The Rocker Movie Review

The Rocker Movie Review
Rainn Wilson's new comedy is like a bad cover song.
by Jim Vejvoda


August 20, 2008 - The Rocker follows drummer Robert "Fish" Fishman (Rainn Wilson) who is cast out from the 1980s glam rock band Vesuvius and spends the next twenty years schlepping his way through life and embittered by his abrupt and heartbreaking firing. As Vesuvius enjoys Bon Jovi/Aerosmith-like multi-decade success, Fish toils away as a call center rep in the Midwest.

Fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend (Jane Krakowski in a cameo), Fish finds himself living in his reluctant sister's (Jane Lynch) attic in Cleveland. His portly teenage nephew Matt (Josh Gad) plays keyboard in a band named A.D.D., along with classmates Curtis (singer-songwriter Teddy Geiger) and Amelia (Superbad's Emma Stone). In desperate need of a drummer for the school concert, Matt convinces Curtis and Amelia to give his uncle Fish a chance.

Still trapped in his gaudily-clad, arena rock days, Fish screws up just enough that he then has to try and make things right with the band. In no time, he's teaching these kids the ropes of being a rocker as they take their act on the road and gain national notoriety thanks to the Internet. But will Fish -- who soon finds himself falling for Curtis' mom (Christina Applegate) -- again suffer humiliation and rejection from his bandmates once the big time calls?



While it's an amiable enough piece of fluff, The Rocker is such a slave to formula and covers so much well-trod ground that it's like listening to a needless cover song. Sure, it's familiar enough that you kinda sorta enjoy it, but when it's over you think, "Haven't I already heard this done before and better?" The Rocker is a pastiche of feel-good genres -- equal parts rock 'n roll movie, mentor story, '80s send-up, and "follow your dream" inspirational fare -- that never quite succeeds in any one category.

We have the screw-up protagonist who needs to overcome his past/prove himself/find someplace to belong. There's the young musician in need of a mentor to inspire confidence, and when stardom is at hand to remind him of what truly matters. There's the love interest that's right in front of the oblivious character the whole time, as well as the female lead who inexplicably falls for the far less attractive social misfit male lead. Don't forget the sleazy producer-manager, or the big finale where the young heroes finally get the chance to prove something to their toughest audience: themselves.

You know exactly where the story's headed from the beginning, making the set-ups and payoffs to the jokes and the relationships too obvious. While the cast has chemistry together overall, the relationship between Wilson and Applegate is too thin and underdeveloped to care much about. They're like the sitcom couple cliché of the schlubby hubby and hot wife. Teddy Geiger effectively broods and emotes as the fledgling pop star, but the real scene stealer is Josh Gad (who nevertheless comes across as the poor man's Jonah Hill). Genre regulars Jason Sudeikis, Jane Lynch, Fred Armisen and Bradley Cooper all pop up here, while the ubiquitous Will Arnett continues to make small but showy appearances in other people's mediocre starring vehicles.

Rainn Wilson may have been striving for a big-screen breakthrough a la Jack Black in The School of Rock, but it's not to be had here. He delivers a one-note performance that's only highlighted by a few scattered moments of physical comedy. Cross Jack Black's manic schtick with Will Ferrell's penchant for cringe-inducing nudity and you have Rainn Wilson in this movie. Once again, we've seen it all done before and better.

The Rocker Movie opens up Wednesday Aug 14

The House Bunny Movie | The Longshots Movie | Death Race Movie