Hollywood giant Tom Cruise already has his proper noun downwardly as a legendary actor. His career has spanned iv decades, and in that time, he has spoiled us with some stellar performances and iconic characters. From the ass-kicking action hero Ethan Hunt to the outburst-decumbent studio executive Les Grossman, Cruise has understandably amassed a colossal corporeality of fans over the years. Now, he tin can be seen reprising another iconic role of Lt. Bohemian in the long-awaited Top Gun sequel. However, one of his best performances was actually in 1 of his virtually critically-panned movies. Not just that, it was also a rare box-office bomb for him.

The 2012 Adam Shankman film Rock of Ages , adapted from the Broadway musical, boasted an all-star cast that included Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul Giamatti, Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin, and Bryan Cranston. Despite the impressive names attached, it was met with a negative reception, even from the creators of the original Broadway show themselves. Baldwin was besides not a fan as it seems every bit he has since disowned the film and spoken of his regret of ever being involved.

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Cruise, all the same, was widely acclaimed for his small-scale, but memorable role with many like-minded he was the merely loftier point. He plays a boozed-upwards rock star lavishly named Stacee Jaxx, and he completely steals the moving-picture show despite non having a huge corporeality of screen time. He makes the accented most of every second though.

Though the motion picture may have bombed, Cruise has described his feel on it equally "a boom." His performance makes that very clear. He looks like he's having the fourth dimension of his life onstage, and he perfectly mimics the live performances of a rock band frontman in the 1980s. The way he pulls out audition members, points at his bandmates and bellows out the lyrics at the peak of his lungs is blithesome to behold. An undeniable highlight is his rendition of Def Leppard'southward "Pour Some Sugar on Me." This is one of the picture show'due south most energetic sequences, and information technology is all thanks to the fashion he carries himself throughout the song. Beginning with a crowd-interactive "Huh! Hey!" before flailing about the stage wildly and belting out some genuinely impressive vocals, Cruise channels Def Leppard'southward lead vocalist Joe Elliot to unleash a beast of a performance. Information technology is a real claiming to get through the scene without head-banging along with Cruise's infectious vitality.

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The flick teases Jaxx's advent for a while. His roaring vocals kick the pic off with Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City" and bated from a very brief appearance, he does not properly appear until 43 minutes in. When he finally comes into the picture, one of his first scenes sees him going on a long, senseless monologue most a "fire phoenix," much to the confusion of Baldwin. None of the other characters actually know how to act around Jaxx, aside from Giamatti who plays his long-suffering manager. The nearly-constant intoxication of Jaxx make him unpredictable, and there are moments where his personality shifts suddenly into sincerity.

Although it would exist a stretch to call Jaxx a well-adult character, the biggest insight we get into his life comes through Bon Jovi'south "Wanted Dead or Alive," which Jaxx sings to reply what it is actually like to be him. Cruise is effortlessly absurd as he walks with a swagger through the backstage area, and the lyrics to the song genuinely provide an interesting perspective on the real Stacee Jaxx. Every bit he swings from the ceiling and gets mauled past groupies, it is interesting to find the await of disinterest on his face. Notable lines such as "It's all the same, only the names volition alter" and "I drive all nighttime only to get back home" imply a more sensitive side to Jaxx, which the movie never fully uncovers. As soon as the song finishes though, Jaxx goes dorsum to his more typical scatterbrained behavior, but it does suggest it may all exist a front to protect the prototype he has congenital for himself.

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Image via Warner Bros.

As electrifying every bit Prowl is onstage, he is just as terrific when he performs Foreigner'south "I Want to Know What Love Is" every bit a duet with Malin Akerman. In a risqué rendition of the power carol, Cruise relaxes his rock vocals in favor of more tender vocals, only impresses every bit. Akerman — who is another bright spark in the movie —impresses also, and together they add humor to the song past providing it with just the right amount of raunchiness and ridiculousness. They both accept such great chemistry with each other besides, it is a shame that the pic brushes them aside too soon. There is really but a portion of the running time dedicated to Stacee Jaxx from around the 40-minute marking to the 75-infinitesimal marker. Other than this, he only makes sporadic appearances, and the flick suffers profoundly because of this. It is a lengthy movie at 136 minutes, and the absence of Jaxx in the second half actually brings it downward. No one else is able to come anywhere close to Prowl'due south level of enthusiasm and energy.

For the role, Cruise handpicks the more extreme sides of real-life rock stars Axl Rose and Steven Tyler, and information technology pays off wonderfully. Cruise'due south transformation into the rock god is seamless. He is virtually unrecognizable with his long, straightened brown hair, leather pants and large tattoos scattered over his muscular physique. True to the 1980s glam rock era, Jaxx is shirtless for practically all of his scenes as well. The movie wastes him hugely past having him completely fizzle out of the story. He does brand a return for the last performance, where nosotros are treated to him bellowing out a section of the Journey mega-hit "Don't Stop Believin'", just his presence is sorely missed, and his absence is also painfully obvious. In Cruise's long career, Stone of Ages does non hold a candle to a big chunk of his filmography, but he pours his heart and soul into his operation and makes the moving picture a whole lot more entertaining for it.