There are certain movies that you swear would not make it past their time in terms of aging, yet the shear fact that they exist alone is enough to warrant some attention. Such is the case with Nelvana's first feature film Rock & Rule, a trippy rock & roll fantasy musical that came and went due to the distributors MGM leaving it to die at the box office from poor promotion, hence why the studio had to make toy branded kiddy fodder to save themselves. Fortunately, the movie went on to gain cult status, mainly for its soundtrack by legends such as Cheap Trick, Blondie, Earth Wind & Fire, and more. But how does it stand in 2020?
The main storyline revolves around superstar Mok Swagger's malicious quest to unleash a demon at his next concert, thus manipulating an indie rock band's lead singer Angel to perform her beautiful voice as a beacon. What seems like your typical band breakup story has a surprisingly fascinating twist where the antagonist, Mok, desires the talents of a heavenly singer to reach immortality, thus making the otherwise predictable plot intriguing to say the least. In addition, the world building showcases a striking post-apocalyptic cityscape with grim pollution, dirty slums and humanoid animals. That gross reality contrasts beautifully with the surreal world of Mok, since his home-scape breathes with colorful albeit disturbing magic and out-there environments. Also, being a film made for an older audience, the humor can be both hysterical and sophomoric, like one can tell Ralph Bakshi might have been an influence on that tone. Needless to say, the film absolutely nails the imaginative and gut wrenching aesthetic of a broken-down world being haunted by a crazy rockstar's ego.
However, given that this film is intended as a character-driven narrative, the downside to that is the cast being rather hit or miss. The absolute worst of them all has to be the band leader Omar, who is way more unlikable than one might seem due to his selfish and careless behavior towards his own group and how useless he is of a hero. Angel also could have had potential being a strong confident woman, but she was sadly wasted on being a damsel in distress. At least the duo Dizzy and Stretch have a few laughs with their brainy and goofball personalities if nothing else. As for Mok, since he always knows how to get his way in putting on a show, his inner desires for immortality make him deliciously diabolical if not insane. By his side are his bumbling henchman Zip, Toad and Sleazy, whose slapstick banters and heartfelt moments do make them endearing in their own right, along with their party animal sister Cindy. When the ones on the antagonist's side leave more of an impact than any of the protagonists, that's when you should reconsider giving your leads more substance.
Even for their first fully animated feature, the crew at Nelvana really put their A game into the feature visually. Star animators like Frank Nissen, Anne-Marie Bardwell, Robin Budd, John Celestri and others executed the characters to move smoothly with extremely broad expressions and gestures, making the character acting highly believable, though some of their features look pretty grotesque. Because the characters are designed to resemble animal-like humans, they either look extremely cartoony or relatively realistic, and while the contrast isn't always the best, they are easy to tell apart based on who's more serious or comical. As mentioned before, Mok's bizarre albeit high-class mansion contrasts well between the run-down joints called Ohmtown and Nuke York, detailing luscious colors, early usage of computer graphics, and playful shot compositions. And yes, given that this film is heavily reliant on songs, there are several music video like moments, and that's where one can tell the team really had fun with the unlimited possibilities in experimental animation and early technology.
Speaking of music, the film's soundtrack could very well be the highlight of the feature. Like a lot of animated movies, the character's singing performances differ from their vocal performances, but heaven forbid they would have gotten anyone else besides Robin Zander, Debbie Harry, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop to do the songs justice. Some numbers like Angel's Song, My Name is Mok, and Pain & Suffering are performed by a certain character either expressing how they feel or by mainly carrying the narrative forward. Others like I'm the Man, Dance, Dance, Dance and Born to Raise Hell merely establish the mood for certain scenes, although they are entertaining to listen to on their own. In fact, one could argue that these songs would not be out of place on MTV as separate music videos, yet the way the filmmakers fit them into the narrative works well in presenting the hellish landscapes and inner emotions. Besides, at least the internet has gracefully restored the beats for us all to hear on our own free will, so it wouldn't hurt to pick those over the feature.
While Rock & Rule may suffer from a paper-thin plot, bland and downright deplorable protagonists and some questionable creative choices, it's still a unique experience thanks to the rocking soundtrack, admirable world-building, entertaining villain and stellar blend of both hand-drawn and computer animation. If you're a fan of retro bands and singers from the 80s or you're into weird animated films that would possibly never be made today, then this is just what the doctor ordered. Think of the show like an actual live performance: for every quality you don't like, you'll still get some memorable moments out of it.
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