by Mark Welch

Jan 25, 2000

Here’s a perfect example of a film that might have been good with a final rewrite. Instead, it’s an uneven (though at times mindlessly enjoyable) mess. Four teens in the 70’s dream of seeing rock band Kiss live. So of course we get the obligatory seventies soundtrack and references, but they overdid it here. There’s TOO MUCH seventies memorabilia and the end result is that the film looks like a parody instead of a homage. The story loses all credibility when the teens split up in an endless quest for Kiss tickets. Pacing is sacrificed for feeble attempts at humor, and poor sitcom tactics are used to bring the film to conclusion. Kiss fans will be disappointed in the band’s participation (or lack thereof) in the movie. Even with all this, Detroit Rock City manages to remain watchable. I’m sure I’d like it less if I was not as attached to the era and the music.

10-point scale rating: 4