The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

This film was all right the first time I saw it (bear in mind that I was 12 or 13 at the time and there weren't many films about punk rock). Since then I learned much more about "punk" and lost all respect for Malcolm McLaren and the like. His management of the New York Dolls was a disaster and he basically tried to incorporate what he learned (i.e. ripped off) from them into the Pistols. There's an amusing interview with Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers where Johnny is asked if he learned anything from Malcolm; Johnny laughs and says sarcastically. "How to be a nice gay gentleman..." Heh. The Sid Vicious bits are amusing and make this worth watching but that's about it; go watch The Filth and the Fury.

Malcom McLaren died two days ago. He was, basically, a legend in his own mind. This is not to put him down but to say that, like Howard Beale in "Network" or even Barack Obama in the White House, he was up against the BIG BOYS with money. On to the film......A "mocku, rocku, documentary" of the Sex Pistols, it's really up there with "This is Spinal Tap" and "The Rutles"....very enjoyable bullshit, though totally biased. McLaren's view of history and his part in it.Back in 1980 fans of the Pistols (like me) had very limited chances of seeing them and the archival footage here is great!! So is the animation but you do need the inside story to understand it. Younger viewers will not understand who Ronnie Biggs is or why "Belsen Was a Gas" is in such bad taste. Read some history before seeing.The songs are hot and director Julien Temple suffered under McLaren's ideas of what should be in the film. He did much better in "The Filth and the Fury" and for some more accurate views of the era, read "England's Dreaming" by Jon Savage and "Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs" by John Lydon.And for us die-hard fans, youTube has some amazing videos, including the final show at Winterland.

At the risk of making you spend more money, I suggest that before you watch this movie, you should read John Lydon's autobiography, 'Rotten'. It gives a good account of that era and once you have read a bit into the history behind the film, it will mean a whole lot more. That doesn't mean to say that it ceases to be weird. The opening sequences are just about the strangest twenty minutes of film that I have ever seen. There are moments of brilliance though. Particularly Sid Vicious shoving a cake in some french prostitute's face is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. I generally think that Sid Vicious was an idiot (well, he was) but in this film, he comes across as an almost like-able, possibly insane character. The film seems to have a storyline of sorts but it all becomes confused in a muddle of history, punk rock and random sex. Malcolm McLaren comes across as a self-centred egomaniac (as usual) and Steve Jones is interesting as the detective on his trail. The trip to Rio seems to confirm Lydon's doubts about the whole thing. It was just a gimmick and what IS the point in glorifying the deeds of a man who helped to steal what was basically working class money? The song was crap anyway. This is a bizarre film so approach with an open mind or you will switch off very quickly as I did first time round.

This movie is crucial for any fan of punk. With all of it's flaws, this movie is an amazing glimpse into what went on. This is the story of the Sex Pistols told by Malcolm McLaren. Does he have an agenda in this film? Yes. Is he completely honest? No. Is Johnny Rotten untalented? No. The proof is in the movie. There are auditions for a new singer after Johnny left that prove how good he was, because the singers aren't nearly as good. The band was merely a shadow of its former self without him. Rotten was a true original. This is the band that launched a thousand bands. Watch this movie along with The Filth and the Fury. Instead of choosing which is better, learn from both movies about what went on. Malcolm tells a story in this movie, but the clips of the band performing are priceless. In the Filth and the Fury, Johnny gets to tell his side. Watch them together and judge for yourself.