Rock of Ages ***

The movie version of the Broadway musical "Rock of Ages," which follows the proverbial girl singer from a small town to Sunset Strip in the '80s, where she meets a city boy who has rock dreams of his own is fun, nicely staged, and populated by lots of great tunes from the era. Julianne Hough, yes the one from "Dancing with the Stars," brings looks and sparkle to the role of the girl, but Diego Boneta as the boy doesn't manage the same appeal.

Movie veterans Russel Brand and Alec Baldwin are hilarious as the club owners barely scraping by. Catherine Zeta-Jones hits all the right notes as the anti-rock crusader and wife of the philandering mayor. But it's Tom Cruise (in picture above) who really delivers the goods as wigged-out rocker Stacee Jaxx. Cruise buffed up for the role, took singing lessons, and held nothing back from this performance. It's as full-on and high-octane as his incredible take as Hollywood producer Les Grossman in "Tropic Thunder." Musicals are notoriously risky movies to make, but this one should do fine.