The Rocker is an amiable comedy, so efficiently constructed that you can practically see the computer software on how to write comedy screenplays at work. Nonetheless it is an enjoyable construction.
Comment
08/20/08
The Rocker (2008)
39
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:117
Fresh:46
Rotten:71
Average Rating:5.1/10
Consensus: With a predictable and lightweight story, the earnest efforts of the cast are squandered by The Rocker's bland script.
Theatrical Release:17-10-2008
Synopsis: Slovenly drummer Robert "Fish" Fishman (THE OFFICE's Rainn Wilson) is booted out of his 1980s hair metal band, Vesuvius, right as they're signed to a big label, crushing his dreams and leading to a... [More]
Starring: Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Jeff Garlin, Teddy Geiger
Director: Peter Cattaneo, Anthony B. Richmond
Reviews for The Rocker
About as edgy as a Jonas Brothers concert, this harmless homage to ’80s hair bands and 21st-century emo teenyboppers is wholesome in its debauchery and good-natured in its antiauthoritarianism.
08/20/08
It's too bad the unambitious Rocker didn't give those fine performers more to do. As it is, it's only half a screenplay, and theirs is the half that's missing.
08/20/08
An innocuous late-summer entry that barely rises above the level of sitcom alternative to Olympic-coverage overload.
08/20/08
The plot is ultrapredictable, but under the gentle direction of Peter Cattaneo the movie somehow works.
08/20/08
The Rocker feels safe, a long way from the cutting edge, a PG guy in a PG-13 movie, a comedy with too much 'parental guidance' to be rock 'n' roll.
08/20/08
If this isn't the laugh riot of the year, it's still a pleasant surprise, particularly for teen audiences. And in comedy seasons like this one, that's sometimes more than enough.
08/20/08
The Rocker qualifies as a B-side, but it still makes for a passable summer single.
08/20/08
Watching Rainn Wilson gyrate in The Rocker, you can’t help wondering if Mr. Wilson is inhabiting a role that was originally turned down by Jack Black.
08/20/08
Top CriticManages to be a notably funnier than average summer comedy despite being a fairly shameless rip-off of School of Rock.
08/20/08
While nobody's expecting This Is Spinal Tap, both the audience and the cast -- which is strong all around -- deserve better than the generic script and bland direction here.
08/20/08
The cinematic equivalent of elevator music: bland, occasionally entertaining and, once it's over, utterly forgettable.
08/20/08
It sort of gurgles, with some pleasant-sounding pops here and there. But this is essentially a film that squanders a good idea by playing things too safely.
08/20/08
How much you ultimately like The Rocker will inevitably depend on how much you like Wilson. And a little goes a long way.
08/20/08
The film gets credit for heart, and a certain amount of rock 'n' roll spirit, but that's about it.
08/20/08
You want to like almost everyone in this film, but they're all undone by a weak script that really wasn't worth more than a Gilmore Girls subplot after all.
08/20/08
Tuneless execution, with flat writing and inharmonious direction as noticeable as Motley Crue's eyeliner. Or Whitesnake's snakeskin pants.
08/20/08
It can be hard to explain what makes a star, but it's fairly easy to identify a performer who doesn't have that mysterious star stuff.
08/20/08
While The Rocker may be completely unoriginal and campy at times, the film still exceeds well with great laughs and a couple of one-liners I will be adding to my collection.
08/20/08
Despite its breezy quality and occasional big laugh, The Rocker just never completely clicks as A-side material.
08/20/08
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