"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"

At the beginning, I absolutely loved the music, it was so catchy that you can dance all day! However, I think the animation and the storyline was a bit downhill. I thought the drawings of the women looked like they needed work. I have to say, not all drawings were that terrible but they needed to be spiced up pretty badly! I don't expect it 3-D as we have nowadays, at least the animators should draw better then that!The storyline was OK, it did make sense but after watching over 20 minutes of the movie, I just immediately got bored with it. I think the whole thing didn't make sense to me! I'm only giving this a 3 because I liked the funny images especially McDonald's on the moon at the beginning and the jazz music. That's all I have to say about watching this. ...

Veteran animation director Ralph Bakshi never quite found his footing in creating commercial art for the cinema--and although he has ambition and chutzpah, Bakshi doesn't have the touch for making his subjects engaging or embraceable (at least not by a wide movie-going public). One would think then that an animated, documentary-style journey back to the roots of popular music would be just the breakthrough Bakshi needed. Alas, this clichéd rendering--with melodramatic trimmings--is a big disappointment, with curiously stilted and awkward visuals and an embarrassingly bad score. Rags-to-riches 'plot' concerning a songwriter begins promisingly, however the script takes an early wrong turn into soap opera and the film never recovers. * from ****

Covering The Generations of The Reincarnations of an Ellis Island Family which has The Heart & The Desire to perform American Pop shows that where The System fails The Talent takes over with The Family producing a Family Line Man who finally must perform or become genetically extinct...The Final Family Line Member finances his STARDOM by "Coin Boxing" The Church which abused his FAITH...Watch as the orphan Poppy Sandals emerges...Hell Is For Children...Listen to a Sound Track which to some is too eclectic and for others is a note-book full of memories of what life really can be and what life should really be on an individual basis with one's own soul and creator...