Rock Star, with Mark Wahlberg as a metalhead and Jennifer Aniston as his gal groupie, poses as the myth-making story of the rise and fall of a music legend.
But any similarity to actual persons, living or dead or otherwise wigged out on sex, drugs 'n' roll, is purely coincidental. Rock Star is a bit of a fraud.
The premise sounded promising enough. Wahlberg plays a naive, sugar-sweet, mother-loving Pittsburgh singer who not only idolizes a British heavy metal band called Steel Dragon but fronts a tribute band devoted to the group. As for Wahlberg's leather and stud look, and even his newly pierced nipple, it is all just part of the pose. He's still an all-American boy.
Then, when Steel Dragon members dump their gay lead singer -- because the movie indulges in some cheap homophobic theatrics along the way -- the manly Wahlberg is discovered and hired to replace his deposed idol.
Now thrust into celebrity, he turns out to be the same self-destructive, self-indulgent, sex-addicted, drug-addled and booze-swilling ass that everyone else in Steel Dragon and rock music in general turns out to be, at least as portrayed here. It's the ugly picture we're all expecting.
Our new star's girlfriend -- played with a pretty little pout by Friends-less Jennifer Aniston -- suffers greatly in the mood shift and character deterioration, of course. Yawn!
This "What-price-fame?" saga lurches along as we follow Steel Dragon on tour across America. There is one sensational scene and it comes in concert when the Wahlberg character makes his debut with the band.
But the rest of the movie is lame, even boring. The story, written by John Stockwell (HBO's Breast Man) and directed by Stephen Herek (Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure), is told in episodic fashion without any of the connective tissue necessary to make it seem real or truthful. That also makes movie "logic" even funnier: For example, people talk while the band plays and we can actually hear them, and they hear each other. Not a chance at a real concert.
By extension, there is very little convincing acting in the movie. Wahlberg looks dumbfounded more than anything, although awkward lines of dialogue sabotage him on an on-going basis. He is capable of much better.
Aniston is just a romantic plaything and plot device. Whether she can do much more than that remains to be seen but her role is so underwritten, and so cliched, she is doomed.
The only performance of note -- other than the playing of authentic sounding '80s heavy-metal music -- is by Dominic West in the role of Steel Dragon's Kirk Cuddy. West doesn't just look the look and talk the talk, he seems to embody the character. So do some real musicians -- Jason Bonham, Jeff Pilson, Zakk Wylde and Blas Elias among them -- in minor roles playing band members, but that can't save the movie.
In the end, Rock Star is empty, out of date and easily unstaged by one of those MTV story-of specials on real-life bands.
(More on: Rockstar).
(This film is rated AA)
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