Only A One Hit Wonder
Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) stars as Robert “Fish” Fishman the drummer for the up and coming band Vesuvius. When his band mates are offered a contract if they dump him, it is a no-brainer and Fish is out and Vesuvius is off to super stardom. Fish has never gotten over that shunning, and 20 years later, when the band is putting out another big release, Fish loses his job. Now after moving in with his sister’s family, he is offered the chance of a lifetime, to get back in the game drumming for a high school band.
A gimmick that was simply a way to practice together turns the band into an overnight sensation and lands A.D.D. a deal with a record producter complete with Midwest tour. Looks like “Fish” is back in the game and about to get a chance to get that dream that Vesuvius took from him. But touring with a bunch of high school kids is not easy, and they are just not the same as his old band mates.
I may have wanted to like this film too much, but I saw the good here more than the bad. First, Rainn Wilson is funny when he is allowed to roll with things. There are times that he definitely steals the film, but, and you knew there’d be a but, the film surrounding him gets a bit uneven.
Problems exist in The Rocker. The script can’t get a direction and seems to want to be everything to everyone. There are many good elements here, but they want to explore all of them instead of getting focused on a couple and really exploring those angles.
Really The Rocker is a mess of a movie in the way it’s put together. I did find myself enjoying the “kids” in the film, and the supporting actors in Christina Applegate and especially the small role of Will Arnett. I just felt a more cohesive film would have been a real winner here.
Instead of being a legendary icon like The Stones, The Rocker is simply a one-hit wonder that just spends a little time on the charts before fizzling out.
B-
The Rocker
20th Century Fox
Director: Peter Cattaneo
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Teddy Geiger, Josh Gad, Emma Stone
Rating: PG-13 for drug and sexual references, nudity and language.
Runtime: 102 minutes.
Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) stars as Robert “Fish” Fishman the drummer for the up and coming band Vesuvius. When his band mates are offered a contract if they dump him, it is a no-brainer and Fish is out and Vesuvius is off to super stardom. Fish has never gotten over that shunning, and 20 years later, when the band is putting out another big release, Fish loses his job. Now after moving in with his sister’s family, he is offered the chance of a lifetime, to get back in the game drumming for a high school band.
A gimmick that was simply a way to practice together turns the band into an overnight sensation and lands A.D.D. a deal with a record producter complete with Midwest tour. Looks like “Fish” is back in the game and about to get a chance to get that dream that Vesuvius took from him. But touring with a bunch of high school kids is not easy, and they are just not the same as his old band mates.
I may have wanted to like this film too much, but I saw the good here more than the bad. First, Rainn Wilson is funny when he is allowed to roll with things. There are times that he definitely steals the film, but, and you knew there’d be a but, the film surrounding him gets a bit uneven.
Problems exist in The Rocker. The script can’t get a direction and seems to want to be everything to everyone. There are many good elements here, but they want to explore all of them instead of getting focused on a couple and really exploring those angles.
Really The Rocker is a mess of a movie in the way it’s put together. I did find myself enjoying the “kids” in the film, and the supporting actors in Christina Applegate and especially the small role of Will Arnett. I just felt a more cohesive film would have been a real winner here.
Instead of being a legendary icon like The Stones, The Rocker is simply a one-hit wonder that just spends a little time on the charts before fizzling out.
B-
The Rocker
20th Century Fox
Director: Peter Cattaneo
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Teddy Geiger, Josh Gad, Emma Stone
Rating: PG-13 for drug and sexual references, nudity and language.
Runtime: 102 minutes.
