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Detroit Rock City
Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 20 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy
Written by: Carl V. Dupré
Directed by: Adam Rifkin
Release Date:
Theatrical: August 13, 1999
DVD: May 7, 2002
Running Time: 95 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R for strong language, drug use and sex-related content
Starring Edward Furlong, Giuseppe Andrews, James DeBello, Sam Huntington, Natasha Lyonne, Lin Shaye, Melanie Lynskey, and KISS
It's 1978, and four teenagers are determined to conquer any obstacles to join the ranks of the KISS Army at the big KISS concert.
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official KISS Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
While it's possible to have a great time with the movie without having any interest in Kiss, it should be noted that the band does make an appearance.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Paula Nechak
Truly raunchy but it's more sweetly stupid and silly than anything.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Steve Simels
A very sweet, very funny coming-of-age story, featuring Kiss as the Great White Whale of adolescence.
Read Full Review >Variety Dennis Harvey
It's crude, sexist, ear-splittingly loud and a helluva lotta fun for anyone suffering from past or present testosterone overload.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector
Unlike the many youth movies that can't overcome their makers' hindsight, this one may actually put you in an adolescent frame of mind.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
Detroit Rock City possesses three characteristics: an irreverent attitude, a high energy approach, and a loud soundtrack. While these qualities don't necessarily add up to a good movie, they keep the proceedings from becoming dull.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Gary Dauphin
There's an awful lot of rocking out going on in Detroit Rock City, but then rocking out is this occasionally clever but lifeless movie's reason for being.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
It's not a full-on go-for-broke love letter to rock 'n' roll or a broad, joyous spoof, but something stuck awkwardly in between.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen
The tuneful melodies of their favourite band grace the soundtrack, but let's not confuse this with a rock 'n' roll movie -- the music is just the blank canvas awaiting the higher art of the gross-out.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Ron Wells
If you love KISS, you'll probably see this movie anyway. If you don't, there's no point.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Desson Thomson
Well, it could have been good. But this goofy homage to Kiss fans gets dry mouth pretty fast.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten
A mildly diverting comedy but has little of real substance to recommend it.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
It's an utterly fake nostalgia piece -- stupid and pandering, a bad-boy teen flick that plays less like a loving look at the late '70s than a terrible movie from the late '70s.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Mark Caro
A rock 'n' roll film should be funny-crazy -- not just a big, dumb promo for some over-the-hill dudes in makeup who are trying to sell today's kids on yesterday's glory by championing deliquency.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Elvis Mitchell
The cast never has much chance to shine. And the main attraction is kept all too understandably under wraps.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
This aggressively stupid film is merely business as usual, a compendium of all the current obsessions and fixations that make so many of these films such unhappy experiences.
Read Full Review >New Times (L.A.) Robert Wilonsky
A turgid, unfunny, out-of-time rockspolitation movie.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin
Such a stupid, painfully obvious, gratingly unfunny dud that it's unlikely to please even the most gullible and easy-to-please members of the Kiss army.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 20 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Tyler A. gave it a10:
This movie is awesome! I am a massive KISS fan, I showed it to a few friends who weren't KISS fans and they found it pretty good. You could only really watch it again and again if you are a KISS fan! Its better than all those teen movies which is all about scoring before a social event or whatever. Its just a fun film about four teens trying to see THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD!
Erin gave it a10:
Dude. . screw the critics! This movie Rawks! Although I never really liked kiss before the movie I loved the movie, It also turned me on to 70's rock, My dad loves that kind of music! I LOVE THIS MOVIE!
Nathan B. gave it a 10:
Absolutely kick ass! I never stopped laughing and it had some sweet songs in it. 70's rock is the best.
Mike M. gave it a 10:
It rocks i got it on dvd and watch it all the time I LOVE KISS.
Andrea gave it a 10:
BEST MOVIE EVER!!! KISS THIS!!!
Kels M. gave it a 10:
this is a movie that incorperates all different aspects of a movie...there are about 4 different genres that you could categorize it into. I think the movie was seriously underrated, its fun, funny, and a good movie to rock to. There is some drama, fighting, and romance in it, but romance at the level of adolescents, so it's a little more realistic. I recommend this movie to those that are fans of kiss, teenagers, or young adults, and possibly middle aged adults if you have a sense of humor.
Cristina gave it a 10:
I voted this movie a 10 because I'm a BIG FAN of Kiss and Eddie Furlong, before this movie came out. Detroit Rock City is one of my favorite movies! (also)
