Rock & Rule (1983)

 Rock & Rule (Dir: Clive A Smith, 1983). 

Rock & Rule is a futuristic, dystopian sci-fi rock musical from Canadian animation studio Nelvana.

On a post apocalypse planet Earth in which mutant rodents have displaced extinct humans as the dominant species, evil genius rock god Mok (voiced by Don Francks with singing by Lou Reed) plots to summon an inter-dimensional demon, presumably in pursuit of world dominance. In order to fulfill his maniacal plan he must engage the talents of Angel (Susan Roman with singing from Blondie's Deborah Harry), a young, ambitious singing mouse with the desired vocal frequency to open up a portal to the demon's domain. Kidnapping Angel and whisking her off to his lair in Nuke York, the pair are soon perused by Angel's fellow band members on a daring rescue mission. Yeah, I kinda lost the thread of the plot a couple of times, but what the hey? Hallucinogenics may help...  

In development since the late 1970s, Rock & Rule would fall foul of studio politics when a new regime at distribution company MGM/UA would lose faith in the movie, delaying its release and only granting it a limited theatrical run in 1983. Seemingly destined for obscurity, the feature would eventually gain cult status when made available on the burgeoning home video and cable TV markets. 

Back in the '80s, Nelvana were known for popular TV 'toons The Raccoons (1985-1992) and the Star Wars series Ewoks (1985-1986) and Droids (1985-1986). The studio's debut feature film, Rock & Rule shares a visual style with the period TV product, albeit a notch up in production values. The cast of humanoid creatures with animal faces recall the non-duck periphery characters of Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge comic book universe. This influence is particularly apparent in a trio of Beagle Boys-esq henchmen. 

Yet, while the sub-Disney character design may appeal to the kids, some mild swearing, drug taking and sexually suggestive humour that wouldn't seem out of place in Ralph Bakshi's x-rated animations Fritz the Cat (R Bakshi, 1972) and Heavy Traffic (R Bakshi, 1973) means it is largely unsuitable for young'uns. Seemingly aimed at teens who feel they have outgrown Disney but are a little too young for Bakshi, it would be fair to assume it caused some headaches among the MGM/UA marketing department; at least partially sealing its fate with regards to release.

An impressive array of recording artists was assembled to soundtrack the movie, with contributions from Deborah Harry, Cheap Trick, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Earth, Wind and Fire. While the music is good, it is perhaps less memorable than such an exemplary line-up would suggest. None of the songs particularly lingering in the memory after the end credits roll, and I would image that, by the time of the movie's eventual release in '83, much of it seemed outdated to its intended audience.

Still, there is an engaging weirdness to Rock & Rule which means it is never less than entertaining. With a visual aesthetic which veers uneasily between impressive and rough around the edges, it is no animated classic. But with a decent post-punk soundtrack and frankly bizarre plot, it easily earns its cult status. For grown-up kids weened on 1980s Saturday morning cartoons it has an undeniable nostalgic appeal; a genuine oddity that deserves to be watched at least once.