A dream becomes reality. Why would you give up your dream?

Rating: 6/10 (1 June 2004)

Mark Whalberg plays Izzy the wannabe rock star who is the lead singer of his band. The band that seems to have a lot of skills, but no goals, besides to tribute Izzy's favorite band "Steel Dragon". He has amazing vocal talent, but for some unknown reason his only motivation as a musician is "Steel Dragon", and believes he isn't capable of doing his own material. A miracle graces Izzy's life as he takes over the lead vocalist in his ideal band "Steel Dragon"...Izzy's girlfriend/ manager in this film (Jenifer Aniston) comes along to follow her boyfriend in the outrageous and scandalous life style of a rock star. Things were going smoothly for Izzy and this movie, as Izzy is living his dream rocking out with "Steel Dragon", with millions of fans now idolizing him ironically as he once idolized the same band a few short years earlier. The movie is now a little over an hour in running time, what will be the conflict for the remaining part of this film? Surprise surprise, Jenifer Aniston (Izzy's girlfriend)decides she isn't cut for her job as Izzy's manager no longer, which also indicates her thoughts on her and Izzy's future. I found the whole second part of this movie predictable and stale. Izzy's girlfriend quits and returns home. Izzy at that time was having the time of his life, his dream became reality, now with his girlfriends departure he decides the Rock and Roll life wasn't meant for him after all, so he returns to his girlfriend and blah blah blah!! I saw the second half of this film coming a mile away, its done so excessively in the average B- movies...Now I ask this question to anyone who reads this if you had your dream handed to you like Izzy did, would you run with it...Or throw it away for any selfish and jealous woman (and beautiful of course) like he did? Their are millions of fish in the sea...Izzy only had one shot at his dream, and he gave it up. Not smart.
All in all this movie DID show promise and I particularly enjoyed the first half. I can relate to Whalberg's character because I am too a man with a dream. I just wish the movie would have focused on the dream for once rather then "boy meets girl","boy falls in love with girl" ,or maybe Hollywood should start showing the world some realistic endings after all for every single marriage there is a divorce. If the film could have steered in the opposite direction in its second half then it would have been much more enjoyable. My opinion of the movie is almost like the movie itself. It shows hope and ambition to be a memorable film as Izzy shows to be the lead singer of "Steel Dragon", but in the end the movie sells out and becomes forgettable and ordinary, as Izzy retires from his dream to pursue the so called "love of his life". Stellar performance by Whalberg. 5.5/ 10