A pleasantly surprising music-based comedy

Rating: 7/10 (23 December 2008)

"The Rocker" concerns a musician who is unceremoniously dumped from his band just as they get their big break. He spends the next twenty years watching them rise to superstardom while he toils in tedious office work. At least, that is, until he joins his nephew's band and hits the road on his own quest for rock immortality.
The cast is decent but suggests that a low budget forced the film-makers to settle for cheap substitutes. Rainn Wilson is ideally suited to his role but besides him there's very little worth remarking on in terms of acting.
The story is hackneyed at times but overall it's pretty entertaining. The screenplay has some decent jokes but there are also a few misfires to go along with them. There's not much here that's truly clever or original but that doesn't mean that it isn't enjoyable.
The direction is up to par but not particularly notable in any way. The original music is fairly catchy and fits the fictional acts well. However, I'm sure that nobody watches a film like this to admire the technique.
All in all, I thought that "The Rocker" was an enjoyable ride, though only music, comedy & Riann Wilson fans need apply.