Rock of Ages
Metascore
47 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 41 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 41
  3. Negative: 12 out of 41
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  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Amy Biancolli
    Jun 14, 2012
    75
    Doesn't require anyone to love metal, or even like it. It only requires us to laugh at it - and other exemplars of bloated '80s pop, from Starship to Journey - and it does so with a campy and attitudinous spirit that's hard to resist.
  2. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    Jun 14, 2012
    75
    As a means of non-participatory time travel and non-intellectual stimulation, it's successful. Toe-tapping and eye-rolling are equally forgivable. Rock on.
  3. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    Jun 14, 2012
    75
    The hugely enjoyable Rock of Ages is saved by its music, a tasty brew drawn from Def Leppard, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison and Whitesnake. It's near impossible not to rock along.
  4. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    Jun 13, 2012
    75
    The only problem is that the plot meanders when nobody is singing. If you're making the kind of movie where everybody in the audience knows for sure what's going to happen, it's best not to linger on the recycled bits.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    Jun 14, 2012
    70
    Blessed with unstoppable energy, an undeniably bawdy sense of fun and Tom Cruise in backless leather pants, it takes songs you may never have loved and turns them into a musical that's easy to enjoy.
  6. Movieline
    Reviewed by: Stephanie Zacharek
    Jun 14, 2012
    70
    Seeing Tom Cruise swathed in leather pants and fake tattoos, as Axl Rose-style metal god Stacee Jaxx, is supposedly Rock of Ages' big draw. But the movie is much more fun when he's not around.
  7. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    Jun 13, 2012
    70
    The thing runs more than two hours, but this is the sort of project that's indemnified against charges of excess.
  8. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    Jun 13, 2012
    70
    Rock of Ages is an effulgent celebration of fakeness. It isn't trying to be real; it's trying to be faker than any fake thing has ever been before.
  9. Boxoffice Magazine
    Reviewed by: Pete Hammond
    Jun 13, 2012
    70
    Blending a perfect brew of classic '80s songs, big laughs and rockin' performances, director Adam Shankman manages to make this film adaptation of the hit Broadway jukebox musical a red hot summer blast for people who grew up with glam metal - or just can't escape it on the radio.
  10. Tampa Bay Times
    Reviewed by: Steve Persall
    Jun 13, 2012
    67
    Rock of Ages is nothing but a good time and sometimes less, slogging through the knee-deep hoopla of 1980s nostalgia at a jukebox pace.
  11. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    Jun 14, 2012
    63
    A jukebox musical that's astonishingly cornball one minute, winkingly sardonic the next.
  12. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    Jun 14, 2012
    63
    When Rock of Ages remembers it's supposed to be a cartoon, it's a noisy, sweaty, giddy ball of fun. When it suddenly develops a conscience or tries to process a thought deeper than "I love rock 'n' roll," it trips over its own feet.
  13. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    Jun 14, 2012
    63
    The movie has its cheesy pleasures, and some of them are even intended. I'm just not sure whether Tom Cruise's impersonation of Axl Rose is one of them. 
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User Reviews

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User Score
5.7 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 16
  3. Negative: 6 out of 16
  1. bigfoot6463
    8
    First off, this movie can not be fairly rated. Let me explain why. If the critics were a group of people over 55 years old and under 30, they wont even get it. If you are viewers and over 55 and under 30, you wont get it either. You had to live the era. I'm 47 give or take a year. I lived it and give it a strong 8. If it would have been all original bands and singers it would be an 11, off the chart. I will admit you feel like a goof ball almost halfway through the movie for even still being there then, BAMB, it hit key points of my life and what that time period meant to me. There were only about 17 people at the midnite showing. 5 of them were dancing in the isles and happy even when the movie was over. Most all 17 people stayed even through the credits just to listen to the songs as the played out. As everyone left I found my self sitting there with a tear in my eye for my own personal reasons. Yeah it was made cheesy, that is how it was meant to be you bu** hole critics. You will love it or hate it. Depends on your life experiences. I guarantee your jaw will drop a few times and you will just have to see it to believe me. Viewers even clapped at the end of the movie which I haven't heard in awhile. If you are in your teens I even think you will like it. 55 and over dont vote so this movie can at least get a fair review. Your vote shouldn't count. To the rest of us, ROCK ON ! ! IT WILL NEVER DIE FOR US JUST LIKE OUR PARENTS MUSIC THEY LISTENED TO WILL NEVER DIE. Don't prejudge this movie… P.S. this movie has big actors in it and I think they just wanted to have some fun for a change. Most strangely you will see Tom Cruise like you never have before and he is a trip. I am not by any way shape or form putting down any of the cast because I feel they all really had fun with this one and all preformed great…… Full Review »
  2. SheriReho
    8
    Just came from seeing Rock of Ages with Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and many more. I have not seen the Broadway version, so I can't compare the movie to that, but I gotta say it was a HOOT. The music is rock and roll and largely from the 80s. I think that folks who are/have been into rock & roll and are between 40 and 65 now will get the biggest kick out of it. Not to say that folks younger and older than that won't, but I think that age range is the target audience. It reminds me of a mix of Rocky Horror PIcture Show (naughtiness and ridiculousness) and Footloose (joyfulness from music and dancing). So if you're going to go, don't expect to take it seriously, cuz it is ridiculous & funny.… Full Review »
  3. zendoa
    5
    It's hard to figure out what type of film they were trying to make here, but for those looking for a quick 411 on what to expect here's the bottom line: For the 21 and under crowd who enjoy such films as High School Musical and Hannah Montana - this might be right up your alley. For the over 21 crowd- if you're looking for a musical to see with your BFF, or GBF, or both and don't mind musicals geared more towards talented singing and less about story and plot then this will also fit the bill. However, if anyone was under the delusion that this would do for the late 80's/early 90's era, what Grease did for the 50's then to say that this was off the mark would be an understatement of legendary proportion. If anyone was hoping that the fantastic camera work, lighting, sound and locations coupled with nostalgic tunes would have the same impact as Moulin Rouge, but in a more modern period then once again- legendary understatement. Part of the problem is with what normally can be considered a Hollywood strength- continuity. The year that this story takes place may represent the beginning of the peak of Hair Band Rock N' Roll, but certainly not the transition out of it, which obviously came years later. The fact that a majority of the songs used for the film weren't even released yet in the time frame that the story is set. Also- it seemed like the story was Frankensteined together using a part of the plot from a modified Coyote Ugly- only the boy is more the focus. And although all of the people in the movie are likable, due to the films' immense ensemble cast it's not possible to relate to, or understand the nature of any character since we only spend a few minutes at a time with each. I should also point out that the story of the young female lead is unsuitable for young girls and gives a very poor impression of how to make difficult choices in life. Most upsetting of all is that for those of us that grew up in the era when Rock N' Roll was at its' peak, the portrayal of those we used to idolize, or quasi-worship and possibly even be, is beyond stereotypical and one dimensional and ultimately highly offensive. I for one was hoping for a movie that might bring back some great memories of a time and place when being irresponsible and naive were just a part of being acceptably ignorant and free. Back then, thanks to the lack of technology, private moments and stories easily became inside jokes and were almost always attached to a favorite song that later in life provokes nostalgia. I suppose overall I was simply confused. I didn't know what the film was trying to do, or say and it felt as if it was an entertaining movie solely for the sake of being entertaining as a musical. Kind of like a talent show routine, only longer. Despite all of this, I do believe that all of the cast did an exceptional job and the talented singing was absolutely the highlight. On par with Duets in terms of quality. I was refreshingly surprised at how great Tom Cruise's voice was- even though I never quite understood what his character's impediment was. Having spent several of my personal developmental years on the Sunset Strip I found most of the references and innuendo to be comforting and funny at times. I am not sure if this will be the same for anyone who hasn't grown up, or spent a substantial amount of time in L.A. As far as hilarity goes, I counted a total of 8 occasions when the audience laughed at situations in the film, but they were all very short lived. So this movie is not quite a comedy with a touch of wannabe romance that has shockingly little drama and definitely no action, but it is a musical by definition and therefore I split the difference and gave it an honest 5. If you want to see a real Rock N' Roll film with great music, a compelling story and real soul- go rent Almost Famous. I applaud the effort to bring a lighthearted movie with the intention of cheering up a somewhat depressed culture, but at the end of the day Rock of Ages simply lacks heart.… Full Review »
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