The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
Rock of Ages
Comedy · Drama · Romance · 2012
A small town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip, while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.
Movie details
Rock of Ages
“Nothin' but a good time.”
2012 Comedy · Drama · Romance 2h 3m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.2 / 10
Community rating
A small town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip, while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Rock of Ages?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Coyote Ugly
Comedy · 2000
Graced with a velvet voice, 21-year-old Violet Sanford heads to New York to pursue her dream of becoming a songwriter only to find her aspirations sidelined by the accolades and notoriety she receives at her "day" job as a barmaid at Coyote Ugly. The "Coyotes" as they are affectionately called tantalize customers and the media alike with their outrageous antics, making Coyote Ugly the watering hole for guys on the prowl.
Home Again
Comedy · 2017
Life for a single mom in Los Angeles takes an unexpected turn when she allows three young guys to move in with her.
Bridget Jones's Baby
Drama · 2016
After breaking up, Bridget Jones' happily-ever-after hasn't quite gone according to plan. Fortysomething and single again, she decides to focus on her job and surround herself with old friends and new. For once, Bridget has everything completely under control. Then her love life takes a turn when she meets Jack. A week later, she runs into Mark before she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch - she's not sure of the identity of her baby's father - Mark or Jack.
Café Society
Comedy · 2016
The story of a young man who arrives in Hollywood during the 1930s hoping to work in the film industry, falls in love, and finds himself swept up in the vibrant café society that defined the spirit of the age.
Anchors Aweigh
Music · 1945
Two sailors on shore leave head out for four days of partying – only to become involved in the affairs of an aspiring singer and her precocious nephew.
California Suite
Comedy · 1978
The misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Endings, Beginnings
Romance · 2020
An artist dumps her longtime boyfriend, but her attempt to take a break from dating ends when she quickly finds herself in two passionate romances.
Empire Records
Comedy · 1995
The employees of an independent music store learn about each other as they try to stop the store from being absorbed by a large chain.
Licorice Pizza
Drama · 2021
The story of Gary Valentine and Alana Kane growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.
Young Adult
Comedy · 2011
A divorced writer from the Midwest returns to her hometown to reconnect with an old flame, who's now married with a family.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Adam Shankman
Written by
Justin Theroux · Chris D'Arienzo · Allan Loeb
Julianne Hough
Sherrie Christian
Diego Boneta
Drew Boley
Alec Baldwin
Dennis Dupree
Tom Cruise
Stacee Jaxx
Russell Brand
Lonny Barnett
Malin Akerman
Constance Sack
Paul Giamatti
Paul Gill
Court is in session
Put Rock of Ages on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.