Film Review -- Rock of Ages

This movie musical is directed by Hairspray's Adam Shankman and its all-star cast includes Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige, Paul Giamatti, Bryan Cranston, Malin Akerman, and Tom Cruise. Set in 1987 Los Angeles, Sherrie (Hough) moves to the City of Dreams to pursue her passion of singing. There, she meets aspiring rocker Drew (Boneta) and he gets her a waitressing job at the famed Bourbon Room on the Sunset Strip. Its love at first sight, but their relationship is tested by the prospect of fame and fortune. Other story lines, involving all others mention above, also occur, but they're not worth describing. I was expecting this film to be a satire, as I could not imagine anyone, not even the actors and director, taking this seriously. However, the film was so un-funny that I began worrying that they were being serious. It turns out that it was a satire, because it was so painfully bad that it had to be. I don't know what possessed all of these talented people to sign onto a project so ridiculous as this one. All of the musical numbers felt out of place, the lip-synching and auto-tuning were god-awful, the acting was mercifully bad, and the characters were just laughable. Tom Cruise, almost fifty and well under six feet tall, makes a fool of himself playing a rock star/sex god. I laughed guiltlessly every time he appeared on screen. Zeta-Jones and Akerman were also some of the worst offenders. Their characters were so incredibly ridiculous that I almost couldn't bear to watch. Shankman, with Hairspray, was able to craft a funny, poignant, and relevant musical, which I really enjoyed, but this one was a huge miss. I left the theatre angry that the film wasted two-and-a-half hours of my life.

Should you see it: No
Grade: F

Rock of Ages gets the distinction of being the first film on my blog to receive an F.

Film Review -- Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Written by Simon Beaufoy, the Oscar-winner who penned Slumdog Millionaire, this indie stars Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, and Kristin Scott Thomas. Dr. Alfred Jones (McGregor) is one of Great Britain's leading fisheries expert, and he is approached by a consultant (Blunt) to a Middle-Eastern sheik (Amr Waked) about bringing the sport of fly fishing to the deserts of Yemen. He at first finds the idea appalling, unrealistic, and ridiculous, but an indirect threat on his job by the Prime Minister's spunky press secretary (Scott Thomas) forces him to take on the project. At first, his reluctance causes stiffness in his working relationship with Blunt's Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, but soon both of them come to wholeheartedly believe in the project, as well as develop a liking for each other. The film is very offbeat and quirky; the plot is definitely unlike any other I'm aware of. I did find the concept a little ludicrous, but I figured that if Dr. Jones believed the project to be rubbish throughout the film, it would turn out to be a very clever piece of satire. I assumed that, with such a ludicrous concept, the film would  never take it seriously; however, when Dr. Jones becomes an avid supporter of the project, the film's believability factor went way down. Nevertheless, it is a very mild and pleasing film.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B

Film Review -- The Amazing Spider-Man

Directed by indie darling Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield. Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifans, this reboot of the relatively recent superhero franchise tells the story of Peter Parker, a shy and awkward high school student whose parents vanished mysteriously when he was just a young boy. Raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field), the teen one day discovers a briefcase that belonged to his father and that may hold a very important clue to the truth about his parents. The holdings in the briefcase lead Peter to Dr. Curt Conners, his father's old research partner. Unknowingly, Peter gives Dr. Conners a vital piece of information that will threaten all of mankind, and it is up to the unlikely hero to go undercover and save the day. I was skeptical since the announcement of this film, because the first Spider-Man film only came out ten years ago, and it seemed way too soon to be rebooting it already. However, I enjoyed it more than the original -- Garfield and Stone make a more attractive and believable pair. I did, however, gripe with one major plot hole (which I won't reveal directly, but it involves Peter's camera) that completely ruined the film for me; I just could not forgive it, and could not believe a smart guy like Peter could've made such a stupid mistake. After that, my enjoyment level suffered quite a bit, but I was still very much entertained overall by the film's tense pacing.

Should you see it: Sure
Grade: B-