As someone who travelled between the United States and Canada, with my parents, I remember seeing this and...not quite getting it. It wasn't the type of thing you saw on tv at the time...it had a lot of "adult" situations in it, at least for a kid. but then it stuck in my mind, I caught it again, taping it on vhs, and watched it over and over. great music. great sound overall. the voice casting is really well done.watching it again is interesting. it holds up,that sort of animation isn't done anymore and I still miss it sometimes. The simplicity of it.So watch with an open mind and enjoy, if for no other reason, it really stood out at the time, which is probably why it still has a solid fanbase.

For those who have never heard of this ugly looking animated feature, think if "Heavy Metal" (1981) was redrawn by furries on quaaludes and dubbed it like a kung-fu movie. Oh and the music sucks.Set in the far future long after humans have destroyed themselves, stray mutant dogs, cats and rats have taken over and created a dystopian society run on sub-par rock & roll. The most powerful man-thing in the world, Mok (Iggy Pop) has a plan to unleash an inter-dimensional being that would destroy everything in its path. Why? Because he's evil. The only hitch in his plan is a woman-mouse-cat type thing Angel (Deborah Harry), who possesses the voice needed to open the portal. Problem is she's got her own band fronted by her continuously aloof boyfriend Omar (Robin Zander). So he devises a clever plan pitting them against each other and...just kidding! No he actually just kidnaps her.Supposedly "Rock & Rule" was jolly-rogered by MGM's changing management and forced to rewrite and move things around. Apparently the studio was not excited about an animated project with constant casual and forced drug use, devil worship and sexuality. It's even more subversive when you consider all the characters look like Goofy and his extended family have taken over. Regardless I doubt this movie would have amounted to anything even if it had 100% studio support. The characters are dopey, the songs are boring and the animation is lazily cheap. The Omar character in particular is so incredibly unlikeable I found myself rooting for the bad guys.I doubt anyone watched "Rock & Rule" when they were little. If they did they have much bigger problems than film taste. But with a cult following thanks to late night HBO showcases and a surprisingly formidable 6.4 on IMDb out of a group of 1,426 voters, I'm starting to think people will make a cult out of anything.http://theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com/

Heavy Metal is one of my ALL time favorite movies. I was cruising the message boards on Heavy Metal and found a post that said "Rock and Rule vs Heavy Metal" I felt that I totally had to check this out. After watching it, i HAVE to say that this is an AMAZING movie.Though it does lack some, like for instance, the length of the movie was one of the things that made me kind of feeling disappointed, and the ending which I will not say. This is truly though a movie of Art.The animation is truly far greater than Heavy Metal, and this totally suites the status that Heavy Metal sure does. Anyways, enough comparing. MOK has to be one of the most frightening characters visually and audibly speaking.As well as the computer animation, completely art. You can find so much entity in this movie, be it evil and good. Particularly evil, because it in a way left me a little scared in parts. That is well done, especially if a PG rated cartoon can leave you a little frightened.HIGHLY recommended.

This is hands-down one of the greatest cartoons ever produced. I first saw it in the early/mid 80's on CBC TV here in Canada (and luckily caught it on videotape - I was a videophile even as a child of 10 or so). Everything about this movie is spot on - from the animation to the storyline to the music (especially the music - but I'll get to that). Created by Nelvana Studios (here in The Great White North - take that ya Yanks - tee hee), it follows the journey of four post-apocalyptic (more or less anyway - society as we know it ain't there anymore) demi-humans (see D&D manuals for an explanation of THAT terminology) in a band whose female lead is the key to a madman music star's plot to gain ultimate power through raising a world-ending demon. The animation is nearly Disney-worthy in full motion, and the are a number of beautifully rendered stills panned for effect throughout.The story is solid overall - not exactly Oscar material - but the concept holds up plausibly in the world in which it's set.The music is really the highlight of this feature. I don't want to down Heavy Metal 'cause that was a great piece of work as well - 'twas better in story though weaker in animation but the soundtrack is clearly the deciding factor betwixt the two if one had to decide (and isn't life all about decisions? ;-) From the opening theme throughout the various storyline performances and interludes right to the closing duet (featuring the likes of Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and Debbie Harry), this is a rock opera every bit as important as "The Wall" or "Tommy". Though obviously not exclusively by one artist as the aforementioned, the cohesion of the musical flow in this picture truly transports one into the oftentimes dark and ominous world of Ohmtown and Nuke York. The coalescence of pounding rock 'n roll, electronically-based 80's pop, and heartfelt balladry brings the themes and ideas behind the work home with force. A quality viewing for anyone who has an interest in the genre - not necessarily made for kids but not Anime-style in it's profanity or violence either - just a great preteen-plus animated movie overall.Gotta give this one 5 stars - though the nostalgia factor probably gives it an extra star or so, 'tis one of the finest features ever put to paper.PeaceThe Bob