Starting out as a cheesy re-hash of many a Broadway show, with small town girl Julianne Hough on a bus from her small Midwestern  town on her way to try to make the big time in L.A (complete with the whole bus singing “Sister Christian”),  the movie  morphs into a fun celebration of 80’s rock.  Not that you have to be a fan of the genre to roll along with the fun.

Tom Cruise shocks  even more  than he did in “Tropic Thunder”. He is completely  believable as an Axl Rose  rocker. Just in case you missed the reference to the Guns ‘N Roses lead,  Cruise sports two  gun tattoos on his ripped abs. He’s more than adequate  when it comes to his singing but what makes his performance mesmerizing  is his sexuality. He oozes  sex.   Cruise plays it straight , not campy and it works. Oh, and he shows off his bare  butt barely  30 seconds into his performance.

This isn’t a re-hash of the Broadway show.  Catherine Zeta-Jones’ character doesn’t even exist  in the Broadway version.  Her character is a not-too-subtle nod to the often forgotten Tipper Gore 80’s  campaign to  put warning labels on music dealing with sex or drugs. Yes- long before she was known  as the Second Lady, she was  the  lead spokesmouth for the Parents Music Resource Center.

The music is smartly  used, often mashing up  tunes, often  using  just a taste instead of the entire song.  Also so much fun: actors playing against type. Alec Baldwin is hilarious as an aging club owner .His  coming out moment with  Russell Brand is ridiculously wild. 

Paul Giamatti is priceless as the sleazy promoter with the obligatory  ponytail.  Malin Ackerman is perfect as  the buttoned-up reporter whose interview with  Cruise’s Stacee Jaxx ends in seduction.

Like the hair and fashion of the 80’s EVERYTHING in this film is over the top singalong fun.

3 stars