After the Musketeer, this was a breath of fresh air.

Rating: 6/10 (14 September 2001)

After seeing the Musketeer, it's difficult not to be too flattering to Rock Star. Afterall, Rock Star offered me everything the Musketeer didn't; entertainment. Mark Wahlberg's follow up to Planet of the Apes comes in the form of Rock Star, a story of self discovery set in the 80's world of drugs, sex and rock & roll. Wahlberg plays Chris Cole, the front man for a band dedicated to covering his favorite band "Steel Dragon". Cole repeatedly refers to his band as a "tribute" band, and spends all of his time matching the looks and sounds of Steel Dragon. Eventually all of his work pays off, as the lead singer of Steel Dragon leaves the group, and they are suddenly in need of a new front man. That is where Chris Cole comes in. Renamed Izzy, Cole steps in as the new lead for the real Steel Dragon. The movie goes on, and Cole is forced to choose between making his own music or making Steel Dragon music. He's also faced with the decision to be with a woman who loves him (Jennifer Aniston), or having a new girl in his hotel every night. In the end I don't need to tell you which choices he makes. While Rock Star is a fairly predictable movie, it is also very enjoyable. There were moments that felt like Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous", but you are never drawn deep enough into these characters to achieve the excellence of that movie. I also could have done without the nudity. I suppose it served it's purpose, but it somehow seemed out of place in a movie with this much heart. That being said, I laughed, and when the scene was set, I got a little emotional. Mark Wahlberg shows us all of the heart and feeling that he held back in "Planet of the Apes". He is a subtle actor, but he is very effective in this, as we see his battle to become his own man. Jennifer Aniston has star quality written all over her. If only she would let someone else choose the movies that she gets involved in. This is the first movie I can remember her in, that didn't suck. "She's the One" and "Picture Perfect" were not exactly star vehicles. In this movie we see the gifts that she has. She's like Julia Roberts in that when she starts to cry, you can't help but get welled up. Guys, you know what I'm talking about!!! She's beautiful, and you can't help but cheer for her to be treated right. Finally, I'm looking forward to picking up the soundtrack to this movie. For any youth of the 80's, there will be instant flashbacks to bands like Motley Crue, Poison and Warrant. Oh, those were good days. You haven't heard music until you've heard it from 5 guys with long hair and eyeliner. Steel Dragon had some strong tunes, I just wish that they had been a real band when I was growing up. The final song done by Chris Cole is also fantastic and worth the price of admission. This was a really enjoyable movie, just don't expect to carry it with you like "Almost Famous". Spend your $10, and enjoy.