SYNOPSIS:
Rainn Wilson takes centerstage in this widely irreverent comedy about living your dreams - and embarrassing your family - at any cost. Twenty years after being kicked out of his nearly famous '80s rock group, Robert "Fish" Fishman gets a hilarious second chance at stardom when he joins his nephew's high school garage band. Without missing a beat, Fish vows to reclaim the rock-god throne he always thought he deserved...while taking his much younger bandmates along for the ride of their lives!
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Rocker suffered the unceremonious dump from its intended cinematic release here to the straight to video racks, just like how the titular protagonist Robert "Fish" Fishman (Rainn Wilson) got ousted from his rock band Vesuvius just as they were getting their break into the big league, having been played out by his team members in replacing him as per the contract. It might have been based very loosely on The Beatles' original drummer Pete Best as far as that issue is concerned, but everything else is pretty much of what slapstick comedy is made of.
Fast forward 20 years, and Fish is stuck in a boring day job, while his Vesuvius ex-friends are living his dream of becoming rock stars with plenty of #1 hits, adoring groupies, and what have yous in the perks department of being famous. In a gist, The Rocker traces Fish's remote shot of recouping those benefits, through his nephew Matt's invitation to join their school rock band for the lack of a drummer. Not to forget of course, that this band's half his age, with Matt as the fat, low-self esteem keyboardist, Emma Stone (of The House Bunny and Superbad fame) as Amelia the unsmiling angst bassist chick Amelia, and lyricist, guitarist and lead singer Curtis (Teddy Geiger). Bring it up for the A.D.D!!! (Attention Deficit Disorder, if you must know)
Seems like ingredients for a successful rock band? Probably, and it is up to Fish who has almost been there and done that, to be the role model for this school band as well as to shape their fortunes, if only he can get his own act together and not be sidetracked by free booze, and inane need to get himself, and his band members into unnecessary trouble. Not to mention the constant battle with his members' parents as well into convincing them to allow their kids to live their dreams. As a drummer who can play impromptu and with his eyes closed, as well as possessing very sweaty DNA, his sloppiness is what brings about some soul into the group, and into the movie's narrative as well, if not for a rather formula treatment with passable subplots such as clashing egos and a slimy, unscrupulous manager.
Filled with enough slapstick moments to keep you chuckling throughout, there's nothing quite like making a jab some of those music stars of today who get their break through viral sites like YouTube. I suppose the site is a great leveler for opportunities, where one can release something over the internet, and find their intended audience, what more for free, until the record companies come knocking, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. Like Music and Lyrics, this film is about making a comeback, and The Rocker also contains some wonderful songs performed by both Vesuvius and ADD that would please rock fans, and convert non-rock fans as well.
In all, my advice would be to ditch the VCD and go straight for the DVD if you're to watch this film, if anything for that better visual transfer, and a more decent audio experience thrown in for to enjoy those rock tunes as intended. Crank that volume while you're at it too!
MOVIE RATING:
Review
by Stefan Shih
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