Even though it's weak in the final stages, Rock Star has more than enough sparkle to last you. That's chiefly thanks to Wahlberg, the main firework of this movie.
A genial look at what happens when a wannabe becomes a headliner, Rock Star only stumbles when it decides it has to deliver a lesson about What's Really Important.
Herek does capture the rush and crush of a stadium concert, and the music (more Leppard than Priest) isn't half bad -- in a disposable, arena-rock sort of way.
50
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Like the type of music it celebrates, Rock Star is just a lot of posing, adding up to very little.
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Rock Star roars to life with a promise of something inspired and inventive whenever Wahlberg leaps onstage. Offstage, however, even he can't breathe life into this same old song.
42
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
Somewhere along the way, Stephen Herek's Rock Star decided to become a dippy, cliche-ridden drama and, worse, an odd indictment of metal music. Joy.
38
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Rock Star neither touches a raw nerve nor garners any resonance as a period piece. You'd be better off renting "This is Spinal Tap."
30
Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
The music could have been better in this spineless drama, which has several angles but no perspective.