Rock Star (2001)

Absolutely Brilliant!

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Rock Star tells the story of the lead singer of a tribute band who get's to live out his dreams on a much grander stage. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Aniston, Timothy Spall and Timthy Olyphant it certainly doesn't lack star power.As you'd imagine being a movie about classic/glam rock the soundtrack is fantastic, right up there among the best of them though shatter any illusions you may have that it was Wahlberg singing.It's big, it's stylish and to my knowledge it's pretty damn accurate so why am I not rating this higher? I like the cast, I'm an old school rocker myself and on paper this should be a guaranteed tick in the win column from me.The construction of a movie is simple, you need a beginning a middle and an end and Rock Star has that but in a rather disjointed way. The films construction is my biggest grip, it comes across more like a Behind the Music episode than an actual movie. The protagonist walks away having learned several life lessons but the viewer (Or rather in this viewers case) it felt more empty than it should have.Rock Star is an interesting enough look at a subject rarely touched upon by the mainstream Hollywood movie industry but perhaps needed an additional 30+ minute to really flesh it out.The Good:Great castAwesome soundtrackSome brilliant visualsFirst movie ever to make Timothy Spall a successful "Good guy"The Bad:Olyphant feels wastedOddly builtI struggled to feel for our leadsThings I Learnt From This Movie:Jennifer Aniston holds the secret of eternal youthThey could/should have found Wahlberg a better wigBallet is where rock stars go to die

Unlike Mark's leather-skin pants, not the greatest material, but there's 100% nothing not to love about Rock Star. It rocks and it's really sweet! Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston's sexy chemistry and good looks are delicious for the viewing. Jennifer is so yummy. So yummy. Mark's tasty too. This is a great love story set in a romanticized rock n' roll world that's not all drugs, sex, and rock and roll. This is a really beautiful, lovely movie. Rock Star is a little hokey-dokey, like a lapel jacket, but it makes up for it with its true heartfelt passion for the art, and its ripping rock tunes and wailing rock chords, and for the ultra-beautiful and the ultra-desirable and the ultra-attractive and the ultra-I-love-you Jennifer with sexy Mark. Rock Star's a real nice film to enjoy with your romantic other. Jenny is soo hot in Rock Star, holy rocking balls! She's the hottest rock babe of all-time! She makes me want to stand up and shouuuuuuuuuuuuuut! That see-through fishnet dress Aniston wears with her glittery makeup and her hair down up in a high ponytail with her glistening bangs and starry eyes during the concert and the afterparty where I can see barely Jennifer is wearing a thong but not wearing a bra when Mark's making out with her and that one lusty babe/man dancing in the nightclub is awesomely erotic and cool and almost makes me want to be a rock star as much as it makes me want to be a movie star. It reminds me of a little tamer yet hotter version of that nightclub scene straight out of Basic Instinct with Sharon Stone, what a hot scene this is, thanks for it, Jennifer. You, are, so, sweet.'it makes my stomach tuuuurn..aaand it tears my flesh from boone..hoooow we turn a dream to stone and we aall diiiie yoooooooooooooooung!'

Rock Star (2001): Dir: Stephen Herek / Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Aniston, Dominic West, Jason Bonham, Timothy Olyphant: Rock mock documentary about how far we will go to become more than we are. It stars Mark Wahlberg who dreams of being just like the lead singer of Steel Dragon. After his band disowns him Mark Wahlberg is excited when Steel Dragon contacts him. The rest is a life of massive concerts, drunken orgies, and corruption by management. Directed by Stephen Herek who also made Mr. Holland's Opus, also about a music career but the difference is in position. Mr. Holland teaches music while Wahlberg performs it. Between the two Mr. Holland seems to have a better screenwriter telling his story. Wahlberg holds his own portraying a character who cannot identify with himself and seeks someone else's life. We know where this is headed but since Wahlberg had a real life music career, he seems fitting for the material. Jennifer Aniston as his girlfriend is flat. She is basically there to bitch about him not being around and then pout and leave. Dominic West and Jason Bonham play fellow musicians with no personalities given. Other roles are drab stereotypes that accompany a screenplay so heavily burdened with clichés that it is difficult to focus on a message. Lots of loud music and energy burnt on absolutely nothing. On the positive side, Almost Famous is more compelling. Score: 3 ½ / 10

Being a metal head myself (though I like other music genres too)I'm not going to review the production qualities of this movie. No, I'm going to go higher and to speak my mind about the horrible facts who makes this to be one of the worst insults to whatever heavy metal have inspired in its more than 40 years of life.1. The title. If the plot of the film consists in the story of a METAL fan singer, who sings in a METAL band who pays tribute to another METAL band called Steel Dragon, and one day he's giving the opportunity to front the latter band, why on earth have this movie been called "Rock Star"?. Rock stars are Mick Jagger, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and they are not that metal (at all!). 2. The music. Is Bon Jovi metal?, no. Is INXS metal?, no. Enough said. 3. The lead actress. When you know beforehand, that the movie is going to portrait 80's metal life style, one with even a certain amount of knowledge about that era could foresee that the lead female actress is going to be someone named Doro Pesch (Warlock's singer) or even Lita Ford. Nop, here we have Rachel from that annoying TV sitcom. 4. Steel Dragon. If this movie is based (loosely) on Tim Owens'life, then Steel Dragon is the fictional equivalent of Judas Priest. Mmm, not likely. Though made up of great musicians (Zakk Wylder, Jeff Pilson and Jason Bonham)Steel Dragon's image and music is nowhere heavier or good as Priest's. I see them as a slighter heavy version of Motley Crue (when they played pop metal). 5. The main protagonist. Marky Mark it's an outsider here. I think Vanilla Ice could have done a better effort. It's like doing a film about the life of Bob Marley, and giving the main role to Adam Sandler (who would suck even if he decides to play himself in a movie about his life). 6. The end. If you think this movie is inconsistent, then don't watch the end. I'll tell you one word: Seattle. Can you make the associations?.In the end, Rock Star is not good or bad. It's not entertaining or depressing. It's just a travesty to the Metal genre, the Metal community, its bands and fans alike.