Rock & Rule (July 17/05)

Rock & Rule is loud, obnoxious, and interminable - and yet, the film has inexplicably picked up a cult following over the years. It's almost impossible to determine just what it is about Rock & Rule its fans have come to embrace, as it certainly can't be the subpar animation, mediocre voice acting, and utterly forgettable songs (which is actually pretty surprising, given that folks like Lou Reed, Debbie Harry, and Iggy Pop can be found on the film's soundtrack).

Rock & Rule's biggest problem is, hands down, the incoherent, almost nonsensical storyline. There doesn't seem to have been any effort on the part of the filmmakers to include even a kernel of plot, as the film generally plays out like a series of vignettes very loosely and tenuously strung together. Best as I can figure it, the movie has something to do with an evil overlord who kidnaps the lead singer of a post-apocalyptic band in order to summon some kind of a demon. Oh, and all the characters are animals with humanoid features.

Of course, it would've been fairly easy to overlook the fact that Rock & Rule isn't actually about anything had the filmmakers compensated with other elements (ie interesting characters, snappy dialogue, etc). But it's clear that director Clive A. Smith's sole interest lies in the film's look, which is unpleasant and underwhelming right from the get-go. Though the visuals are presumably meant to evoke a post-apocalyptic landscape, the oppressively dark and dank vibe becomes tiresome almost immediately - resulting in a movie that just doesn't work on any level.