The "Rock N' Roll High School Forever" for the 90s. (spoilers)

Rating: 7/10 (26 March 2005)

Though done with more of an absurdist comedy touch, this movie is nearly the same thing as the 1978 Ramones vehicle, "Rock N' Roll High School Forever," in which the garage punk ethic then (and here, straight glam rock n' roll) symbolized the teenagers true revolutionary spirit against rule-abiding, dogmatic adults. In "Rock n' Roll High School Forever," the revolt against "the system" was mostly characterized by a student-led war against an uptight, out-of-touch school principal. Here, it is basically any adult authority trying to keep a bunch of teen KIZZ fans from getting to a much-desired concert in town.
With structural similarities to the 1978 comedy, 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' (involving Beatles fanatics trying to nail tickets for the 1964 Ed Sullivan Show premiere of the Fab Four), "Detroit Rock City" is about four high school friends who basically have their own separate adventures and misadventures in the course of one desperate day, attempting to be there to see their favorite band of all time perform, fighting off relentless security guards, paranoid religious followers condemning rock music, gorilla bullies, and more. Put together, it's a great movie that offers a few laughs (especially if you can relate).