Review of Rock and Rule (Box Set)

Introduction

As if rock stars didn`t have a bad enough reputation for their hedonistic lifestyles and angry music in 1983, along comes Mok, the worlds biggest rock star and his attempt to open a portal between dimensions and unleash a monster from the netherworld on the Earth.

Jeez, fella - didn`t you get the memo? The last thing Mum, Dad and Tipper Gore need is proof that you lot actually are devil worshippers.

So there it is. That`s the story in a nut shell. Mok needs a voice, a very special voice, to unlock the key, which helps him open the door, which unleashes a beasty, who swallowed a fly, who lived in a shoe... yadda yadda yadda. The voice in question belongs to the lovely Angel, and after inviting her and her band to his creepy dwelling, Mok kidnaps the silken-voiced vixen like the filthy swine he is. So, It`s up to her motley band of fools to get her back, doing their heroic rescue bit to the strains of Lou Reed, Debbie Harry and Cheap Trick.



A Canadian production (in fact, the first feature length animation to hail from the land of mounties and frostbite), Rock & Rule took 3 years to complete. Eventually being picked up by distributor MGM/UA, where they demanded change after change, from the voice of the main protagonist, to the name of the film itself, it was more of less buried on it`s release in 1983. However, Rock & Rule would eventually find a home in the thriving home video and late-night cable TV markets. A firm favourite with kids sneaking up past their bedtime, it`s fondly remembered as a pseudo-cult classic. But has it stood the test of time? Is there anything here to interest now?

Video

Rock & Rule`s had a bit of an overhaul in the cosmetic department for this release. Presented on this DVD in Anamorphic Widescreen, the visuals are pretty good for what amounts to an erstwhile cartoon. It`s clearly been given a bit of a buff and polish, with little dirt or grain, and a step up in the intensity of the colours. If you remember Rock & Rule from VHS or Laserdisc, you`ll be quite surprised how the colour saturation has improved. Still, the animation is fairly crude. Crude in an adorable, charming sort of way.

Audio

RAWK AND ROOOOOOOOOLLLLL!

The original stereo track is here, but it`s also been beefed up for an optional Dolby Digital 5.1. The 5.1 is pretty smooth. Sound effects and ambience make good use of the rears. The Dolby 2.0 track isn`t to be snuffed at, either. If you choose to go non-surround, you`ll find a highly competent mix with clear channel separation.

Do you like Lou Reed, Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry or Earth Wind & Fire? Good. Despite the eclectic mix of talent, there`s something for everyone on the soundtrack. Probably. The incidental score is probably the highlight of the audio. A suitably eerie `sign `o the times` electro-synth music track, it`s brooding and foreboding. It`s also like 1983 jumped out of your TV and bit you on your butt. In the voice acting stakes, Don Francks as Mok, owner of a slightly androgynous, phlegmy and strangely familiar vox is the show stealer. He sounds so deliciously evil, you`ll want to spit at him. But don`t. Spitting spreads germs.

Features

Served up alongside the feature on disc one are:


Directors Commentary - Clive Smith delivers a whimsical, nostalgic yet technically informative talky track.

The Making of Rock & Rule - A 25 minute featurette, presumably filmed in conjunction with the film, judging by the hairstyles.

Character Sketch Gallery


And for your dining pleasure on disk two are:

The Devil & Daniel Mouse - a 25 minute short which served as the inspiration for Rock & Rule.

The Making of The Devil & Daniel Mouse - Tin. Says. Side of.

Title Workprint/Ending Workprint - a bizarre, yet frankly interesting bonus feature. You`ve been given the option, should you choose to, to watch the opening credits and the last 15 minutes in their original workprint form. That means you can roll the footage, pre-restoration, complete with dirt, smudges, scratches, and quite possibly all manner of bodily fluids. I don`t know where the original print has been, but if you ever go there, you might want to wear gloves. Fascinating stuff.

Restoration Comparisons - Select this bonus content, and the DVD will run a side-by-side comparison of the pre and post clean-up print.

Character Sketch Gallery - No `Guy Pearce in Memento-itis` here. There`s a gallery on both discs.

Conclusion

So, is there anything here to interest you now? Probably not. Time has not been kind to Rock & Rule. What might have been for you back then really isn`t for you now. Unless you want to shell out 15 quid in the name of rose-tinted nostalgia. The story is paper-thin stuff. It`s not hard to believe the linear notes that accompany the disc when they mention much of Rock & Rule was created without a working screenplay. Most of the characterisation is trite, cartoon formula stuff. It`s simply not one for grown-ups. But it`s not one for kids either. It`s far too dark and brooding for children, possibly the only thing that allows Rock & Rule to occupy the adult animation genre. Rock & Rule seems happy to straddle the middleground, so it`s no wonder it never found it`s commercial audience. Which is a shame. There are the workings of something here. Mok, the antagonist of the piece, is wonderful. Who knows why he wants a pus-oozing slime monster to crash the world`s party? And who cares? Like all the best villains, his motives are clear, but the reasons are clandestine. The setting - a post-apocalyptic world populated by the descendants of the only creatures to survive the nuke - domestic animals! Talk about original. And the choice of music is great. It`s simply not used to any great effect. A bit more work, and we could have has a real winner on our hands. As it is, it`s decidedly average; a Saturday morning cartoon with an earring and an attitude. `Apparently ` risqué on the surface, but really rather dull underneath.

You`ll be in familiar territory with Rock & Rule if you were regularly sonically assaulted by your brother`s CD collection while you tried to watch Thundercats or Jace after school. If you want to relive those memories though, try doing just that. Or go buy 1981`s Heavy Metal instead.