Anyone going to see The Rocker, whose movie poster features a middle-aged, half-naked man, and expects to see a masterful film is sadly mistaken. Although it has been dubbed as a disappointment by critics, this summer movie serves its purpose as a hilarious, though somewhat stereotypical comedy.
Rainn Wilson of The Office plays the lead role: Robert “Fish” Fishman, a lazy bum who has been in a perpetual rut since he was kicked out of the 80s rock band, Vesuvius. Signs of Vesuvius, which became one of the biggest musical sensations since The Beatles, haunt him wherever he goes, and after being fired from his desk job, Fishman is left with no options but to live in his sister’s attic.
Meanwhile, A.D.D., his nephew’s high school garage band, needs a drummer to play at the prom. A.D.D. chooses Fish as a desperate last choice and, via You Tube, the band grows to reach national fame. They go on to battle somewhat clichéd obstacles to reach the top, all while attempting to maintain their small time roots.
Multiple sub-plots are featured throughout the movie; most prominent is the relationship between Curtis (the lead singer) whose father abandoned him at a young age, and Rainn Wilson, who acts as a kind of interim father. As for a theme, The Rocker is less about the power of music (a la School of Rock) than it is taking second chances and following a dream.
Though the movie may have a couple of big names such as Rainn Wilson and Christina Applegate as Curtis’s mom, the characters that shine the most are played by virtual unknowns. Emma Stone, Josh Gad, and Teddy Geiger, the three teenage band members of A.D.D., portray surprisingly realistic teenagers, complete with witty sarcasm and seemingly low self-esteem.
In particular, Teddy Geiger plays the most convincing character. Primarily a singer/songwriter of “For You I Will” fame, the only part he has ever played was Wayne on VH1’s short-lived series, Love Monkey.
Geiger is a major asset to the movie, making his film debut as the moody, artistic Curtis. He also carries the soundtrack, singing nine songs on the 12-track album. While the soundtrack is admittedly more pop than rock, the catchy tracks, such as “Tomorrow Never Comes,” are hard to resist.
The Rocker, though maybe not worth the inflated $10 price of movies, is the perfect rental choice. It will undoubtedly provide any viewer with 102 minutes of pure entertainment, causing unwilling laughter at its nonsensical comedy.
