"American Pop" is a fantastic animation directed by Ralph Bakshi disclosing the American pop music in the Twentieth Century until 1980. The storyline follows four generations of a Russian Jewish family of refugees from the Russian Revolution that immigrate to America. Along the years, the boy Zalmie discovers life and love in night-clubs as performer and musician and becomes the patriarch of generations of musicians. The big picture of the American history is the background to present wonderful music, in blues, jazz, rock and roll, in one of the most beautiful soundtracks of the cinema history. My vote is ten.Title (Brazil): "American Pop"

This is amazing. I just watched it for the first time. One of the greatest films I have ever seen. Ralph, you are truly a genius. I love how you incorporate real life themes into animated films. A story about the American music scene more than captures my attention fully. As an artist I definitely understand everything the characters are going through and feeling. This movie is so damn good I seriously completely forgot about all of the problems in my own personal life I should be totally worrying about like bills and taxes! That's how you know it's a success! I still feel very lost in the story. Which is a good thing for me. Thank you for this amazing product!

Music lives on because it made by dreams from all kinds of people throughout generations. This is one of my favorite animated films that is underrated and forgotten. Ralph Bashi is one of my favorite animated directors of all time, because each of his films are always something different. He really shows you can do more with animation, push it to places never ventured but most importantly shows you can tell other kinds of stories with it.The animation I personally think is amazing and some of it I feel still holds up today. I love the use of rotoscoping which is an art that has became lost and I personally miss. It really gives most of the segments of the film a surreal quality but makes them more lively and go well with the music playing and characters in it. It's at times almost like watching a music video and this film was way before MTV (when it was actually cool) in the 80's came out so that's cool. I really love the movements of the characters, because they look natural they look like actually movement, when in most animation some movements look flighty or at super speed which I always found strange.And of course the great thing about the film is the music soundtrack which is one of the best darn soundtracks I've ever heard. It's almost like a greatest hits album because this just has so many songs I love.However this film I also feel is a great story. It's a story that is a tragedy but turns into a triumph.It all revolves around a Russian American family that came into the country looking for an opportuinty, a chance to be more than what they are but the tragedy was they never had a proper chance. Either by fate taking a bad turn or just bad choices which I felt the second but most of all third made.It's some pretty sad stuff, to me the saddest story was probably the third generation with Tony. It's true his character is a bit unlikeable but he's not unworthy of sympathy because he had a bad stepfather and I don't feel he's ever really gotten over the death of his own father which makes him an unhappy person. And that's part of what lead to the guy's downfall, he just never had much love in his life he could never really bring himself to find happiness even when it was staring straight at him. Like his success with this Doors or Janis Joplin like music group and even when he travels to Kansas he finds just this girl whom he falls in love with and this girl is just beautiful and persona to boot. But of course he blows it all because those wonderful things love and music just couldn't fill that hole he's had since childhood.As the generations come and go it's the music that truly lives on. I really love how in a way the music is sort of a character because it reflects their undying dreams not so much success in the music biz but really to do something more with it, have their music out their so they can live on though the music because even though human generations die, music lives forever. That's something I feel all of us can emphasize with because we all want to make our mark in life in some fashion as a form of immortality, to show that we existed, we mattered, we were here for a reason.The fourth and last generation whom is Pete is my favorite generation. Just the fact that it takes place in the 80's which of course was the decade I was born. Even though this segment isn't too long, doesn't really need to be. I just really like the Pete character from his persona, how he talks, but most of all just like the rest of his family his ambition. And what happens at the end is just a sweet sense of relief for me, you really after so much crap throughout the decades this guy it the one that truly deserves it.This film is a true celebration of music throughout the decades and the people that have helped create it. Without one style or even certain people throughout the decades, music never would of gotten to where we are now. For the human story if it has some message I feel it's don't let your dreams die, pursue them, attempt to succeed and treasure it.American Pop is an American Dream.Rating: 4 stars

What a genuinely interesting and touching film. The rotoscoped animation may not be everyone's cup of tea but it works just fine here. I honestly think it's use was a big plus as it gives this human story a human, life like quality.If this was done today it would be slopping over with re-do tunes by current pop nobodies to jam onto a "music from and inspired by" CD not to mention it would be poorly cast with Hollywood no talents.The casting here doesn't leave you straining to identify celebs, it just has good actors portraying good characters. You focus on the story of the family, which after all is the point.Underrated and very much worth your time.