Wednesday, March 4, 2020

ROCK MY WORLD (2002) * ½


Rock band Global Heresy is about to go on tour in Merry Olde England.  At their latest press conference, they announce they’ve hired a new bass player, played by Alicia Silverstone.  Peter O’Toole and Joan Plowright are stuffy aristocrats on the verge of bankruptcy who open their empty mansion to the band in exchange for some much-needed income.  They are so broke that they stoop to posing as the hired help and have to stand idly by while the band members rehearse, party, and generally cause a ruckus in their home.  Tensions rise when Silverstone abruptly quits, and the band has to continue on without her.

Directed by Sidney J. (Iron Eagle) Furie, Rock My World is an inane culture clash rock n’ roll comedy that doesn’t rock and isn’t funny.  It isn’t exactly dreadful; it’s just that there isn’t much of a movie here.  There isn’t really a plot, just a set-up, followed by a string of uninteresting complications (the band begins feuding, O’Toole’s niece stops by unannounced, etc.) parading around as subplots.  

Most of the humor revolves around O’Toole and Plowright getting pissy as the band makes a mess of their mansion.  None of it is especially funny either.  Whenever there is a lull in the dialogue (which is often), the band plays a song to pad out the running time.  The wimpy ‘90s rock they specialize in isn’t the worst you’ve ever heard, but it makes the music-heavy portions of the film a tough sit.

O’Toole and Plowright are old pros and get by on class alone.  That doesn’t disguise the fact that they deserve much better than this.  Silverstone, no stranger to rock after appearing in several Aerosmith music videos, does what she can, but even her pouty good looks while plucking a bass can’t save this turkey.

AKA:  Global Heresy.  AKA:  Band on the Run.  

No comments:

Post a Comment