Christina Applegate Movie:

		List Price: $19.98		Label: 20th Century Fox Salesrank: 4318 Released: January 27, 2009
		Our Price: $6.60
		Used Price: $1.78
		MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: DVD

Editorial Review:
N this rockin mix of physical comedy heart and garage band/power rock/heavy metal music fish trades his paper company desk job for rock n roll fame taking on the rolse of a big sweaty out-of-control - and sometimes naked - drummer who gets a second chance at rock superstardom. Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 01/27/2009 Starring: Rainn Wilson Emma Stone Run time: 102 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Peter Cattaneo

Description of The Rocker - Born To Rock Special Edition [Digital Copy]:
Most star vehicles center on one individual, but The Rocker doubles as a showcase for singer Teddy Geiger and The Office's Rainn Wilson. After his band, Vesuvius, kicks him to the curb, Cleveland drummer Robert "Fish" Fishman (Wilson) spends the next 20 years working in a cubicle and mourning for what might’ve been, while Vesuvius (Will Arnett, Bradley Cooper, and Fred Armisen) goes on to fame, fortune, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After Fish loses his job, he moves in with his sister (Jane Lynch) and her husband (Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Garlin). As it turns out, Fish's nephew, Matt (21's Josh Gad), plays keyboards with guitarist Curtis (Geiger) and bassist Amelia (Superbad's Emma Stone). When Fish finds out that ADD needs a stickman to play the senior prom, he offers his services. After a bumpy start, their styles--hair metal and power-pop--start to gel, and they hit the road (SNL's Jason Sudeikis offers hilarious value as their hipster manager). During their first tour, Fish becomes an older brother figure to the fatherless Curtis and a potential love interest for his mother (Christina Applegate). Written by Maya Forbes (The Larry Sanders Show) and Wally Wolodarsky (The Simpsons) and directed by Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty), The Rocker doesn't break the mold for unlikely success stories--think Rock Star or School of Rock--but it's hard not to root for Wilson's sweet slob (and Geiger isn't bad either). --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Stills from The Rocker (Click for larger image)

The Rocker - Born To Rock Special Edition [Digital Copy] Reviews:
Wilson Was Born To Rock
2009-11-09 - Yes, drummers definitely march to the beat of their own drum (a fitting metaphor). By and large they're anti-authority, eccentric, immature partay animals; but a good drummer can hold a band together like super glue. And into this quirky realm enters Rainn Wilson as Robert Fishman (Fish)--the original drummer of legendary rock band Vesuvius, which summarily dumped him 20 years before as the band was entering its heyday. Fish has a grudge, he detests normal things like. . .working. . .and he never wants to grow up. So when his high school nephew (Josh Gad) appeals to Fish to bail out the nephew's band by playing the drums for the prom, Fish agrees, then readily gets bit by the rock 'n roll bug. Subsequently a sight gag (not pleasant to watch) gets on YouTube, the band (named ADD) gets a following, then a sleazy agent (Jason Sudeikis), then goes on tour--and THE ROCKER takes off as a vehicle for Wilson's irreverent antics.

With a predictable plot and ADD's maddening bubblegum music and lyrics, I still got a hoot watching Wilson dominate scene after scene. This guy really has a knack for physical comedy, and enough facial expressions to form his own area code. He's often over the top, but it's needed to offset his surprisingly stoic and composed fellow band members (Gad, Teddy Geiger, Emma Stone), and a traveling band mom (Christina Applegate is gorgeous). I really got a kick out of Will Arnett and Bradley Cooper playing self-absorbed, perpetually stoned, Vesuvius front men, and it's great to see Howard Hesseman still commanding a pulse. Yet this is Rainn Wilson's baby, and THE ROCKER is grand fun to watch because of it.
--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning

same old stuff
2009-08-16 - Jack Black wasn't very funny this time around... oops, I mean, haha. Jack Black isn't in this one. He's been replaced by some other guy that acts just LIKE him in every single (sometimes annoying) way.

Alright, you probably know what to expect- a bunch of teenagers (and one older man who's the main character) all get together to form a rock band. They start performing at high school proms, get famous, have amazingly insane adventures along the way, and.... that's the main problem with the movie. It was VERY predictable storyline-wise.

Everything that happens in real life to rock bands about how they start drinking heavily, doing drugs, getting chicks, and party the night away happens to the fictional band in this movie. It's nothing new- you KNOW exactly what to expect. It's been done before in other movies (such as that one Jack Black one about the guitar) and it's been done in real life thousands of times across the world.

At least some of the acting was decent, some of the jokes were pretty good, and the story was told nicely with a heavy focus on the fact that the oldest member of the band was 20 years older than the other band members (and how he got kicked out of his previous band 20 years before). Other than that I have nothing else to say about a movie you know by heart without even having to watch it.


"Rockstar" meets "School Of Rock"
2009-06-30 - The story is of a guy who 20 years ago was the drummer for a band that when finally discovered, the new manager made them dump the drummer, and they went on to huge success.
The drummer becomes bitter and a bum and becomes a loser for the next 20 years, and when his girlfriend leaves him, he goes to stay at his sisters place with her family for a while.
While there, his nefue has a band of his own, and there drummer can not make the prom performance they where set to play at, so in desperation they convince his uncle to play drums for them, and they begin to get some recognition and he starts living the dream of a rockstar he thought he was supposed to start living 20 years ago... a 40 year old man drumming for a bunch of 16 year olds.

Overall, it seemed like a combination of parts of Rock Star and School Of Rock with elements of other rock n roll movies in there.
The movie is watchable, but I would rank the other two movies I mentioned higher then this one. What would have made it better was a decent soundtrack, these songs this group put together just plain and simple suck because it's more alternative music then real rock n roll.

Living the Rock 'n' Roll Dream
2009-05-31 - The Rocker speaks to all those who want to live out their rock `n' roll dream of making it big, and playing in front of a huge crowd. At times you get a sense where the film is heading, and can predict some parts, especially towards the end, but it is a very engaging and light-hearted comedy about fame, loyalty, and, of course, rock. What was refreshing was that there wasn't an overabundance of profanity or crudeness in a film that could have easily gone that route; instead, the film's comedy relies more on great lines from its main character "Fish" and parody-like situations with the band. Comparisons between The Rocker and School of Rock seem to abound in the reviews, and Rainn Wilson seems to bring the same energy to this role as Jack Black did in School of Rock, but I thought this was the better of the two films.

The film's premise: After Vesuvius' show before a Cleveland crowd in 1986, the band decides to drop drummer Robert Fishman ("Fish") in hopes of their shot at big-time fame. Twenty years later, Fish is spurned by Vesuvius' popularity and fame as one of the greatest bands ever, and bitterly contemplates what could have been as he works in his cubicle while coworkers listen to Vesuvius. After being fired, Fish's nephew offers him a chance to play with them in a school prom, and Fish begins to realize that this might be his new-found chance at realizing his long lost dreams. His new band, A.D.D., begins to make waves in the music scene after sudden YouTube fame, and with their scumbag hipster agent (played by Saturday Night Live's Jason Sudeikis) they make their way up to the top and the eventual chance to play in front of a Cleveland crowd. However, there is a catch to this opportunity for Fish. He has a big dilemma: does he choose his pride, or loyalty?

Overall, this is quite an enjoyable and funny film. There are some laugh out loud scenes, and the casting for the various roles is fantastic. It is funny enough to be engaging, yet not too over the top to make one disgusted. Among other stars in the film are Christina Appelgate as one of the band member's moms and Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen as one of the members of Vesuvius. Rainn Wilson really brings an exceptional amount of humor to his role. Another great aspect of this comedy is that you seem to care, and root, for the main character along the way.

Great film!


DVD
2009-05-27 - This is such a fun movie that will keep you laughing. I'm glad I decided to give it a try.