I love it when people do my job for me.

There are a lot of similarities between "The Rocker" and "School of Rock".  Both feature a physically unattractive comedian playing a rocker who has been cheated out of his dreams of rock stardom by his band mates.  He finds redemption by joining a band of much younger musicians and he teaches them the ways of Rock and of life.  "The Rocker" tries to cram in a lot more than "School of Rock" including two-and-a-half romantic subplots, record industry intrigue, and lots and lots of Rainn Wilson's pratfalls and playing up his flabby physique.  None of it resonates as well as "School of Rock" but the film does provide laughs, albeit cutesy laughs that jive with what the film thinks is rock.

But the film misunderstands rock.  Wilson's character, Robert "Fish" Fishman, is from an age of rock but he's more a parody than a paragon.  "School of Rock" has a lot of love for rock n' roll from its sound to its history to making the best music possible by understanding the genre's history and why rock, as opposed to any other genre of music, can best represent the musician's artistic intent.  And yes, there rock has a lifestyle but it's not just the lifestyle.  The music is the most important thing and Wilson's band, "A.D.D.", is not rock.  It's emo and it almost admits it when the lead singer Curtis (played by real-life musician Teddy Geiger) says that most of his songs are about not knowing his dad.   There's no rebellion in the music and there's barely any anger.  It's Clear Channel-approved rock-n-roll and it's the kind of music that serves as a grim reminder that rock is, at best, underground, and at worst, dead. 

But if "The Rocker" isn't about the music, it does try to be about the comedy.  A good portion of it is juvenile and Wilson, bless him, throws himself into every humiliation possible while still being lovable enough (barely) that we understand why his bandmates grow to respect him.  Thankfully, the film has a lot of strong assists from a deep bench of comic talent.  From Fish's first band played by Will Arnett, Fred Armisen, and Bradley Cooper to Jeff Garlin as Fish's supportive brother-in-law, and Jason Sudekis as a delightfully sleazy record exec, there's someone in every scene who is going to make you laugh.  Sadly, the jokes of a PG-13 movie are sometimes more raucous than the tunes. I wish "A.D.D." had a song as memorable as Rainn Wilson vomiting into his own hand and then stuffing the vomit in his pocket. 

I know it's tough to rock when we're told that bands like Nickelback and The Fray qualify (at least on iTunes) as "Rock".  But "School of Rock" proved that you can bring that rebellion, that fire, and that love of music to a new generation.  "The Rocker" confuses popularity and the lifestyle with Rock.  It's not about hits on YouTube for your viral video or a MySpace party or if you're in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or even how much you enjoy the popular videogame Rock Band (and I love me some Rock Band).  It's about the music.

(C )