Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will discontinue
publishing this website at the end of May (more...)
Search a Movie:
ROCK OF AGES (2012)Movie Reviews
Musical drama about a young couple whose pursuit of the Hollywood dream is told through classic rock songs. Cast:Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul Giamatti, Malin Akerman, Diego BonetaDirector:Adam ShankmanRelease Date:June 15, 2012DVD Release:October 9, 2012From:New LineRating:PG-13Length:2 hr. 3 min.
Rock of Ages (2012) played to mixed reviews. • Colin Covert wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "...far from a joyous classic, but it's a perfectly fine backward-looking, trivia-centered guilty pleasure." • And Edward Adams wrote in Atlanta Creative Loafing, "What tries to build as a high energy musical tribute to the phenom blip of '80s hair bands, slowly turns into a sappy, off kilter comedy that falls flat." More Reviews Below...
Rock of Ages (2012) Positive Reviews (52 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "...may well be the most ridiculous two hours you spend in a theater this year -- and if you can resist singing along you're made of sterner stuff than I am."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 207 words, 06/14/12
Richard Corliss, Time: POOR "...willfully bad... Though it has moments where it rises to fun-awful status... it's mostly just awful. If the film were a Broadway-bound show, it would have closed out of town."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,191 words, 06/15/12
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...has enough energy to keep you suitably entertained, as well as a knowing, cheeky streak that prevents it from turning too reverent and self-serious."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 730 words, 06/14/12
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "...gets the cheesy part down fast... Most of the numbers are flatly shot and choreographed, and they look as if they'd been edited together with a meat cleaver."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 775 words, 06/15/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...hugely enjoyable... saved by its music... there's no denying the party-time pow of 'Rock of Ages,' or of Tom Cruise's performance. He's phenomenal."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 425 words, 06/08/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...a clunky karaoke/music video amalgamation that aims for camp, but comes off as cheesy.... It ends up half-mocking, half-revering the era."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 523 words, 06/15/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the actors are having a lot of fun, and the production values of the musical numbers are slick and high-spirited. The only problem is that the plot meanders..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 622 words, 06/15/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: WEAK(cg) "...the more you know from rock 'n' roll, the less you'll like 'Rock of Ages.' It's kind of the inverse of 'This Is Spinal Tap' in that respect."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 890 words, 06/13/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD(cg) "As a means of non-participatory time travel and non-intellectual stimulation, it's successful. Toe-tapping and eye-rolling are equally forgivable. Rock on."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,003 words, 06/14/12
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: FAIR "...the whole thing rests on a, er, bedrock of clichés from Hollywood's favorite genre: movies about itself.... there's way too much Journey on the soundtrack, and Foreigner."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 763 words, 06/15/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...will alternately leave you embarrassed and amused. It's worth the novelty, but you may have a hard time looking at everyone involved the same way again."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 409 words, 06/15/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...the guiltiest of guilty pleasures.... Blessed with unstoppable energy, an undeniably bawdy sense of fun and Tom Cruise in backless leather pants..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 800 words, 06/15/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "...this plodding mess may help put to rest Hollywood's inexplicable two-decade love affair with the awful '80s, a pop-culture decade that's overdue for a break."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 06/15/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "...settles for workmanlike cover-band status, which makes this a cover-band tribute to a jukebox musical -- a long way from true, trashy exhilaration."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 571 words, 06/15/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: WEAK(cg) "Adam Shankman ('Hairspray') tries to breeze through it all, but Cruise, as Jaxx, turns a once-minor figure of fun into a malevolent, fever-eyed megalomaniac..."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 311 words, 06/15/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the actors are having a lot of fun, and the production values of the musical numbers are slick and high-spirited. The only problem is that the plot meanders..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 622 words, 06/15/12
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "It's not every day that you get to see two great American traditions -- guitar-bass-drums rock music and Tin Pan Alley musical theater -- so thoroughly, mutually degraded."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 840 words, 06/13/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It seems Cruise can sing, although not the four octaves Shankman claims, and likely not without the aid of Auto-Tune or other sonic assist (ditto for the rest of the cast)."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 06/15/12
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...a movie of some okay comic moments but no momentum.... more likely to leave fans of the music hanging rather than banging their heads."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 451 words, 06/15/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...so not rock and roll.... it's a great big, expensive Hollywood musical, so we're supposed to take it halfway seriously - which drains out all the fun."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 269 words, 06/21/12
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: WEAK(cg) "...gets too mired in plotty cul de sacs, manufactured setbacks and numbers that are all staged as show-stoppers.... it goes on and on and on and on."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 716 words, 06/15/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...astonishingly cornball one minute, winkingly sardonic the next.... maybe the rock-and-roll stereotypes played better in person than they do on the big screen."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 519 words, 06/15/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: MODERATE(cg) "Rock music's liberating spirit is supposed to be at the center of the movie, but the characters on its edges are the only ones who embody it."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 654 words, 06/15/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...desecrates three grand traditions -- Broadway musicals, movie musicals, and rock 'n' roll -- but you'll still come out humming the tunes."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 911 words, 06/15/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Cruise is very good... with two vanilla leads and a deliberately corny and predictable kids-vs.-squares conflict, there's not much left to hang on to except the music..."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 785 words, 06/15/12
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Its charms stem from the juicy thrill of seeing the '80s caricatured and karaoke-fied by Hollywood A-listers making delicious, willing fools of themselves."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 318 words, 06/15/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Though often enjoyably silly, it doesn't really work as a movie; it's more a collection of cover songs and hair-flinging, connected by the thinnest of plots."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 469 words, 06/15/12
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE(cg) "This movie asked me to accept a lot, and occasionally I did -- but even I drew the line at one of these 'American Idol' wannabes writing 'Don't Stop Believin.' "(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 713 words, 06/15/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "...a refresher course in commodified rebellion for soccer moms... regurgitates the worst of '80s radio and invites us to smell it from a safe distance."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 402 words, 06/15/12
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: POOR(cg) "...all 'Rock of Ages' really had to do: tap into the nostalgia that fuels hair metal lovers, crank it up and let the good times flow. Instead, it tests your patience."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 735 words, 06/15/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (11 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "It's not every day that you get to see two great American traditions -- guitar-bass-drums rock music and Tin Pan Alley musical theater -- so thoroughly, mutually degraded."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 840 words, 06/13/12
Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...has both not enough story and far too many musical numbers.... The movie doesn't have any larger ambition beyond being a good time and it is just that."(See all of Eric Eisenberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 730 words, 06/15/12
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: WEAK(cg) "After a while, the spectacle of a stoned and slack-jawed Cruise slurring non-sequiturs while women inexplicably swoon over him gets a little tired..."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 530 words, 06/14/12
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: WEAK(cg) "...has little to offer beyond the cheap beer-buzz of nostalgia mingled with the soothing familiarity of songs everyone knows by heart..."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 448 words, 06/14/12
Chris Barsanti, Pop Matters: POOR(cg) "...the charismatic pros assembled here seem repeatedly constrained rather than unleashed.... the film is painfully oblivious to the provenance of its music."(See all of Chris Barsanti's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 821 words, 06/15/12
Nick Schager, Slant: POOR(cg) "...feels like eternal torture.... a bastardization of an age... Rarely has a movie so misunderstood the things it purports to celebrate... never funny or clever..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 829 words, 06/13/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...so not rock and roll.... it's a great big, expensive Hollywood musical, so we're supposed to take it halfway seriously - which drains out all the fun."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 269 words, 06/21/12
Edward Adams, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "What tries to build as a high energy musical tribute to the phenom blip of '80s hair bands, slowly turns into a sappy, off kilter comedy that falls flat."(See all of Edward Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 628 words, 06/14/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: EXCELLENT(cg) "...madly silly, deeply goofy... Cruise owns this movie in a way that would have been hard for me to fathom before I saw it... he sings! And he's good!"(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,196 words, 06/11/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...insistently earnest... What's not fine is the dead zone occupied by the monster of the piece, Tom Cruise's veteran rocker, Stacee Jaxx."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 358 words, 06/15/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: FAIR "...the whole thing rests on a, er, bedrock of clichés from Hollywood's favorite genre: movies about itself.... there's way too much Journey on the soundtrack, and Foreigner."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 763 words, 06/15/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...the guiltiest of guilty pleasures.... Blessed with unstoppable energy, an undeniably bawdy sense of fun and Tom Cruise in backless leather pants..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 800 words, 06/15/12
Dana Stevens, Slate: GOOD "...spends very little time airborne, but I respect its pluck.... Once you accept the utter and profound inconsequentiality of 'Rock of Ages,' there's much to enjoy in it..."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,016 words, 06/14/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: GOOD "If it's possible for a cultural product to completely lack either authenticity or sincerity, and yet possess a joyful innocence... why should you resist?"(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,414 words, 06/13/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: WEAK "...a visually bland staging of frankly insipid material, never tapping into the raucous, go-for-broke energy that would spin the live show's cliches into gold, let alone platinum."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 882 words, 06/10/12
David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter: WEAK "...neither evokes an authentic feeling to celebrate the era nor spreads much joy making fun of it. Instead, it just drones on like a limp cover version."(See all of David Rooney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,088 words, 06/10/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...the guiltiest of guilty pleasures.... Blessed with unstoppable energy, an undeniably bawdy sense of fun and Tom Cruise in backless leather pants..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 800 words, 06/15/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: MODERATE(cg) "Fun and campy (both intentionally and unintentionally) for about a reel.... the ensuing two acts of the narrative become repetitious, and only occasionally enlivened..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 865 words, 06/12/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: FAIR "...the whole thing rests on a, er, bedrock of clichés from Hollywood's favorite genre: movies about itself.... there's way too much Journey on the soundtrack, and Foreigner."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 763 words, 06/15/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...insistently earnest... What's not fine is the dead zone occupied by the monster of the piece, Tom Cruise's veteran rocker, Stacee Jaxx."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 358 words, 06/15/12
20.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Rock of Ages (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 20.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Rock of Ages (2012) (52 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Rock of Ages (2012)'s reviews cover 100.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 34,938 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 672 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Rock of Ages (2012) Coverage, Volume & Length (52 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 18.3 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Rock of Ages (2012)'s reviews on average broke 18.3 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Rock of Ages (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Rock of Ages (2012) (52 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
