Advertisement

Supported by

Film Review

A Smell of Wine and Cheap Perfume

  • Share full article

tom cruise musical rock of ages

By Manohla Dargis

  • June 14, 2012

“Rock of Ages,” a jukebox musical turned junky big-screen attraction about making it in the music biz back when it still existed, is just entertaining enough to keep you from dark thoughts about the state of Hollywood. The movie is too insipid for such hand wringing, in any event, and the attention-grabbing turns by Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and especially Tom Cruise as a rock-star crazy help enliven its overlong two hours. All singing, some dancing, the movie brings to mind “Glee,” but its truer, superior progenitor is that 1933 Cinderella story, “42nd Street,” the one in which the producer tells the chorine, “You’re going out a youngster, but you’ve got to come back a star!”

The chorines this time around are Drew Boley (Diego Boneta) and Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough), who early on meet cute on the Sunset Strip, that asphalt ribbon distinguished by its clubs, eateries, high hopes, low prospects and celebrity deaths that winds through West Hollywood. She’s a little bit country, newly arrived from Flyover, U.S.A.; he’s a little bit hair-metal, with a menial gig at the Bourbon Room and dreams of guitar-rock divinity. The make-believe Bourbon sits next to the Whisky a Go Go although in reality it and the rest of the conspicuously faked Strip were shot in a tricked-out neighborhood in Miami. Mostly, though, the whole thing rests on a, er, bedrock of clichés from Hollywood’s favorite genre: movies about itself.

“Rock of Ages,” directed by the former dancer and choreographer Adam Shankman, is based on a musical — nicely described by Lina Lecaro, a Los Angeles scenester, as a “headbangin’-to-the-oldies revue” — that originated in a Hollywood club in 2005 and eventually migrated to Broadway, where it continues to pull in fans at the Helen Hayes. (Mr. Shankman directed the 2007 movie “Hairspray,” which was based on the Broadway musical that was, in another testament to entertainment industry self-cannibalization, based on the 1988 John Waters film.) Like the musical, the movie “Rock of Ages” is set in 1987, the year that “Appetite for Destruction,” the first album from Guns N’ Roses , and Tipper Gore’s book “Raising PG Kids in an X-Rated Society,” both hit the cultural fray.

Appetite for Depravity

View Slide Show ›

Written by Justin Theroux, Chris D’Arienzo (who wrote the original show) and Allan Loeb, the movie resurrects these two forgotten events through a pair of opponents: an Axl Rose-like rocker, Stacee Jaxx, played with uncharacteristic heat and an undulating bare torso by Mr. Cruise, and a crusading neo-Puritan, Patricia Whitmore, energetically embodied by an underused Catherine Zeta-Jones. Whitmore has vowed, as part of the campaign to have her husband, Mike (Bryan Cranston), elected mayor, to clean up the Strip. In actuality it was Prince’s album “Purple Rain” that triggered Ms. Gore’s outrage over rock ’n’ raunch, an indignation that led to the Parents Music Resource Center, Senate hearings about dirty minds and government regulation, and eventually her wider pop-cultural attacks. Bringing in Prince would have made the movie listenable, but it would have complicated its white-bread world.

Video player loading

That’s less a reference to the picture’s homogeneous racial and ethnic makeup, which debatably reflects that of the music milieu it seeks to replicate. (Mary J. Blige, as Justice, the owner of a strip club, and the character actor Angelo Donato Valderrama, as a club busboy named Chico, are among the movie’s few tokens of diversity.) Rather, this Wonder Bread banality comes from how thoroughly Mr. Shankman has vacuumed his rock-scene simulacrum of anything recognizably rock, including the lust, juice, heat, bad behavior and excesses that characterize its real-life analogue. There isn’t any grit to these people or their art, not a speck of dirt anywhere. It looks like Disneyland and sounds, well, like a bad Broadway musical, with all the power belting and jazz-hand choreography that implies.

To put it another way, there’s way too much Journey on the soundtrack, and Foreigner. There’s also an REO Speedwagon ditty, a few from Twisted Sister, Def Leppard and Poison, and at least two hits that were released after 1987 (“More Than Words” and “I Remember You”). All the songs are sung, mostly without shame or distinction, by the actors themselves, who slide into the warbling as if into a conversation. A grizzled, bewigged Mr. Baldwin enunciates through his songs, in the Rex Harrison mold, to play a rock survivor, Dennis Dupree, who runs the Bourbon with his sidekick, Lonny (Mr. Brand). They make their stale buddy routine and romance amusing and, as with the rest of the adults, make the movie bearable. A whispering and writhing Mr. Cruise makes it watchable.

“Rock of Ages” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). No sex, few drugs, some rock ’n’ roll.

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

“X-Men ’97,” a revival on Disney+ that picks up where the ’90s animated series left off, has faced questions after the firing of its showrunner  ahead of the premiere.

“3 Body Problem,” a science fiction epic from the creators of “Game of Thrones,” has arrived on Netflix. We spoke with them about their latest project .

For the past two decades, female presidential candidates on TV have been made in Hillary Clinton’s image. With “The Girls on the Bus,” that’s beginning to change .

“Freaknik,” a new Hulu documentary, delves into the rowdy ’80s and ’90s-era spring festival  that drew hundreds of thousands of Black college students to Atlanta.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

Tom Cruise Talks about His Work in the Musical ROCK OF AGES

Tom Cruise talks about his decision to star in and how he prepared for Adam Shankman's Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages also stars Julianne Hough.

Tom Cruise 's bread-and-butter is action movies, but every now and then he's willing to try something new like he did with Collateral (the only movie where he plays a villain), Magnolia (the biggest supporting role in his career), and disappearing under the make-up and personality of Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder .  His newest challenge will be playing rocker Stacee Jaxx in Adam Shankman 's adaptation of the rock musical Rock of Ages .  The plot centers on a small-town-girl (Julianne Hough) who falls for Jaxx against the backdrop of 80s rock like Journey, SEO Speedwagon, and Styx.  Cruise recently spoke about what drew him to the project, and how he prepared for his role.

Hit the jump for more.  The outstanding cast also includes Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Alec Baldwin, Malin Akerman, Bryan Cranston, Will Forte, Mary J. Blige, and Diego Gonzalez Boneta .  Rock of Ages opens June 1, 2012.

Speaking to 24 Frames , Cruise says his decision to join Rock of Ages came from a combination of his wife's influence and trying to build on his hip-hop work from Tropic Thunder :

"I had started dancing because I was inspired by my wife. She kept saying, 'You've got to do a musical sometime,'" Cruise said. "[ Katie Holmes ] is a dancer, so she would say, 'Let's go to dance class,' and she would take us and that's how I kind of came up with the idea of Les Grossman doing hip-hop. And then to take it to this level with this? It was really fun."

Cruise says he was also impressed with Shankman's previous musical adaptation, Hairspray :

"What he accomplished with 'Hairspray' was amazing. My daughter has seen it 15 times and our whole family has watched it over and over and it's just enormously entertaining. To be able to hold that tone throughout is really something."

Just like he commits himself to the physical demands of acting in an action film (he did an insane stunt off the tallest building in the world for Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol ), Cruise says he prepped for six months to do Rock of Ages and was working on singing for five hours a day and dancing for five hours a day.  We'll see if it pays off when the musical hits theaters next summer.

Top 50 by Year

Lists Explorer

100 Most Featured Movie Songs

100 Most Featured TV Songs

Rock of Ages 2012 - Movie Banner

Rock of Ages Soundtrack [ 2012 ]

List of songs.

Juke Box Hero / I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll - Diego Boneta, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand & Julianne Hough

Juke Box Hero / I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll

Diego Boneta, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand & Julianne Hough

Drew & Sherrie in the record store / Lonny & Dennis at the bourbon room office

I Wanna Rock - Diego Boneta

I Wanna Rock

Diego Boneta

Drew on stage at the bourbon

We Built This City / We’re Not Gonna Take It

Russell Brand & Catherine Zeta-Jones

Outside the Bourbon rooms street scene song battle

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Tom Cruise

Pour Some Sugar On Me

Stacee Jaxx on stage at the Bourbon Rooms

Wanted Dead or Alive

Tom Cruise & Julianne Hough

Sherrie meets Stacee Jaxx afer stage performance,

Rock You Like a Hurricane

Julianne Hough & Tom Cruise

Stacee Jaxx & Sherrie private dance in the Venus club

Don’t Stop Believin’ - Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand & Mary J. Blige

Don’t Stop Believin’

Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand & Mary J. Blige

Closing song before the end credits

Shadows of the Night / Harden My Heart

Mary J. Blige & Julianne Hough

Sherrie starts work in the Venus club

Any Way You Want It - Mary J. Blige, Constantine Maroulis & Julianne Hough

Any Way You Want It

Mary J. Blige, Constantine Maroulis & Julianne Hough

Justice & Sherrie in the The Venus Club / Paul introduces his next big thing Drew to the record company

More Than Words / Heaven

Julianne Hough & Diego Boneta

Sherrie sings in the Bourbon as Drew starts to take rehearsals with his band opening for Stacee Jaxx

Waiting for a Girl Like You

Diego Boneta & Julianne Hough

Drew & Sherrie love scene

Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise & Mary J. Blige

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise & Mary J. Blige

Drew & Sherrie up at the Hollywood sign

Paradise City - Tom Cruise

Paradise City

Film Intro song

Sister Christian / Just Like Paradise / Nothin’ But a Good Time - Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand & Alec Baldwin

Sister Christian / Just Like Paradise / Nothin’ But a Good Time

Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand & Alec Baldwin

Sherrie arriving into town on the bus

Harden My Heart

Julianne Hough & Mary J. Blige

A rain soaked Sherrie meets Justice outside the Venus Club

I Want to Know What Love Is

Tom Cruise & Malin Akerman

Stacee Jaxx & Constance Sack backstage at the Bourbon

Undercover Love - Diego Boneta

Undercover Love

Drew sings on stage as front man of Z Guyeezz on their first show at the Bourbon

Here I Go Again - Diego Boneta, Paul Giamatti, Julianne Hough, Mary J. Blige & Tom Cruise

Here I Go Again

Diego Boneta, Paul Giamatti, Julianne Hough, Mary J. Blige & Tom Cruise

Drew signs for Paul Gills record label

Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Catherine Zeta-Jones

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Patricia Whitmore sings in the Church

Can’t Fight This Feeling

Russell Brand & Alec Baldwin

Lonny and Dennis show their emotions as the song closes they kiss

Trailer Songs

Oh no! No trailer songs have been added yet. Add them by logging in.

C'mon, there's no such thing as a stupid question. Get the ball rolling and be the first.

Adam Anders & Peer Astrom

Music Supervisors

External Links

Contributors

WhatSong is the worlds largest collection of movie & tv show soundtracks and playlists.

© 2023 WhatSong Soundtracks. All rights reserved

Quick links

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, so seductive he almost seduces himself.

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Now streaming on:

"Rock of Ages," a rags-to-riches rock 'n' roll musical set mostly in a music club on Sunset Strip, wins no prizes for originality. A lot of it is zesty entertainment, with some energetic musical numbers; several big names ( Tom Cruise , Russell Brand , Alec Baldwin ) prove they can sing well enough to play the Strip if they lose the day job. The two leads are Diego Boneta , as a bartender in the Strip's hottest club, and Julianne Hough , as a naive kid just off the bus from the Midwest. They're both gifted singers and join the others in doing covers of 1980s rock classics.

Of course they also fall in love. Of course they have heartfelt conversations while standing behind the "Hollywood" sign. Of course they break up because of a tragic misunderstanding. Of course their mistake is repaired and (spoiler!) they're back together at the end. Has ever a romance in a musical been otherwise?

They're sweet and likable, but for me, the better story involves the fate of the club, the Bourbon Room. Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin), its owner, is desperate because he owes back taxes and will have to close the doors at any moment. His only confidante is a weathered rocker named Lonny (Russell Brand), whose primary function is to lean over him during phone calls and frantically tell him what to say. The person on the other end of the line is usually a venal music manager named Paul Gill ( Paul Giamatti ), who claims he will save the club by supplying his legendary client Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) for a one-night farewell concert.

If you're tracking those names, you're perhaps impressed. Adam Shankman's "Rock of Ages" not only has a high-profile cast, but they never seem to be slumming; they play their roles with great intensity and earnestness, which is really the only way to do satire.

A subplot is recycled directly out of old "Beach Party" musicals. If you are of a certain age, you may remember them. Frankie, Annette and the gang were always having a great time down at the beach when some stuffy local politician decided to run them out of town as a campaign tactic. In this case, the politician is Mayor Whitman ( Bryan Cranston ), who gets all of his instructions from his domineering wife, Patricia ( Catherine Zeta-Jones ). She leads a group of protesters across the street from the Bourbon Room, while Dennis and Lonny look grimly out the window.

There isn't an original idea in the screenplay by Justin Theroux and Chris D'Arienzo, based on an Off-Broadway hit. Even the songs are oldies. And that's OK, because the actors are having a lot of fun, and the production values of the musical numbers are slick and high-spirited. The only problem is that the plot meanders when nobody is singing. If you're making the kind of movie where everybody in the audience knows for sure what's going to happen, it's best not to linger on the recycled bits. If Drew misunderstands something he sees and thinks Sherrie was cheating on him with Stacee Jaxx, then let them clear that up without a lugubrious return visit to the Hollywood sign.

In a movie where all the stars except the leads are essentially satirizing themselves, Tom Cruise is the most merciless on himself. Stacee Jaxx, his muscular body a quiltwork of tattoos, travels with a couple of grim bodyguards ( Kevin Nash , of all people, and Jeff Chase , a giant 6'7" bodybuilder). Stacee has such a big ego that when he's interviewed by a Rolling Stone reporter ( Malin Akerman ), he's so narcissistically seductive he almost seduces himself. Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand have a big scene I'll bet neither one saw in his future.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Now playing

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Golden Years

Clint worthington.

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Problemista

Monica castillo.

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Glenn Kenny

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Sheila O'Malley

tom cruise musical rock of ages

God Save Texas

Matt zoller seitz.

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Land of Bad

Simon abrams, film credits.

Rock of Ages movie poster

Rock of Ages (2012)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, suggestive dancing, some heavy drinking, and language

123 minutes

Diego Boneta as Drew

Julianne Hough as Sherrie

Russell Brand as Lonny

Catherine Zeta-Jones as Patricia

Mary J. Blige as Justice

Alec Baldwin as Dennis Dupree

Malin Akerman as Constance

Paul Giamatti as Paul

Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx

  • Justin Theroux

Directed by

  • Adam Shankman

Latest blog posts

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Enter Regina Taylor's Black Album Mixtape Contest

tom cruise musical rock of ages

The 10 Best Movies Made for Under $50,000

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Doug Liman Never Does Things the Easy Way

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Trapped in the System: Julio Torres on Problemista

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

Full Rock of Ages Trailer: Tom Cruise Is the Main Event

The full trailer for jukebox musical Rock of Ages just debuted, and if the teaser was remarkably stingy with glimpses of Tom Cruise as a hair metal rock icon, this new preview is chock full of Cruise … and it leaves us with much to discuss. 1) Admirable muscle tone, shirtless Tom Cruise! 2) Can’t go wrong with monkey sidekicks. 3) Can go wrong with that cover of “Wanted Dead or Alive,” which is purportedly sung by Cruise, yet appears to be a collaboration between T-Pain and a Speak & Spell. 4) Today has been full of musical ups and downs , hasn’t it Mary J. Blige? 5) Why do you think Alec Baldwin tried to pull out of this movie at the last minute ? Please back up your argument with some of his dialogue from the trailer. 6) How does this make you feel about Tom Cruise as Kurt Cobain ?

  • rock of ages
  • trailer mix
  • diego boneta
  • julianne hough
  • alec baldwin

Most Viewed Stories

  • Cassie’s Lawsuit Against Diddy, Explained
  • Cinematrix No. 22: March 26, 2024
  • Ariana Madix Buys $1.6 Million Bachelorette Pad
  • A Gunshot in the Courtroom
  • The Bachelor Season-Finale Recap: All In

Editor’s Picks

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

  • Lower case letters (a-z)
  • Upper case letters (A-Z)
  • Numbers (0-9)
  • Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews

Rock of Ages

Soundtracks

Rock of ages.

  • Paradise City Written by Steven Adler , Slash (as Saul Hudson), Duff McKagan (as Duff Rose McKagan), Axl Rose (as W. Axl Rose) and Izzy Stradlin Performed by Tom Cruise
  • Sister Christian Written by Kelly Keagy Performed by Julianne Hough
  • Just Like Paradise Written by David Lee Roth and Brett Tuggle Performed by Julianne Hough
  • Nothin' But a Good Time Written by Bobby Dall , C.C. DeVille , Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett Performed by Diego Boneta , Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin
  • I Remember You Written by Dave 'The Snake' Sabo (as David Michael Sabo) & Rachel Bolan (as Rachel Bolan Southworth) Performed by Skid Row Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing
  • Jukebox Hero Written by Mick Jones (as Michael L. Jones) and Lou Gramm (as Louis Grammatico) Performed by Diego Boneta and Julianne Hough
  • I Love Rock 'n Roll Written by Jake Hooker and Alan Merrill Performed by Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand
  • Hit Me with Your Best Shot Written by Eddie Schwartz Performed by Catherine Zeta-Jones
  • Oh Sherrie Written by Bill Cuomo , Randy Goodrum , Craig Krampf and Steve Perry
  • Waiting for a Girl Like You Written by Mick Jones (as Michael L. Jones) and Lou Gramm (as Louis Grammatico) Performed by Diego Boneta and Julianne Hough
  • Don't Stop Believin' (Acoustic) Written by Jonathan Cain , Neal Schon and Steve Perry Performed by Diego Boneta
  • Talk Dirty to Me Written by Bobby Dall , C.C. DeVille , Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett Performed by Poison Courtesy of Capitol Records Under license from EMI Film & Television Music
  • More Than Words Written by Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt Performed by Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta
  • Heaven Written by Jani Lane Performed by Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta
  • Rock of Ages Written by Joe Elliott (as Joseph Elliot), Pete Willis (as Peter Willis), Rick Allen (as Richard Allen), Rick Savage (as Richard Savage), Mutt Lange (as Robert Lange) and Stephen Clark Performed by Def Leppard Courtesy of Universal International Music, B.V. Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
  • Wanted Dead or Alive Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora Performed by Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough
  • I Want to Know What Love Is Written by Mick Jones (as Michael L. Jones) Performed by Tom Cruise and Malin Akerman
  • I Wanna Rock Written by Dee Snider Performed by Diego Boneta
  • Pour Some Sugar on Me Written by Joe Elliott (as Joseph Elliot), Phil Collen (as Philip Collen), Rick Allen (as Richard Allen), Rick Savage (as Richard Savage), Mutt Lange (as Robert Lange) and Stephen Clark Performed by Tom Cruise
  • Harden My Heart Written by Marv Ross (as Marvin Ross) Performed by Julianne Hough and Mary J. Blige
  • Bringin' on the Heartbreak Written by Joe Elliott (as Joseph Elliot), Pete Willis (as Peter Willis), Rick Allen (as Richard Allen), Rick Savage (as Richard Savage) and Stephen Clark Performed by Def Leppard Courtesy of Universal International Music, B.V. Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
  • Shadows of the Night Written by D.L. Byron Performed by Mary J. Blige and Julianne Hough
  • Here I Go Again Written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden Performed by Diego Boneta , Julianne Hough , Mary J. Blige , Paul Giamatti and Tom Cruise
  • Can't Fight This Feeling Written by Kevin Cronin Performed by Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin
  • Any Way You Want It Written by Steve Perry and Neal Schon Performed by Mary J. Blige , Constantine Maroulis , Paul Giamatti , Diego Boneta and Julianne Hough
  • Undercover Love Written by Adam Anders , Peer Astrom and Savan Kotecha Performed by Diego Boneta
  • Every Rose Has Its Thorn Written by Bobby Dall , C.C. DeVille , Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett Performed by Diego Boneta , Julianne Hough , Tom Cruise and Mary J. Blige
  • We Built This City Written by Bernie Taupin , Dennis Lambert , Martin Page and Péter Wolf (as Peter Wolf) Performed by Russell Brand
  • We're Not Gonna Take It Written by Dee Snider Performed by Catherine Zeta-Jones
  • No One Like You Written by Rudolf Schenker , Klaus Meine and Herman Rarebell Performed by Scorpions Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
  • Don't Stop Believin' Written by Jonathan Cain , Neal Schon and Steve Perry Performed by Julianne Hough , Diego Boneta , Tom Cruise , Alec Baldwin , Russell Brand and Mary J. Blige
  • Cum on Feel the Noize Written by Jim Lea (as James Lea) and Noddy Holder (as Neville Holder) Performed by Quiet Riot Courtesy of Pasha/CBS Records By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
  • Rock You Like a Hurricane Written by Rudolf Schenker , Klaus Meine and Herman Rarebell Performed by Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough
  • Cherry Pie (uncredited) Written by Jani Lane Performed by Warrant

Contribute to this page

Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige, Malin Akerman, Paul Giamatti, Russell Brand, Diego Boneta, and Julianne Hough in Rock of Ages (2012)

  • See more gaps
  • Learn more about contributing

More from this title

More to explore.

Product image

Recently viewed

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Rotten Tomatoes Newsletter

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

  • Upcoming Movies and TV shows
  • Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
  • Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

  • What's the Tomatometer®?
  • Login/signup

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Movies in theaters

  • Opening this week
  • Top box office
  • Coming soon to theaters
  • Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

  • Netflix streaming
  • Prime Video
  • Most popular streaming movies
  • What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

  • Love Lies Bleeding Link to Love Lies Bleeding
  • Problemista Link to Problemista
  • Late Night with the Devil Link to Late Night with the Devil

New TV Tonight

  • We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
  • Renegade Nell: Season 1
  • Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces: Season 1
  • American Rust: Season 2
  • A Gentleman in Moscow: Season 1
  • Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show: Season 1
  • The Baxters: Season 1
  • grown-ish: Season 6

Most Popular TV on RT

  • 3 Body Problem: Season 1
  • X-Men '97: Season 1
  • Shōgun: Season 1
  • The Gentlemen: Season 1
  • Palm Royale: Season 1
  • Quiet on Set:The Dark Side of Kids TV: Season 1
  • Manhunt: Season 1
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender: Season 1
  • The Regime: Season 1
  • Best TV Shows
  • Most Popular TV
  • TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

  • X-Men '97: Season 1 Link to X-Men '97: Season 1
  • All-Time Lists
  • Binge Guide
  • Comics on TV
  • Five Favorite Films
  • Video Interviews
  • Weekend Box Office
  • Weekly Ketchup
  • What to Watch

All 5 Purge Movies In Order: How to Watch the Movies Chronologically

Best Horror Movies of 2024 Ranked – New Scary Movies to Watch

Women’s History

Awards Tour

TV Premiere Dates 2024

Weekend Box Office Results: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Opens with $45 Million

  • Trending on RT
  • Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
  • Late Night with the Devil
  • Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2
  • Play Movie Trivia

Rock of Ages

2012, Musical, 1h 58m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Its exuberant silliness is almost enough to make up for its utter inconsequentiality, but Rock of Ages is ultimately too bland and overlong to justify its trip to the big screen. Read critic reviews

You might also like

Where to watch rock of ages.

Rent Rock of Ages on Prime Video, Vudu, or buy it on Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV.

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified..

AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

Theater box office or somewhere else

By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Rock of ages   photos.

The songs of Journey, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and other artists underscore a tale of big dreams in Hollywood. Soon after hopping off a bus from the Midwest, aspiring singer Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) immediately finds herself in trouble. Coming to her rescue is Drew (Diego Boneta), a bar-back at the legendary club the Bourbon Room. With stars in their eyes, the young lovers chase their dreams, but a misunderstanding involving rock god Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise) threatens to tear them apart.

Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Language|Some Heavy Drinking|Suggestive Dancing)

Genre: Musical

Original Language: English

Director: Adam Shankman

Producer: Matt Weaver , Scott Prisand , Carl Levin , Tobey Maguire , Garrett Grant , Jennifer Gibgot

Writer: Justin Theroux , Chris D'Arienzo , Allan Loeb

Release Date (Theaters): Jun 15, 2012  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 11, 2015

Box Office (Gross USA): $38.5M

Runtime: 1h 58m

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Co: Corner Store Entertainment

Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, SDDS, DTS

Cast & Crew

Julianne Hough

Sherrie Christian

Diego Boneta

Russell Brand

Paul Giamatti

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Patricia Whitmore

Malin Akerman

Constance Sack

Mary J. Blige

Bryan Cranston

Mike Whitmore

Alec Baldwin

Dennis Dupree

Stacee Jaxx

Mitch Miley

Erica Frene

Angelo Donato Valderrama

Adam Shankman

Justin Theroux

Screenwriter

Chris D'Arienzo

Matt Weaver

Scott Prisand

Tobey Maguire

Garrett Grant

Jennifer Gibgot

Toby Emmerich

Executive Producer

Richard Brener

Michael Disco

Samuel J. Brown

Hillary Butorac Weaver

Janet Billig Rich

Bojan Bazelli

Cinematographer

Production Design

News & Interviews for Rock of Ages

Critics Consensus: Rock of Ages Hits a Sour Note

Critic Reviews for Rock of Ages

Audience reviews for rock of ages.

The two protagonists are a little flat with little more to offer than their decent singing voices, but the rest of the star cast clearly has fun with their stereotype characters that are borderline parodies. The movie does have its heart at the right place, declaring rock music as the only genre that counts. The plot is pretty generic and does little more than lead from one song to the next. The songs are great, but would be preferable in their original versions. Still, as entertaining as a Greatest Hits album.

tom cruise musical rock of ages

A lot better than I expected, although I wish they would have cast someone (anyone!) other than Tom Cruise. Not believable in the slightest. Juliane Hough was pretty good. I normally don't like her as an actress, but this role suited her. I loved the 80's themes and even the crappy boy band. I didn't love all the hair metal band songs and I'm not big on musicals in general, but this one worked for the most part.

Adam Shankman's choice of music in <i>Rock of Ages</i> brings the noise, but not much else.</p><p>The story is predictable and the plot details are weak. It is a surprise that there is enough material to push this film to nearly 2 hours; then again, the musical pieces will help with that. A good portion of the story comes across as odd, and while that may have some entertainment value in itself, it isn't a film saver.</p><p>The song selection is solid, and there are a lot of musical numbers. In fact, there may be too many, almost as if there is more time spent singing than anything else. Mary J. Blige takes the crown for singing. Everyone else gets by.</p><p>Tom Cruise is an absolute show stealer, and while Diego Boneta and the stunning Julianne Hough are the heart of the story, they are inferior when compared to the power of Cruise.</p><p><i>Rock of Ages</i> is watchable; however, not watching it is also an option.</p>

If it wasn't for the admittedly solid performance of Tom Cruise as rock star god, I would have argued for the title to be 'Rock Bottom'.

Movie & TV guides

Play Daily Tomato Movie Trivia

Discover What to Watch

Rotten Tomatoes Podcasts

‘Rock of Ages’: What the Critics Think of Tom Cruise’s Musical Debut

Rex Reed, Manohla Dargis and other top reviewers tee off on Adam Shankman's adaptation of the Broadway hit

tom cruise musical rock of ages

America's top critics were none too eager to return to the era of hair bands and Reaganomics with "Rock of Ages." 

The new musical, which unfolds across the Sunset Strip circa 1987 and features Tom Cruise as a rock god in the Axl Rose mold, received its fair share of brutal reviews, earning a 42 percent "rotten" rating on the critics aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. 

Directed by "Hairspray"s' Adam Shankman, the big screen version of the Broadway show opens Friday. It centers on a group of rock 'n' roll stragglers, icons and aspirants as they band together to try to save a famous music club from being torn down. 

Many reviewers savaged the film's Poison- and Foreigner-laden soundtrack and flimsy plot, but a few treated Cruise's musical debut with kid gloves, praising the reedy voiced star for a good effort. 

TheWrap's Alonso Duralde accused the film of aimlessness, griping that the plot was an unappetizing mixture of “Burlesque” and “The Apple.”

tom cruise musical rock of ages

Also read:   'Rock of Ages': Here's What's Wrong With This Picture

He did offer modest praise for Cruise's performance as heavy metal singer Stacee Jaxx, saying he provided the film's "…only jolts of actual rock-and-roll danger." 

But Duralde's criticism amounted to a rave compared to Rex Reed's evisceration of the picture. The notoriously ornery New York Observer critic larded up on put-downs while labeling the film "…as entertaining as an iron lung."

"I haven't seen a movie this bad since 'Battlefield Earth' and 'Howard the Duck,'" Reed wrote. 

Also read:   When Tom Cruise's Baboon Ran Amok on 'Rock of Ages' Set (Exclusive)

The New York Times' sage Manohla Dargis also found herself in the "it's a dud" camp, calling the jukebox musical "junky" and "insipid"…and those were her gentler adjectives. Her major grievance was Shankman's timidity when it came to capturing rock's Dionysian pleasures. 

"There isn’t any grit to these people or their art, not a speck of dirt anywhere," Dargis wrote. "It looks like Disneyland and sounds, well, like a bad Broadway musical, with all the power belting and jazz-hand choreography that implies."

The Boston Globe's Ty Burr agreed that the film was silly and overlong, but felt that it was enjoyably cheesy. 

"Welcome to the new karaoke night: 'Rock of Ages' desecrates three grand traditions — Broadway musicals, movie musicals, and rock ’n’ roll — but you’ll still come out humming the tunes," Burr wrote. 

The Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan was much higher on the mash-up musical, calling it the "guiltiest of guilty pleasures" and praising its energy and slender ambitions. 

"Fun is definitely the byword here, manufactured by accomplished filmmaking all around, with a special nod to the costumes of Rita Ryack and Mia Michaels' choreography," Turan wrote. "Just like the song says, they built this city onrock 'n' roll, and that can't be bad."

Also head-banging along to the 80's throwback was Slate's Dana Stevens , who praised the plucky singing and dancing turns by the likes of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Paul Giamatti, and positively raved about Cruise's off-beat work. 

"Cruise’s portrait of the rock star as empty-eyed nihilist doesn’t really belong in this gaudy pop trinket of a movie—it’s both too outsized and too inward—but that’s precisely what makes for its fascination," Stevens wrote. "'Rock of Ages' is only recommended for audiences with a taste for highly processed cheese, but it did leave me hopeful that the next decade may see the rise of Weird Tom Cruise."

Watch CBS News

"Rock of Ages": Tom Cruise sings Bon Jovi in new trailer

By Jessica Derschowitz

April 4, 2012 / 11:25 AM EDT / CBS News

(CBS News) A new trailer for the rock musical "Rock of Ages" has arrived, and it has Tom Cruise showing off his pipes.

The actor, who plays rocker Stacee Jaxx, is shown singing Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" in front of a crowded arena at the end of this latest clip.

There are also glimpses of Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Julianne Hough, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige and a leather jacket-wearing monkey called "Hey, Man."

The Adam Shankman-directed film, filled with classic '80s rock songs, will arrive in theaters on June 15.

Tell us: What do you think of this new "Rock of Ages" trailer?

More from CBS News

Rock of Ages first listen: Can Tom Cruise actually sing?

Critics get a taste of the actor's take on Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" in the upcoming rock musical — and they aren't so sweet on it

  • Newsletter sign up Newsletter

Tom Cruise certainly pulls off the look of the '80s rockers he's fashioned after, but his vocals aren't as on point.

The audio: Tom Cruise is, apparently, "hot sticky sweet." But can he sing? Ever since the Mission: Impossible star was cast in the upcoming musical Rock of Ages , based on the jukebox Broadway show of the same name, critics wondered whether he had the vocal chops to pull off the role. In the film, out June 15, Cruise plays Stacee Jaxx, a bare-chested, chaps-wearing rocker in the mold of Poison's Bret Michaels, who is tasked with belting out rock and roll classics like "Paradise City" and "Wanted Dead or Alive." The first audio clip of the actor singing the Def Leppard track "Pour Some Sugar On Me" was released Tuesday. (Listen to it below.) Cruise claims that the hair band already gave his performance its stamp of approval .

The reaction: Cruise may look the part of the long-haired, tatted-up rocker in the preview images we've seen, says Mary Ouellette at Loudwire , but his vocals are too Broadway. He lacks Def Leppard's "imperfections and reckless abandon," and sounds "more like he's singing a showtune than a rock anthem." What vocals? says Billy Dukes at Ultimate Classic Rock . He's drowned out by the ramped-up background production. While Cruise's version will bring the classic track to a new audience, "it fails to separate itself form the original in any remarkable way." He sounds fine, says Katey Rich at Cinema Blend . Cruise "always seemed like one of those people who can do just about everything well." The true test, though, will be whether he can pull off those crazy '80s dance moves. Listen to Cruise's "Sugar" rendition:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox

A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com

Person solving crossword.

The Week's daily crossword

By The Week Staff Published 26 March 24

Sudoku puzzle

The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle

Sudoku puzzle

The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle

  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Advertise With Us

The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

IMAGES

  1. Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx in "Rock of Ages"

    tom cruise musical rock of ages

  2. Rock of Ages Pictures

    tom cruise musical rock of ages

  3. ROCK OF AGES Review

    tom cruise musical rock of ages

  4. Did Tom Cruise sing in rock of ages?

    tom cruise musical rock of ages

  5. Tom Cruise stars in the upcoming Musical

    tom cruise musical rock of ages

  6. Rock of Ages (2012) HD Official Trailer

    tom cruise musical rock of ages

VIDEO

  1. rock of ages tom cruise traduc fr

  2. Rock of Ages

  3. Rock Of Ages Paradise City

COMMENTS

  1. Rock of Ages (2012 film)

    Rock of Ages is a 2012 American jukebox musical comedy film directed by Adam Shankman and based on the rock jukebox Broadway musical Rock of Ages by Chris D'Arienzo. Starring Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta in his film debut leading an ensemble cast that includes Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Åkerman, Mary J. Blige, Bryan Cranston and Tom Cruise, the ...

  2. Rock of Ages (2012)

    Rock of Ages: Directed by Adam Shankman. With Julianne Hough, Dakota Sage Grant, Matt Sullivan, Diego Boneta. A small-town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.

  3. Review: 'Rock of Ages,' a Musical Starring Tom Cruise

    Directed by Adam Shankman. Comedy, Drama, Musical, Romance. R. 2h 3m. By Manohla Dargis. June 14, 2012. "Rock of Ages," a jukebox musical turned junky big-screen attraction about making it in ...

  4. Tom Cruise's Best Performance Was in His Worst Movie

    Tom Cruise shines in critically-panned Rock of Ages, stealing the show with his Stacee Jaxx role despite the movie's failure. His performance of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "I Want to Know What ...

  5. Dead Or Alive

    Movie: Rock Of AgesYear: 2012Song: Dead Or Alive by Jon Bon JoviCopy Rights: Warner Bros"One of My Favorite Songs and The Best of Jon Bon Jovi".

  6. Tom Cruise Talks about His Work in the Musical ROCK OF AGES

    Tom Cruise Talks about His Work in the Musical ROCK OF AGES. By Matt Goldberg. Published Nov 7, 2011. Tom Cruise talks about his decision to star in and how he prepared for Adam Shankman's Rock of ...

  7. Rock of Ages (musical)

    Rock of Ages is a jukebox musical built around classic rock songs from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of that decade. ... Tom Cruise plays Stacee Jaxx in the film. Shankman knew Cruise was in when he heard him during a voice lesson, confirming he "has a fantastic voice."

  8. Rock of Ages (2012)

    Tom Cruise, Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul Giamatti and Bryan Cranston join songstress sensation Mary J. Blige and Dancing with the ...

  9. Rock of Ages Director Adam Shankman on Tom Cruise Singing and ...

    As the director of the hair-band rock musical Rock of Ages, Adam Shankman has several story lines to juggle: There's the one where sweet rock naifs Sherrie (Julianne Hough) and Drew (Diego ...

  10. Review: Tom Cruise owns 'Rock of Ages'

    Tom Cruise stars in the musical film "Rock of Ages" Critic says he shines as Stacee Jaxx, "God of Rock" The film also stars Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Julianne Hough

  11. Rock of Ages

    New Line Cinema's film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical "Rock of Ages" has begun principal photography under the direction of Adam Shankman ("Hai...

  12. What Songs Does Tom Cruise Sing in Rock of Ages

    In the hair-metal musical Rock of Ages, Tom Cruise plays louche rock icon Stacee Jaxx and sings several songs with the help of a monkey and Auto-tune.But which classics of the genre will Cruise ...

  13. Rock of Ages Soundtrack (2012)

    Rock of Ages is a musical comedy film that features 26 songs from the 1980s rock scene. You can listen to the full soundtrack, including hits by Def Leppard, Journey, Poison and more, on WhatSong. Find out which song plays in which scene and how it fits the story of the rockers and dreamers in LA.

  14. Rock of Ages movie review & film summary (2012)

    "Rock of Ages," a rags-to-riches rock 'n' roll musical set mostly in a music club on Sunset Strip, wins no prizes for originality. A lot of it is zesty entertainment, with some energetic musical numbers; several big names (Tom Cruise, Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin) prove they can sing well enough to play the Strip if they lose the day job. The two leads are Diego Boneta, as a bartender in the ...

  15. Full Rock of Ages Trailer: Tom Cruise Is the Main Event

    The full trailer for jukebox musical Rock of Ages just debuted, and if the teaser was remarkably stingy with glimpses of Tom Cruise as a hair metal rock icon, this new preview is chock full of ...

  16. Rock of Ages (2012)

    Rock of Ages. Paradise City. Written by Steven Adler, Slash (as Saul Hudson), Duff McKagan (as Duff Rose McKagan), Axl Rose (as W. Axl Rose) and Izzy Stradlin. Performed by Tom Cruise. Sister Christian. Written by Kelly Keagy. Performed by Julianne Hough. Just Like Paradise. Written by David Lee Roth and Brett Tuggle.

  17. Rock of Ages

    Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx in "Rock of Ages." (L-R) Russell Brand as Lonny Barnett, Julianne Hough as Sherrie Christian, Diego Boneta as Drew Bolley and Alec Baldwin as Dennis Dupreee in "Rock of ...

  18. Rock Of Ages (Tom Cruise)

    Tom Cruise performing Pour Some Sugar On Me in the Rock Of Ages (movie)

  19. 'Rock of Ages': What the Critics Think of Tom Cruise's Musical Debut

    The new musical, which unfolds across the Sunset Strip circa 1987 and features Tom Cruise as a rock god in the Axl Rose mold, received its fair share of brutal reviews, earning a 42 percent ...

  20. "Rock of Ages": Tom Cruise sings Bon Jovi in new trailer

    Warner Bros. (CBS News) A new trailer for the rock musical "Rock of Ages" has arrived, and it has Tom Cruise showing off his pipes. The actor, who plays rocker Stacee Jaxx, is shown singing Bon ...

  21. Rock of Ages first listen: Can Tom Cruise actually sing?

    The audio: Tom Cruise is, apparently, "hot sticky sweet." But can he sing? Ever since the Mission: Impossible star was cast in the upcoming musical Rock of Ages, based on the jukebox Broadway show ...

  22. Tom Cruise

    With better sound quality

  23. Rock Of Ages [Wanted Dead Or Alive] Tom Cruise' 1080p HD

    A Scene From Rock Of Ages....In This Scene Tom Cruise Sings Wanted Dead Or Alive By Bon Jovi....Remember To Hit That LIKE button & SUBSCRIBE ...Thanks For Wa...