The
Rocker
I can’t wait for The Office
to come back
this fall. Something tells me Rainn Wilson agrees.
Wilson stars as Fish Fishman – a man left behind by fate. He
was the drummer for a legendary rock band as they were on the way up
from their meager beginnings in Cleveland, but the record label made
the rest of the group dump him just before they hit it big.
It’s 20 years later, and Fish never really got over his lost
chance at fame. However, fame may be knocking on the door again.
Stuck living in his sister’s house, Fish is asked to fill in
for his nephew’s, Matt (Josh Gad), band, and
they’re pretty good. Before you know it, Fish, Matt, bassist
Amelia (Emma Stone) and lead singer Curtis (Teddy Geiger) are starting
to get some attention, and this might be their chance to hit the big
time.
 Do they have what it takes?
Will Fish drive them crazy along the way?
The Rocker feels like another one
of those movies Will Ferrell turned
down, so the producers had to find the next best thing (and Jack Black
was already under contract to do something else). Wilson gives it
everything he can with the exaggerated facial expressions, the
flamboyant stage performance, and a willingness to be as stupid as
possible. Unfortunately, while most of this is funny, it feels like
Wilson is stuck in one movie, while everyone else is in another.
Director Peter Cattaneo can’t make it all flow smoothly, so
you feel like Wilson doesn’t belong in one movie, while the
kids don’t belong in his.
The rest of The Rocker is more of a modern day That
Thing You Do (an awesome movie to rent ASAP!) as the kids are
overwhelmed and excited about the massive changes in their lives as
they become a more popular band. Stone, Geiger and Gad bring an
earnestness to these moments that feels more natural than
Wilson’s cartoonish character. However, writers Maya Forbes
and Wallace Wolodarsky try to throw in too many little love stories,
which feel forced and obvious.
You’ll laugh more than you’ll be upset with The
Rocker, so I guess it’s worth going to see.
The Rocker is rated PG-13 for drug and sexual references, nudity and language.
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