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Rock Star

Rock Star

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $11.98
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I was glad it was just a movie and not my life...
Review: This movie was kind of hard to watch in places. A rock musician discovers fame overnight, and we witness his descent into a life of overindulgence and no morals.

He loses sight of what's important in the pursuit of the rock star's lifestyle. He actually loses a lot more than that.

Wahlberg was amazingly convincing. I had a hard time believing it was him throughout the film. Aniston was also great in her role - complex but not overdramatic. Just simply complex - holding on to her own values in the end, she sets a really great example.

I have to say the last few minutes made the whole movie worth watching - it was like getting a tooth ache and finally having the thing extracted. The end made up for all the agony in the middle of the movie.

If you like rock and roll, and you like to see good guys win in the end (even if the enemies are their own stupidities), then watch this one, but not with the kids!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: rock on
Review: the premise of this movie is good. Wahlberg gets to be a rock star because the lead singer, played by Jason Flemyng, turns out to be gay and leaves the band. alongside Wahlberg is Jennifer Aniston(who is drop dead delicious in this movie) as Wahlbergs assistant. rock and roll set a toll in here. thats Third Eye Blind's lead singer as the person who takes over for Wahlberg's band with his friends. lots of old rock songs play essential parts in here and mix well with the atmosphere it surrounds. rock on

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: We're all stars now...in the heavy metal show...
Review: "Rock Star" was clearly inspired by the real-life story of Tim "Ripper" Owens, who was the singer for a Judas Priest cover band who ended up replacing lead singer Rob Halford when he left the real heavy metal band. But the story of Chris Cole (Mark Wahlberg) only uses that as a springboard for this morality fable about the world of rock 'n' roll set back in the middle-1980s. Chris is the lead singer for Blood Pollution, which he repeatedly insists is not a cover band but a "tribute" band to the heavy metal giants Steel Dragon and their fiery frontman Bobby Beers (Jason Flemyng). While Rob (Timothy Olyphant), the lead guitarist for Blood Pollution and the other boys in the band want to use the Steel Dragon songs to draw in an audience so they can play their own songs, Chris demands absolute fidelity to the songs of his gods of music. Fate then gets Chris booted from the band at the same time that Beers is walking away from Steel Dragon and the rest is music movie history.

This 2002 film spends more time with the off stage excesses available in the world of rock 'n' roll than on the concert performances, because as soon as Chris is on stage living the life he has always dreamed about, the nightmare side of the equation starts to come into play. What matters if a man gains his dream as a heavy metal superstar if he loseth his longtime girlfriend, Em (Jennifer Aniston)? By the time his life literally comes full circle, Chris has come to a few realizations about who he is and what he really wants out of life and once again the old Chinese proverb about being careful what you wish for is enacted for us on screen.

The problem with "Rock Star" is reconciling two particular scenes. The first happens when Chris is told he has gone off the deep end by his friend Rob, who wants to do more than perfectly imitate what is on the record in terms of a career in music. But Chris has carved out new terrain that is well beyond the realm of obsession and cannot even understand what Rob is running on about let alone accent the obviously valid criticism. The second happens when Chris wants to write some songs for Steel Dragon and is told his creativity is neither appreciated nor wanted. Of course there is an attendant element of irony here, but I found it impossible to believe that this was the same guy in both of these scenes. Chris might be calling himself "Izzy" as the band's lead singer, but that is just a fantasy construct for the masses and not the real him (not that the real Chris has many moments in most of this film).

Wahlberg does not do his own singing in this film, which might explain why he never really looks like he is getting into the part (and for being in a hair band he has one of the worst mops of the bunch). The songs are giving rather short shrift in the film: the song that Chris uses for his audition and which comes into play again during his first concert has some possibilities, but apparently nothing else was written after the high note. Actually the best song in "Rock Star" comes at the end of the film and constitutes a rather declarative statement from director Stephen Herek on where he stands on the world of heavy metal.

The two most compelling characters in the film are a pair of supporting players, Jennifer Aniston as the long-time girlfriend and part-time manager for Chris and his band, and Timothy Spall as Mat the Steel Dragon's road manager. Aniston keeps finding her way into films that have little use for her beyond being the iconic girl next door for her generation, and this film is certainly no different. But she does have some nice moments as the last person to lose her head to the insanity that is rock 'n' roll and if Chris is going to look at one thing and realize what he is throwing away it might as well be looking at Jennifer Aniston. Spall plays the font of all wisdom, who has seen absolutely everything there is to be seen from backstage and still remembers the exact moment that he derailed his own life. It is his performance that anchors the film and when Chris listens to him we know that he would be a fool not to.

In the end, "Rock Star" is oddly disappointing. There are some nice moments and Chris ends up where he should be, with whom he should be and playing the sort of music he should be, but you cannot shake the feeling that the character takes too long to realize what everybody else already knows. Only when Em is around does Chris really seem alive and ultimately the film is more about the two of them than it is about Chris and his music. Then again, the point is that for most of the film is it most decidedly NOT his music that Chris is singing. Certainly worth a look for music fans, even if heavy metal is not their favorite, but no where as endearing or captivating as "Almost Famous." Final note on the boys in the band: Jason Bonham plays A.C., the drummer for Steel Dragon.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: If you grew up on 80s metal...
Review: The first time I saw this movie I wanted to shout. There are scenes that are just so reminiscent of the 80s and the music that were spot on. The head definitely started to bob and the arms went up (I'm not kidding!). The tunes are good.

It's pretty funny in spots and moving enough to keep the viewer interested and it dissects the reality of the fantasy of the heavy metal scene fairly well. The settings and the cinematography are good, so too the dialogue.

My only criticism would be that it never gets really deep. But, then again, look at the subject matter. Still, it does only skim the surface. However, it is well worth watching and enjoying. If you grew up in the 80s and the heavy metal scene, you'll find yourself transported. Someone else may not get it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome!
Review: I love this movie. The music rock okay. It is a collectors item, a must have to ad to your collection. I've watched it so often its starting to skip. We need more like this with its
original tunes. I like the different touches like how the parents are cool and love rock n roll. Chris & Emily don't freak out or fight after the orgy like most couples would. The energy at all the concerts was like putting you in the audience. Hey I bought the soundtrack to.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Sweet natured Cinderella story for metal heads
Review: It is the 1980's and young Chris Cole is living at home with his supportive parents and somewhat tight sphinctered brother .He works as a photocopier repair man but his real love is heavy metal music and particularly the British band Steel Dragons.He is lead vocalist in a tribute band and obsessive about every aspect of performance, sporting the requisite leonine mane and favoring the leather jacket over bare chest stage attire of the man he is copying all the while insisting that every guitar solo and drum riff is exactly as it is on record.This perfectionism results in the break up of his band but the pain is dulled when he is summoned by the real group to take over when they fire their lead singer.
From then on he and his girl friend Emily are swept up into the world of the rock star-the trashing of hotel rooms ,the steady parade of women ,booze and drugs in between flasy arena gigs.The relationship is strained to breaking point and gradually Chris begins to see that he needs to carve out his own route to some kind of place in the music business.Wahlberg is perfect in the role both in the looks and voice department and Jennifer Aniston is competent as Emily but for me the movie was stolen by a beautifully judged performance from Timothy Spaull as the bands road manager cum Mr Fix it.His scenes with Wahlberg are wryly played with just the right note of relaxed cameraderie and an underlying edge of sadness and regret.Good to see a British character in a Hollywood movie who is shown as a good guy just trying to do his best for his friends and colleagues.The band too are humanised and not portrayed as caricature figures although they are control freaks and slightly patronising of the new addition to their ranks.
I am not a fan of the music but you do not need to be to enjoy a modern day Cinderella story with believable and decent people at its heart.However if you do like the big hair bands of the era all the better for your enjoyment of the movie

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Critics aren't always right
Review: This movie got terrible reviews, I presume by people who were expecting another "Spinal Tap", or at the very least,something as gimmicky as "Almost Famous". It's not like either of those, in fact, it's most like "Boogie Nights," and not just because of Mark Wahlberg. It's actually pretty good, about a guy who gets to live his dream of being the singer for his favorite band, and then finds out that they are just as warty and uncool as the rest of us, at least some of the time. I suppose that the perpetually hip won't like the ending, but the decisions made by Wahlberg's sweet character ring true for the way he plays the guy throughout the film. (OK the wig is dreadful, but oh well).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Guilty Pleasure...
Review: I just can't help it..I LOVE this movie! As a child of the 80s, and a long-time fan of hair bands, I just had to see this one...and was pleasantly surprised with how well it's made! Now it's not an Oscar-quality movie, but it's not meant to be...it's more parody than seriousness, but it's delivered in a fun way, and any chessiness is there intentionally. It made me laugh, cry, yell at the screen, and sing along with every song (now that I've watched it enough times to know all of them :) I especially appreciated the director's commentary on the DVD...it was fun to learn who is and isn't really singing, and who really is/was in a band.

Great flick...two thumbs up!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Something that is worth the money
Review: This movie is for all those people out in world who as a child or now, whom wished to be a Rockstar at some point and time. This movie is lined after a Tribute band member who is all about the music of his favortie band and wants nothing else but perfection from his other band members, who later on turns on the him for another and goes from a tribute band to a band that is using popular music to draw people in to there own stuff. Though later on in this movie the betraying members of the tribute band begin to regret letting there singer go as he then is reconized by None other than Steel Dragon his favortie band for his Vocal skills and then later is the replacement for there leaving lead singer. But later on in this movie as time drags on and the main character begins to slowly see the effects of being a star beginning with the lose of his girl friend he realized that he doesnt actually want what he has. Then he brings a young cover band singer, just like he him self once was, on stage to sing and then he leaves the concert never to return and sets out to do his own music and try to regain his girlfriend that he really cares about.

This movie is nothing short of a dream that is great and breath taking. Plus it shows all of us that Rock n roll is more than Sex and drugs! It is by far a must see movie and is worth the money you will pay! I Hope you enjoy!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: GREAT MOVIE!
Review: The movie ROCK STAR is a story of a man named Chris who has an obsession with his favorite band STEEL DRAGON. He is the vocalist of his STEEL DRAGON. His friends that played in the band with him just wanted to play some STEEL DRAGON covers just until they could get some originals out. Chris was so obsessed with playing the DRAGON tunes to their profection that it lead to a fight at one of their concerts.
When it was time for another band practice, it turns out that they replaced Chris with another vocalist. Chris and his girlfriend (Jennifer Aniston) were devistated. Chris gets a call the next day by one of the STEEL DRAGON guitarists saying that they want him as the new vocalist for STEEL DRAGON after seeing a tape of him singing at a concert. Chris is overwelmed with joy so him and his girlfriend get on a plane to meet up with the band. Chris gets the job with the band and he becomes the next big thing.
ROCK STAR is a story of a man who finaly gets what he's dreamed for and sees that the rock star life is not all it's cracked up to be. Overall, it's just an awesome movie.


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