Comic 'Rocker' rocks the aged with fun and affection

I saw a press screening for "The Rocker" five weeks ago, and the best thing I remember about it was a scene where Rainn Wilson sticks his head through the sun roof of a speeding limousine and catches a bug in his teeth.

Sure, it sounds silly now, but at the time, the bug bit, complete with Wilson's reaction of utter shock and disgust, seemed hilarious. It was one of many extras added to spice up Peter Cattaneo's comic tale of rock 'n' roll redemption. And it worked.

"The Rocker" casts Wilson, the star of the hit TV series "The Office," as rock drummer Robert "Fish" Fishman. He becomes the Pete Best character in an up-and-coming band called Vesuvius, whose members (Will Arnett, Fred Armisen and Bradley Cooper) kick him to the curb to nail a lucrative recording contract for themselves.

Twenty years pass.

Vesuvius has become white-hot and is on the verge of being inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, Fish has been stuck in a series of dead-end jobs and subjected to bouts of Vesuvius rage when he hears about their good fortune.

He gets a second chance at his dream job when he's forced to move into his sister's (Jane Lynch) basement. His quietly awkward teen nephew Matt (Josh Gad) has a band performing at a high school prom, along with teen musicians Curtis (Teddy Geiger) and Lindsay Lohan clone Amelia (Emma Stone).

When their drummer bombs out, Matt reluctantly asks Uncle Fish to pick up the sticks. Then, in a series of events too improbable and silly to explain here, Fish's eccentric drumming style, complete with an all-nude session inadvertently broadcast on the Internet, lands his new band, ADD, a contract with a smarmy executive (Jason Sudeikis).

And wouldn't you know it, ADD stands a good chance to face off with Fish's old nemesis Vesuvius in the upcoming contest called "The Final Countdown."

Wilson is a comically gifted actor (look what he did at the beginning of "Juno"), but I doubt if a single review of "The Rocker" will miss comparing him and his character to Jack Black and his role in "School of Rock," and justly so. "School" may have been a superior film, yet "The Rocker" has its own appeal as a broad comedy that rejects cool cynicism for a surprising twist of good will and affection.

This happens mostly because of Kim (the always-fetching Christina Applegate), Matt's conveniently single hot mom and voice of adult authority. Unlike failed parents in many comedies this year (such as "Step Brothers"), these parents at least carefully consider letting their teens go on the road with Fish's 40-something burn-out before they say, "Yes, go right ahead."

"The Rocker" contains the same breezy you-can-do-anything sentiments as the daring "The Full Monty," another film directed by Cattaneo, who appears to be making naked men his cinematic calling card.

"The Rocker"

Rating: 3 stars

Starring: Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Teddy Gieger, Will Arnette, Jane Lynch

Directed by: Peter Cattaneo

Other: A 20th Century Fox release. Rated PG-13 for nudity, drug references, language. 102 minutes.