Rock of Ages (2012)

Rock of Ages: Directed by Adam Shankman. With Julianne Hough, Dakota Sage Grant, Matthew Rush Sullivan, Diego Boneta. A small-town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.

“This is a very difficult movie to appreciate. Or it may be a very simple movie to appreciate, depending on who you are.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHave a look at the following movies, and if you see at least 1 that you really like from EACH category, then youu0026#39;ll probably enjoy u0026quot;Big Top Pee-Weeu0026quot;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCATEGORY A —————————-u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePee-weeu0026#39;s Big Adventureu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEdward Scissorhandsu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Fallu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLabyrinthu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCATEGORY B —————————-u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFree Willyu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eE.T.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnything by Walt Disneyu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Muppet Movieu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCategory A movies are fairy tales for adults. Category B movies are straightforward kidu0026#39;s movies. In order to appreciate u0026quot;Big Top Pee-weeu0026quot; you have to be ready for either. You have to expect some jokes u0026amp; gags that only adults will recognize (mildly sexual, cynical or taboo: such as the cranky old ladyu0026#39;s hilarious reference to bulimia), but overall the film takes the format of a kidu0026#39;s movie, with lots of cute animals, predictable slapstick and a cheerful approach, right down to the cheezy sing-song finale.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI think itu0026#39;s the latter–the category B u0026quot;kidu0026quot; content–that threw off a lot of fans. The original u0026quot;Pee-weeu0026quot; was an adult film packaged in a kidu0026#39;s presentation. But this is the opposite: a kidu0026#39;s film in adult clothing.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs such, the gags arenu0026#39;t as subtle u0026amp; witty as adult comedies usually are. Like a Saturday morning kids show, u0026quot;Big Top Pee-weeu0026quot; comes on strong with exaggerated and hyper-enthusiastic dialogue, overt sight gags u0026amp; corny action. This may turn off a lot of adults expecting the more biting, tongue-in-cheek comedy of the original Pee-wee.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAll the same, there are some classic comedic moments that adults u0026amp; kids alike will enjoy. The whole u0026quot;I just wanted a cheese sandwich!u0026quot; scene had me rolling. I also liked the 1st picnic with Winnie which could easily have been a deleted scene in the original Pee-wee. The creepy townsfolk in general, contrasted against Pee-weeu0026#39;s oblivious optimism, provided great entertainment. But be forewarned, these acidic gags are sparsely presented. Most of the film is straightforward silliness, suitable for kids u0026amp; young minds.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBeing a die-hard fan of the original film, and being a fan of adult fairy tales in general, I have a love-hate relationship with this movie and thatu0026#39;s why I canu0026#39;t rate it. But Iu0026#39;ve seen it 4 times if thatu0026#39;s any indication of how compelling it is. My gut says I shouldnu0026#39;t recommend it to everyone, but all the same, there will be a few of you out there who will really enjoy this flick. If youu0026#39;re a kid at heart, donu0026#39;t hesitate.”