I can't see why anyone would be able to resist this movie's charm.

Rating: 7/10 (24 October 2013)

Fish (Rainn Wilson) got his heartbroken in 1986 by his band called Vesuvius. He was the lead drummer, and was told to be replaced by their agent. They originally refuse, but when they are told they will be opening for Whitesnake, the band betrays him, and manages to escape a vengeful attack from Fish. Fish's dream comes to an abrupt halt. Not only does Fish lose his job, because the people he works with love Vesuvius, but his girlfriend kicks him out of their house. Fish is forced to live with his Sister (Jane Lynch) When he learns about his nephew (Josh Gad) having a band, Fish gets another crack at living the dream, when his nephew's band very reluctantly gives him the lead drummer position. The band gets unusually noticed when a session on a web-cam leads to Fish practicing naked, and it gets a ton of You Tube Hits.
Okay. So it's not rocket science, it's not an Oscar winner, it's highly predictable, but damn. It's great entertainment. I really don't understand why movie fans have to be such sticklers at times. What did you honestly expect coming into this movie, a thought provoking film? It's set to entertain the masses, and it does that extremely well. What makes The Rocker work so well, is the energy and the cohesiveness of the cast. Every member of the band is really amiable, and I enjoyed embarking on their journey. This does have crude humor in it, provided by the hilarious Rainn Wilson. I laughed at a lot of it, and enjoyed the slapstick. The predictability didn't bother me one iota, because it was so well done. I had a general idea of how this movie was gonna end. I knew retribution for Fish would happen, but I still enjoyed the ride. Predictability isn't always a bad thing. The Rocker is a perfect example of that. Critics and movie fans alike tend to forget what is so vital to a movie's success. To me it's entertainment. If a movie is able to entertain, it's doing its job. It also has a very good message to it. It shows that you should never give up on your hopes and dreams, no matter how hard you have to work to ascend back to the top.
Rainn Wilson is a funny guy, plain and simple. It amazes me that unfunny people like Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler (These days he is, he used to be funny) and Kevin James make millions at the box office with their abhorrently awful movies, yet Rainn Wilson tends to go unnoticed, compared to them. His idiotic, yet likable character had me in stitches, especially the naked stuff that made him a hit on you tube. Josh Gad makes for an amiably, nerdy nephew, and I enjoyed his low key, but funny performance. Ted Geiger is a guy that females will love. He's got that leadership quality. Christina Applegate was just great as Geiger's Mom. She stole a lot of scenes, and I couldn't get enough of her. Emma Stone shows why she's become one of Hollywood's biggest female stars, with her girl next door persona. I loved her. Jason Sudeikis admittedly has a few funny lines here. He's not a favorite of mine, but I found him amusing here. Will Arnett & Bradley Cooper are fun as members of the arrogant Vesuvius. I doubt Bradley Cooper will talk about this movie very often in interviews, but he was fun. Jane Krakowski also has a role, and Jane Lynch is good as well
Final Thoughts: It's good entertainment. I think its rated way too low. I highly recommend it. It'll deliver plenty of laughs and smiles. Isn't that what counts?
7.8/10