down pat. I don't think anyone could have done a better job. He is the best actor AND singer in the movie.The other stars are all fine. Casting could have been better for some characters but they all add flavor to the movie. The movie is essentially a love story as well as an ode to rock and roll. The dialog is weak but the music makes up for it. Lots of well known stars are in this and all sing, some of whom do not sing at all in general and probably shouldn't again. Hello, I'm talking to you,. Russell Brand!If you are looking for a serious film, this isn't it. If you're looking for a film that has songs sung in perfect tune by every cast member, this isn't it. But if you like a little cheese with your 80's rock, this movie is good fun. I really enjoy watching it. It goes from serious and touching to downright silly in a heartbeat but it's one of those films that just has to be watched with an open mind and enjoyed for the memories and the music.The storylines are all over the place with many, many little subplots which make it interesting at every turn. If you can, try to catch the deleted "Rock You Like a Hurricane" scene on YouTube or on the extended release because it's one of the better scenes in the movie, in my opinion. I suspect it didn't make the cut because it depicted the female lead, Sherrie, as not quite as innocent as she seemed and they wanted to keep her wide eyed and wholesome.Don't blink during the last quarter of the film or you will miss seeing some very recognizable 80's rock stars in the crowd where the rock lovers and the naysayers clash and sing a mash up. Naturally they are on the side of the rock lovers..The movie, made in 2012., isn't dated at all because it is set in 1987 so it will always be relevant as an era movie. Give it a chance. It grows on you. That's why I ended up watching it again tonight!

Everything was in order.

I confess I am a fan of the play, which I saw in several locations over the years before it was cancelled. The play would offer plenty of 1980's throwbacks like long hair wigs and accessories, Jell-O shots, and tossing panties into the audience. But nothing would exceed a low PG rating, making it great fun for both dates or families.This Hollywood production is a much higher budget professional affair: with the participation of talent like Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, and Catherine Zeta-Jones (and a pre-Breaking Bad Bryan Cranston). Unfortunately, that brings with it the typical Hollywood meddling with a great story to give more highlight to the superstar actors. Moreover, they borrowed a lot stylistically from Glee, with several mashup songs and a lot of AutoTune, both of which I find annoying. Thank goodness for Mary Blige, who can put emotion and feeling into her songs.But it's still cute. And the higher budget allowed them access to more 80's songs which were not present in the play. And the actors clearly had fun.

great

Below is my original review for Rock of Ages. I just want to add one small note: I bought the DVD and I also downloaded the movie to my Apple TV through iTunes. The difference is that the DVD was just like the movie I saw in the theater. The one I downloaded was the extended version (about 15 additional minutes). (On iTunes you have both versions to choose from) Either way it's a great movie, but the extended version has 2 scenes that were left out of the theater version, along with several "little" things that weren't in the theaters. The 2 main scenes were of Julianne Hough dancing in a "dream" sequence with Diego Boneta, and Julianne and Tom Cruise dancing and singing together. The dancing actually is a little risqué, but I still think it is really great. I definitely like the extended version the best.I went to this movie last night for the 4th time. I loved it the first time, and every time I see it I love it more than the time before! I would go see it every day if I could. Ever since I first heard about it over a year ago I've been counting the days until it came out, although I just couldn't wrap my mind around Tom Cruise as a rock star. Well, he certainly is!!! He was sensational as Stacie Jaxx. Who knew Tom Cruise could, not just sing, but PERFORM like that?!?! And Julianne Hough is amazing! I've always been in awe of her dancing, and now we find out she can sing and act also!!! Actually the whole cast was incredible! I thought the character played by Paul Giamatti was somewhat despicable (I suppose someone had to be) so I could have done without that, but he did play the role really well. And Russell Brand was hilarious!!! As for Diego Boneta - I don't know where he came from, but I bet we'll be seeing, and hearing, a lot more of him! He was GREAT! Alec Baldwin, Malin Akerman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J Blige, they were all magnificent - as was the movie as a whole!I thought this movie was beyond GREAT! The music was already great, but even greater in this movie since all the actors did their own singing! It's a real "feel good" movie. Not only is it hard to not just get up and dance and sing along while you're watching it, it has you dancing and singing out of the theater! My mother (who will be 85 next month) even loved it! She's seen it twice herself! Everyone should see this movie! As for the not-so-great reviews it's gotten, either the critics didn't actually see it, or they have a twisted idea of what is just plain ole make-you-feel-good, uplifting, fun - and funny - entertainment! Believe it or not, there actually are a lot of people who would rather watch something as magnificent as Rock of Ages than a bunch of violence and gore! I learned years ago not to listen to what critics say. 99% of the time they don't have a clue what they're talking about!So to wrap it up, it was INCREDIBLE!!! I can't wait until it comes out on DVD!!!

Storyline not good but I love the music 🙂

The music was very familiar to me before this movie arrived. There is one bug-bear I have and that's with Julianne Hough. She's too Britney/Christina than Pat Benatar. Tom is great in this, really going over the top with a clash of so many personalities.While the movie was good to really good, I have had chance to see the stage show, in London. Now that is something! The movie messes up some story-lines, and throws in lots of cameos. The stage show truly grabs you! I wasn't alone, standing and singing along with the cast. Seeing the movie at the cinema was never like that. Also, at home, I'd get strange looks from neighbours if I did stand up and sing. There was a bit more comedy in the stage show too, and spontaneous.Maybe this was a good movie, but, after seeing the stage show.... It's still a good movie and a remember of what I'd seen in London.By the way, I'm thinking about catching the stage show again since seeing it again, about this time last year.

I first saw this show on Broadway, not long after it opened, whilst on holiday in NYC and then had the agonising wait until it opened in the West End - at which point I dragged all my friends to see it (they didn't seem to mind!). Then the film was released. I loved the show on Broadway, and loved going back to see it in London. The film version is fantastic, rocky and good fun to watch, but lacks some of the humour of the stage version. Not only that, but those of you reading this review who paid close attention to the stage version will undoubtedly spot that, on stage, some of the songs are sung by completely different cast members than sing them in the film - which I found a little weird to get my head around. That said, I have long learned to take film version of books, or shows, in their own right and not to compare them (too much!) to the version that preceded them. In its own right, this film is brilliant, and definitely worth a watch! :)

It's not often I leave the cinema grinning from ear to ear, but Rock of Ages just had that effect on me! It's a film that doesn't take itself too seriously and is just incredible fun. Lots of really catchy songs from the 80's have you wanting to dance and sing along, and are used really well to help tell the story.The plot of the film isn't exactly genius, but it's entertaining, light-hearted, and it's acted very well: particularly by Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin who make the perfect duo and have scenes that saw me creased with laughter! Tom Cruise seemed a very dodgy choice when I first saw the trailer, yet actually I now think he was perfect for the role of Stacee Jaxx. Fair enough, in many places the singing isn't great, but it's in tune and passable, and with this kind of music it doesn't really even matter. Where it matters, they have good singers, so in that respect it's all good!I think Russell Brand summed it up really well in an interview - it won't cure your life problems, but it's an excellent distraction! I highly recommend it for people who want a really good two hour grinning session! :D

I initially watched this movie on rental and was a little unsure at first- I was watching it with my other half and could see he wasn't 100% convinced even though the music was clearly nostalgic :-) However, as it progressed I got into it and ended up loving it and hence buying my own copy! You see the actors in roles you are not used to seeing them in- Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand are hilarious and it is a great feel-good movie. I was surprised to know all the songs as they weren't necessarily the songs I was listening to in the 80s but I knew them all! Might not be to everyone's taste but I loved it!

If you want a great storyline, I suggest looking elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you want a fun film, a great soundtrack and perhaps a trip down memory lane, then you are in the right place!A classic this certainly isn't - there are both better films and better musicals out there - but there is enough here to provide some good entertainment and you'll probably find yourself humming some of the songs that you thought you had forgotten about for a few days after watching it.Indeed, it is the music (alongside some good comedy moments) that make this film, and the musical numbers are strong enough to make you forgive the obvious flaws most of the time.The picture quality is, as expected, very good, but I found the sound levels to be somewhat annoying. Dialogue seems a lot quieter than the musical numbers meaning either I was struggling to hear what was being said or I was risking annoying the neighbours by belting out rock classics at them.The theatrical cut works better than the extended edition (both are on the disc), with the longer one seeming to drag in a few places, and includes scenes that are not only not needed but seem to be out of all context with what storyline does exist.Ultimately, it is the music that makes or breaks this film. If you are a fan of this era and genre I would recommend this film, however if you aren't then it probably isn't the one for you.