Sunday, June 17, 2012
Rock of Ages (M)
ADAM Shankman returns to the musical genre five years after
his re-imagining of Hairspray, the
choreographer bringing one of the world’s newer stage productions to the big
screen. As with that last musical, no character is left in the dark, with an
ensemble cast enough to fill an awards ceremony. And again in similarity, the
exception for that comes from the lead characters; newcomers are given a chance
in the spotlight.
Mexican-born Diego Boneta and Julianne Hough are young adults
in 1987 that move to Los Angeles to try their hand at finding stardom,
believing in their vocal talents and the glamorous hope and inspiration the
City of Angels is meant to bring. Drew (Boneta) finds Sherrie (Hough), offers
her a job at bar/club The Bourbon Room and they fall in love.
For such a clichéd beginning there is some lovely
cinematography from Bojan Bazelli to capture the young romance, but the story
moves on at an edgier pace when rock god Stacie Jaxx (Tom Cruise) enters the
scene and inadvertently stuffs everyone around. He’s a drunken knob until
Rolling Stone journalist Constance Sack (Malin Akerman) helps him see
differently about this thing we call life.
The dramas of life and Hollywood are put through their paces
but become tedious as the film progresses. The story is spread thin with so-so
characters where actors that seem lost or misplaced, like Catherine Zeta-Jones
as heavy metal protester Patricia Whitmore, or like Bourbon Room owner Dennis
Dupree (Alec Baldwin) and his mate Lonny (Russell Brand), part of their own
peculiar relationship development.
Boneta and Hough are an ideal Disney couple with their
squeaky clean looks and voices to match but their enthusiasm not making up for
their lack of unique spark. Cruise manages to show who’s still boss as he uses
his natural swagger to exaggerated levels for Stacee Jaxx, mixing that with an
interpretation of a mix of rock’s finest frontmen. He’s not a singer by any
means, but does best in Wanted Dead Or
Alive in one of the film’s more impressive scenes.
The songs, a mix of hits from bands such as Poison, Bon Jovi
and Pat Benatar, are mashed up for a new generation, while the few original
numbers reverse and try and capture the feel of the era. Def Leppard also gets
a look-in, they who refused the stage production the use of their songs but
agreed to the film version.
There’s not much done to make the songs different otherwise,
so with such well-loved hits performed similar to the originals it’s an easy
sing-along. The late 80s are revived like shoulder pads are still in, complete
with an extreme overuse of wind machines.
That, and the uplifting nature of the story, is enough to
make this a bearable watch, with good performances from Cruise, Akerman and
Paul Giamatti as Stacee Jaxx’s schmuck manager Paul helping it along. This
isn’t the film of ages but just passes for those wanting, in the words of
Poison, nothin’ but a good time.
Rating: 3/5*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 16/6/2012
***
Aliens (1986)
Part of the Alien
franchise which now includes the prequel Prometheus,
this second instalment is widely viewed by critics and cinema fans as one of
film’s greatest sequels. It’s a great feat for a film released seven years
after its predecessor and helmed by a director with different vision to the
first. That would continue for two subsequent films, but this is the one to
make a significant impact.
It starts right where we left off from Alien (1979); Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), last survivor of the
ship Nostromo, has been in hypersleep for 57 years and not six weeks as she was
meant to be before a rescue. Rescued by The Company, she returns to work by
consulting for a team travelling back to LV-426. To her horror, it has been
colonised and faces her demons when reports of disappearances from the
administration are founded and more bloodshed arises from the battle against
the monsters.
James Cameron brings
blockbuster to the franchise but manages to keep it real and continue Ripley’s
journey with gusto. Her maternal instinct kicks in after rescuing civilian Newt
(Carrie Henn), making her more determined to beat the aliens once and for all.
She is a force to be reckoned with, stamping her ground as one of cinema’s
greatest heroines.
There is a lot more action in this one too, benefiting the
solid support cast. Bill Paxton is great fun as the coward of the team, hating
on the aliens which are no less creepy. A mix of science-fiction and action
with a dash of love makes this film one a great watch.
*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) from Wednesday 13/6/2012
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEWS? See what I thought of Prometheus and A Room with a View.
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*I have two photos entered in the current Qatar Reflections competition. Please show your support for me by voting for either photo! Short backstory and links here.
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