Well, seems I missed February completely - oh well. There was a lot going on.
So we'll just roll the intended theme right over to March. Which, in this case is - cool movie musicals (leaving out "Streets of Fire" since I already reviewed it).
Starting with Nelvana's first feature film - "Rock & Rule" - an animated post-apocalyptic rock musical from waaaay back in 1983 (although it was in development for a few years).
This one is a real piece of work - original songs by the artists listed on the poster above - Debbie Harry, Lou Reed, Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, and Earth, Wind and Fire - that's quite the lineup for any musical, much less an animated one by a no-name studio.
The story follows a small-time band (Omar, Angel, Dizzy and Stretch) hoping for their chance to make it big. A chance to meet the rock god Mok could prove to be their big break. If only they knew....seems Mok's come across an Armageddon Key - and with just the right voice - he could open a portal to another dimension - and it seems Angel's got the pipes for that voice.
While this movie is quite a lot of fun on the whole, it's really a bit of a mishmash. You can tell the makers were experimenting with a lot of different techniques - particularly given the long production times - and some of it works, some of it doesn't. The animation techniques themselves are really pretty tight (the commentary goes into some great details) - including a few very early CGI elements - but some of the characters look a little wooden (even if the designs themselves are pretty unique).
It also falls into some weird territory as far as content - the material is pretty dark (including song lyrics) for a kids movie - this ain't Disney - not to mention drug use and a few other elements. On the other hand, it's still fairly tame compared to something like Heavy Metal or some of the other cult animated flicks coming out around the same period. Aside from the music - which really does set it apart from most other animated flicks - it's harder to see how it would be marketed at a clear audience.
The characters themselves are a pretty interesting mix of ideas - the movie tells us right at the beginning that this is a post-apocalyptic pic - all the dogs, cats, rats, etc mutated after the war - and these characters are their descendents - accounting for the somewhat anthro appearances. Mok himself makes a pretty interesting mix between David Bowie, Iggy Pop and a doberman.
The songs are very well done overall though - and it's a real shame that there's never been an official soundtrack released (see below) - although a few of the tracks are available individually on different band releases - at least on itunes. Debbie Harry sings all of Angel's songs, while Cheap Trick rocks the songs for Omar and Angel's band. Lou Reed handles Mok's songs and Earth, Wind and Fire puts in a classy club song.
Basically, the Collectors Edition DVD I bought back in 2005 appears to be out of print (big surprise). This one was pretty cleaned up for something that came out 20 years earlier - with a LOT of extra features - including a short film "The Devil and Daniel Mouse" by the same team which had some inspiration for the feature itself. The DVD may still be the one available at netflix.
By all accounts the current blu-ray release has pretty much the same extra features with the bonus of some additional video restoration work. Probably the best version to check out if you're interested in this one.
Personally, I'd highly recommend checking this movie out if you're into rock musicals, animation, or any combination. Worth at least a rental.
And speaking of that soundtrack - check below - after the trailer.
Complete Soundtrack (static video won't post).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhEdAPRI5Z4
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