The Rocker

Before it falls prey to an expectedly (yet aggressively) melodramatic third act, The Rocker comes off as an agreeable, sporadically hilarious comedy that benefits substantially from the almost uniformly strong performances. Rainn Wilson stars as Robert “Fish” Fishman, an exuberant drummer whose life takes an unfortunate turn after he’s dumped by fellow musicians Lex (Will Arnett) Kerr (Fred Armisen), and Trash (Bradley Cooper) at the behest of a sinister record executive. Decades later, Fish’s nephew (Josh Gad’s Matt) offers the erstwhile rocker a spot within his fledgling band (alongside Teddy Geiger’s Curtis and Emma Stone’s Amelia) and it’s not long before Fish is once again on top of the world (albeit to a far lesser degree than his former bandmates). Screenwriters Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky have infused The Rocker with a consistently irreverent sensibility that’s reflected in Wilson’s unapologetically go-for-broke performance, as the actor effortlessly sheds his sociopathic Office persona to assume the guise of a hopelessly (and infectiously) exuberant musician (and while the remainder of the cast is quite good, Jason Sudeikis’s scene-stealing turn as a super-sleazy A&R rep proves to be an undeniable highlight). The almost episodic nature of The Rocker‘s midsection (ie Fish and his cronies find themselves embroiled in one wacky adventure after another) lends the proceedings an irresistibly lighthearted vibe that carries it through the majority of its running time, yet there’s little doubt that the movie’s momentum takes a serious hit following the introduction of several needlessly dramatic elements. The end result is an instantly forgettable endeavor that admittedly fares slightly better than the majority of its PG-13 comedic brethren, although, given the promise of the film’s early scenes, one can’t help but feel a fair amount of disappointment at the final half-hour’s hackneyed nature.

**1/2 out of ****