Rock & Rule

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The benefit of hindsight makes it easy to see why Rock & Rule got buried during its original release: too cute and restrained for the adult-animation set but too dark and edgy in its ideas for the kiddie set, the film manages to be only partially acceptable to either of the traditional audiences for animation in the early '80s. The same sense of hindsight also reveals why it became something of an underground favorite with the cult-movie set: Rock & Rule boasts a fantastic soundtrack, an often-stunning sense of futuristic design, and a novel combination of cel animation and computer graphics that is pleasing to the eye. The script is a bit disjointed at times (particularly the rather choppy first act), but the unique, eccentric nature of the film is likely to keep the viewer intrigued; it's constantly throwing an amusing gag, a catchy tune, or an eye-popping bit of design at the audience. When these elements click, Rock & Rule is also capable of producing some stunning set pieces that offer laughs and chills all at once; one of the most impressive is a mad dash through a downtown dance club as the heroes search for Angel amongst a crowd of bizarre revelers. Ultimately, Rock & Rule might be a little too odd in concept and storytelling style for a mass audience, but animation fans and cult-movie fanatics with a yen for music-themed features will definitely want to give it a look. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi

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