I listened to Motley Crue for years. I know all their songs and all the main parts of their history. I watched their gigs in full, I read Nikki Sixx' Heroin Diaries, listened to Vince Neil's solo stuff, as well as everything by Sixx AM.
This movie had been in the works for many years, then it was suddenly around the corner, at a time when I had listened to Crue songs so many times that they were not on my playlist anymore.
I knew the actor behind Vince Neil from The Punisher where he played a mentally disturbed soldier, nothing like Vince, so I didn't think he'd do well. I haven't watched a single episode of Game of Thrones but I knew the actor behind Mick Mars from Inhumans, so I had no idea what to expect from him.
Now that the above is out of the way, I can say that the movie did a great job at being true to the band's history and everything about Motley Crue. The looks of the band members were accurate and their personalities were recognizable. Even the small details like Nikki's Thunderbird at the band's practice, or Tommy's constant use of words like "babe" and "dude" were there as well. Mick's endless grumpiness was also perfectly displayed by the actor.
The movie was a total blast of joy from the start to about the middle of it. I'd rate it 9 or 10 for that. Then the pacing changed completely, as if it were from an absolutely different director. The turning point was the death of Razzle, which sadly felt disrespectful to the real person because of his brief appearance in the movie, making his death almost feel like nothing rather than the actual loss of a unique individual and musician whose life was taken by the actions a careless drunk. The following events weren't given enough attention either. It's like the people behind the movie excel at projecting the moods of fun and debauchery, but they fall short of projecting the weight of sadness or desperation, because the second part involved so much loss but it could not be felt - what we got then was a number of almost boring and uneventful scenes. The ending was great but extremely short.
Let me preface this by saying I'm a Crüe fan, since I think this movie is something completely different for newcomers.
I read the book only 6 years ago, though. It's hard to condense such a big meaty book into 107 minutes, so obviously I wanted to see much more (Tommy in jail, Mr. Udo, you name it). The good thing is that the movie didn't drag at all, it felt like 15 minutes. The kids' performances were great, with Machine Gun Kelly shining as Tommy and Iwan Rheon portraying Mick's grumpiness and wisdom to a T. I was let down with Douglas Booth's acting, though. He showcased only a lil bit of Nikki's charisma and stage prescence, and since Nikki is the "central character" in the band, the whole film suffered. Also, whoever played Ozzy was incredible, felt like the real him and not just an actor.
The use of music was amazing, each scene relating perfectly to a song. I even liked the modern cover version of "Live Wire".
Overall, it could have been a better film but it's not a dissappointment either.
...Just like eeeevery night, has its daaaa-ahhh-awwwn...Just like eeevery cowboy, sings his sad..sad song...yeah eeeeevvery musiciiiannn has a filmmmmmm...yeah it does
Whiskey, coke and bitchz. And coke off bitchz asses. Im really glad the wild 80’s rock band was represented without any deplorable 2019 woke influences. Probably explains the poor Rottentomatoes score, but for the genuine lover of film and 80’s rock, this is a hit!
Fans of the group will probably enjoy it more than non-fans like myself. Though even as a film, it could have better, with a clearer narrative and a shorter running time to maintain interest.
Not a favorite band of mine, but the movie is a fun ride.
I really thought this movie did a great job at telling the story that is Motley Crue. I remember when the car wreck happened, I remember when Nikki died and I remember how controversial they were. The 80's were a crazy time and this movie did a great job at representing those excesses. I would highly recommend it.
There's something about this film that if you grew up in the 70s/80s, were a fan of this band, had anything to do w/ this scene, and/or simply followed their ongoing antics in the news, it'll likely hit a sweet spot for you. The producers did a great job of getting the look and feel right and portraying these musicians as real people, instead of some enchanted version of them that many fans tend to project upon their idols. These were real people w/ real problems that caused a good deal of harm to a lot of people but ultimately found their footing and realized that while some things we do may hurt others, there are things that can happen to us that feel just as awful. Case in point, the death of Vince Neil's daughter, Skylar, was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before, even the death of his friend, Razzle. I think that the film handled this appropriately and showed that loss happens to us all, no matter how much money or fame is accrued.
Its a very good movie i like rock and this one of the best
The fucking Mötley Crue: sex, drugs and rock and roll.
thought the movie was great. the actors played the characters well and it looked like they had a blast doing it.
I don't know why a couple people rated it lower. maybe not rock fans. or just not the types that got into any shenanigans when they were younger. I'm sure none of us got into as much as they did, but hell, that's why you watch their story.
it didn't pull punches and certainly held true to their reputation. loved it
Oh My God look what the cat dragged in (oh wait, that was Poison)! Holy Jeebus, these guys were freaking maniacs! I was not much of a Crue fan (well, because Guns N Rose destroyed all that hair band nonsense) but after watching this film and listening to more of their music, I have much more respect for them as musicians.
Breaking the fourth wall in this film was a great move and personalized it more for me. These guys were out of control but you could still see the fun they were having during those major party days: brotherhood is the reoccurring theme. MGK as Tommy Lee! I didn't know until right before I started writing this review - huh!
At a 9, I obviously highly recommend!
I can't speak for the accuracy of the movie as I am not a fan of the band. My guess is, like most biopics, things are added, left out, and/or were exaggerated. Of course I know the basic facts because I am into hard'n heavy music, it was my time, and I played some music myself.
So I see this as what it is - a movie about a band that came out of nowhere and went all the way, in every way. The first half is the fast and fun part. I always smile at those stories, when a band is formed with the auditions and stuff. I've been in those situations a lot and it really is like that. So, this half of the movie is where I had lots of fun. Then it takes a complete turnaround when the ugly side of things shows up. And while it is important to show it, and it wasn't badly done, it almost came too fast. I think it was intentional to show how quickly things can turnaround but in reality it is more like a buildup that is difficult to portray in a movie. Those two half are like two sides of a coin. They belong together. But after the fun ride it was hard to connect emotionally even knowing it is based on facts.
All in all the movie was really entertaining with cool music (if you like that stuff of course). It reminded me a bit of Rock Star with Mark Wahlberg. The actors did well and (I guess) where cast as much because of their looks as anything else. One thing that never really comes across well in this movies - it is tough to fake being a musican. By that I mean you instantly recognize they are lip syncing and not really know how to play instruments. Or it's just me, having played, that is more critical.
Anyway, turn up the volume, lay back and enjoy.
Ramsey Bolton playing Marrs,awesome.
I love listening to Motley Crue's music, but even I went into this expecting that it would be bad. It was actually worse than I thought. The acting is probably the worst part of it all. It all felt like Lifetime channel quality. Like someone else mentioned, the pacing and tone of the movie completely changes in the second half of the film. The first half was at least decent, but the second half feels really rushed, and doesn't know how to properly capture the "sad" moments. It all doesn't transition well at all. Hopefully people don't avoid their music because of how bad this film is.
Sex, drugs and rock n roll man! Words to live by! Excessive, over the top, but who am I to criticize. The movie was entertaining with a great soundtrack. I think all the actors played their roles well. Im a fan and loved the movie, but even a non fan will like it.
Shout by J. Scott ElbleinBlockedParent2019-03-22T10:12:03Z
jeesh that was bad. felt like I was watching Spinal Tap 2. bad wigs, bad acting, bad story telling, poorly stitching it all together, you name it. and this is coming from a huge fan who grew up on the crue back in the day. I really hope the kids who didn't get to experience it all back then like I did don't watch this pile of crap and think this is really what it was like back then. the band was a million percent better and less cheesy than this "movie" makes them appear.