Sex, drugs and rock n' roll

Seeing Mark "Marky Mark" Wahlberg wearing heavy eye make-up is somewhat disturbing. Despite this factor, "Rock Star" puts on a good show of the ups and downs of the rock and roll life.\nWahlberg plays Blood Pollution front man Chris Cole. Pollution is a Steel Dragon tribute band, and Cole dedicates his life to the music of the heavy metal kings. But Cole is a little too psychotic in his Steel Dragon devotion, and Blood Pollution boots him from frontman duties. \nThe next morning, Cole gets a call from Steel Dragon guitarist Kirk Cuddy (Dominic West) asking him to try out for the lead singer spot left vacant by Bobby Beers. Cole and his girlfriend Emily (Jennifer Aniston) fly to the audition where Steel Dragon immediately hires Cole.\nCole's first concert as Steel Dragon's lead singer is a success, and he rules the stage in the heavy metal fashion. He soaks the crowd with a hose while pretending to urinate, screams about blood and screeches like a girl. The life is good at first, but troubles between Cole and Emily start to brew. Drinking, drugs and women eventually propel Emily to leave Cole for the first time since their high school years, and Cole starts to question his stardom.\n"Rock Star" is the typical story you would expect going into the theater. A nobody makes it big, has fun (but too much fun), then starts to lose more than he had before success. But "Rock Star" is one giant heavy metal show, propelled by Steel Dragon. Dragon is a real band put together for the movie, with real rock stars. This is one reason why "Rock Star" succeeds. Dragon features Jason Bonham (son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham), Jeff Pilsen from Dokken and former Ozzy Osborne lead guitarist Zakk Wylde. Even Blood Pollution (the Steel Dragon cover band) is composed of real musicians: Blas Elias from Slaughter, Brian Vander Ark from the Verve Pipe and Stephan Jenkins from Third Eye Blind. (The last two were only good enough to play in the cover band). These musicians make the music scenes real, and even when they have to talk, you don't realize they aren't actors. \n"Rock Star" also touches on the spoiled party-life of heavy metal musicians. The band toys with fast cars, drugs, alcohol, orgies, groupies and naked girls -- all the epitome of sex, drugs and rock and roll. \nWahlberg will probably earn praise from some critics for his performance, but though he's made improvements, Marky Mark isn't the actor some people think he is. He just fits the parts he takes. Aniston and West both turn in good performances, as well as Timothy Spall, Dragon's manager. \nShows like VH1's "Behind the Music" have stirred an interest in Heavy Metal and Hair bands again. This movie will make a buck on that, and should. "Rock Star," as the cliched headline will read, does rock.