By EWAN McDONALD
(Herald rating: * * * )
Yeah, right. A million-selling heavy metal band, fed up with its lead singer's erratic behaviour, fires him — and replaces him with an office supplies salesman who sings on Saturday nights in one of those pub tribute bands. Well, it happened when
Judas Priest sacked Rob Halford and brought in Tim "Ripper" Evans, and that's the story on which this movie is based.
Mark Wahlberg (right) plays Chris "Izzy" Coles, a Pittsburgh salesman who sings in the church choir, loves his mom, dad and girlfriend, Emily (Jennifer Aniston), and leads a tribute band, Blood Pollution. He idolises Steel Dragon and insists that his band do only their songs exactly as they perform them.
Eventually Izzy's becomes such a Steel Dragon bore that he's fired by his own band. In one of those coincidences that, as you've just read, don't only happen in the movies, the Steel Dragons are kicking out their lead singer, Bobby Beers. When the stadium band sees one of Izzy's tapes, they hire him.
Soon Izzy and Emily are joining Steel Dragon on tour ... errr ... Izzy and Emily? This is not the way rock'n'roll works. Emily is banned from the bus; she and the other wives and girlfriends trail in a stretch limo. The astrologer and drag queen travel on the bus.
Izzy has a great debut. He falls down a flight of stairs and goes over really well, singing while blood runs down his forehead. In his third rock-band movie (after Quadrophenia and Still Crazy) Timothy Spall is the crafty manager, who sees all, knows all, tolerates all unless it affects the box office.
Heavy metal? More lightweight entertainment. I know, it's only rock'n'roll, but you'll like it.
Rental video, DVD: Today
• DVD features: movie (106 min); commentary from director Stephen Herek; Rock Star: A Backstage Look At a Legend feature; Everclear Rock Star music video; trailer; filmographies.
