Heave Media Review: Rock of Ages

The definition of hair metal in Ages is rather loose, as Hall & Oates and Starship appear right alongside Def Leppard and Poison for this grandiose, big-budget jukebox musical that ultimately fails to catch either the spirit of the era or the giddy, subversive style of director Adam Shankman’s other recent movie musical, Hairspray. In large part, this is because Shankman wants to have his cake and eat it too in making a film that both lampoons its target era and demands that audiences get nostalgic for it.