Rock-A-Doodle

Half-Cocked

MGM: 1991

If you even remotely have some knowledge about the history of animation, then chances are you already know about Don Bluth. If not, here's the skinny. He worked as both an animator and later on an animation director for Disney back in the late 50's, working on some of the company's most beloved films like Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, and Robin Hood. in the late 70's, he left Disney to form his own animation company, Don Bluth Productions. The company created many of the greatest animated movies of the 80's like The Secret of Nimh, An American Tail, The land Before Time, and All Dogs go to heaven. The success of his movies is supposedly the reason for Disney stepping up their game in 89 starting with the Little Mermaid. For video game buffs, Bluth productions were also the creators of the movies in video game form Dragon's Lair, and Space Ace.

But despite all of the success the 80's brought, for some reason his movies became less successful, and even more critically panned. Disney, the company he had left, had come back stronger than ever. The only movie that was a financial and commercial success for Bluth productions was Anastasia. But before that, There were a few bumps in the road. A Troll in Central Park, The Pebble and the Penguin, Thumbelina, and this week's victim, Rock-A-Doodle.

So, what's wrong with this film? Is it really that bad a film, or is it Kentucky Fried Crap? Let's review this thing.



We start the movie with the rising sun... and then zooming at rapid speed into the mouth of our rocking rooster protagonist Chanticleer (Voiced by Glen Clampbell). Being a rooster, and an Elvis knockoff, his job on the farm is to wake up the sun with his singing. We also meet our narrator Patou (Voiced by the legendary Phil Harris) who's running gimmick is that he can't tie his shoes..... Eh, it was funnier when Spongebob couldn't tie his shoes. He's stupid, Patou's just senile. So, we get our first song, and see the wacky critters who live on the farm. Everyone loves Chanticleer, and his vocal talents. But that comes to an end, when before the sun is set to come up the next day, Chanticleer gets in a donnybrook with someone sent by our villain of the picture, the Grand Duke of Owls, to distract him. Because during his scuffle, the sun comes up, proving that Chanticleer's singing had jack to do with the sun coming up every day. And what do the loving, compassionate farm pals do? Laugh his ass out of town.



And abruptly, we cut to live action, as this whole scenario was a story being told to our young protagonist Edmond, who despite his mother telling the tale to him, doesn't seem to grasp the reasons as to why the Grand Duke would do such a thing.

Because he's a douche kid. The Grand Douche of Owls.

Bu just as the farm in the story is troubled with rain, so too is the real farm that Edmond lives at, as a flood threatens to destroy their house. Edmond wants to help, but since he's still likely to drown in an inch of water, his parents leave him at home while they deal with the oncoming flood. With the levee's breaking, and his family in peril, Edmond does the one thing he feels will save the farm.... Put on a Davey Crockett hat and yell for Chanticleer.

I'm really not liking having to deal with this kid for the next 80 or so minutes.



But his call for his hero instead leads to the arrival of the Grand Duke (Voiced by Christopher "Deserves better than this" Plummer), who in learning of Edmond's desire to bring back Chanticleer and his detestable rock and roll, decides that he's gonna eat the child. Well, not exactly as a child, as he spews Lucky Charms symbols out his mouth, and turns our hero into a kitten, and his room into the cartoon equivalent. But before he can eat the annoying child/cat, Patou comes to his aid (Somehow), and Edmond shines a flashlight on the Duke, sending him flying off like a popped balloon.




We learn that Patou wears shoes he can't tie due to his bunyons (eww), and Edmond learns that he's a furry. No, seriously, he actually says "I'm a furry". And it doesn't take long for his animal instincts to kick in as one of the mice on the farm (named Peepers) shows up, and Edmond tries to eat it. And from there the entire farm shows up in Edmond's room. He realizes that he's useless, and begins to whine about it. And oh goody, it's time for the standard annoying comedic pal of the film Snipes (voiced by Eddie Deezen, who's voice you might remember immediately as Mandark from Dexter's lab). The farm animals are also trying to find Chanticleer to apologize for treating him like crap. Edmond knows how to get to the city, but whines some more, until Peepers titillates the 6 year old child into going to the city. The trio (And that annoying as hell magpie), head off to the city as the rest of the animals stay in the flooded house to fend off any owls.



And from there we head to Owl Mountain as The Duke complains about the flashlight scenario to his cronies... through song of course. Not exactly what you'd call a pleasing to the ears song. Not Gottfried bad, but not exactly Edelweiss either. And because the heroes have an annoying bird sidekick, so too does the duke in his nephew Hunch (voiced by the greatest human being who ever lived CNR) who angers the duke with the nickname "Uncle Dookie".


"What's that smell?"

Our heroes continue to sail their toybox boat, only to deal with Hunch and some owl cronies who try to kill Edmond, before the farm friends use a camera to flash the owls away.


Hey owls, say cheese.

the gang end up in an aqueduct pipe(Or adequate pipe according to Hunch) Snipes continues to prove his worth by suffering from claustrophobia, and poking holes in the boat. But despite their near drowning, they make it to the city. Back at Owl manor, the Duke is doing something truely heinous... Baking a pie. Hunch returns to annoy the Duke with his nickname, and to tell them that he thinks he killed Edmond. But the Duke quickly realizes his nephew is dyslexic, and gets pissed realizing the kid's alive and in the city.

The gang still can't find Chanticleer, until they realize that Chanticleer has changed his name to The King. Time for another song this time with "The King". And I will say, despite this movie and it's pretty dumb plot, Glen Campbell's singing in this film is excellent. He tries to capture that Elvis feel, and succeeds just enough to pass. And we also meet the love interest/jealous of the king's fame Goldie, as well as the sleazy Colonel Parker known as Pinky. We also get a rather jaunty song for the bouncers. Not necessary, but thanks. Back to the farm, as the animals are running out of flashlight power, and the Duke is ready to feast. And of course he's ready in song form. From there the Duke calls Pinky about the farm friends (While doing some embroidering. For someone concerned with Edmond and his cohorts, he sure has a lot of free time on his hands). So to keep the gang away from the king, they ban all mice, cats, birds and dogs from the building. So everyone goes inside wearing penguin suits.



Another song from The King, which is followed by Goldie, who is forced by Pink to seduce the King so he forgets about the farm. Though she ends up falling in love with him.

Face it, girls love big cocks.


I apologize.




So, with the King too lovesick to listen, our heroes try to talk to Goldie. Needless to say, it don't go over too well. The gang end up being captured and sent to the Duke. At least until Hunch shows up to screw it all up, and accidentally help them escape. Meanwhile, Goldie fesses up to Chanticleer, which pisses off Pinky. The duo escape, not before being chased by Pinky's goons. They meet up with the farm gang, not before Patou hits him with a frying pan, knocking him out. They try to escape in a pink Corvette, as Edmond's wussiness ends up getting Peepers nearly killed. After an odd little trip into Edmond's brain, he finally mans up. They try to go back and save her, only to realise that she stole Pinky's plane.

Peepers is officially the only useful character in this film. Annoying as hell, but useful.




Back to the farm, as the flashlight is out of power at last, and the animals are screwed. The owls are ready to feast... Not before singing first. But before the feasting festivities begin, Edmond and the gang show up. However, there's still one problem. Chanticleer's still in concussion mode from the pan to the cranium. That, and Hunch returns to send the plane crashing to the ground. Wow, he actually did something useful. Chanticleer finally wakes up, and learns he has to crow to wake up the sun. Though he's still having doubts due to the whole incident before, and can't crow. The Duke, elated by this, rubs it in. Edmond tries to get the crowd to cheer for Chanticleer, but gets strangled by the Duke's lucky charms breath. The actions of murder cause the crowd to cheer, which pisses off the Duke to the point of causing a giant tornado. Chanticleer eventually finds the power to crow, and the sun returns. This causes the duke to shrink tinier than a mouse for some odd reason. the rain stops, the flowers return....


And Edmond is still dead.



Of course he isn't. the power of the sun somehow turns him back into a live action child. He wakes up back in his room like the whole situation was all a dream. His mother believes her son is a lunatic for believing in a storybook, and leaves her son in his room. However, it was never a dream, as through the power of the storybook (Really?) Edmond returns on the farm in very poorly green screen glory as the movie finally comes to an end.

And that's Rock-A-Doodle. While the music from Glen Campbell is pretty good, and the animation is decent, the color feels really dull for a movie from 91. The plot isn't exactly great, and none of the characters are really interesting (Save for Peepers, the only useful annoying character). While not the worst of the 90's Bluth films, It's far from a classic.

That ends the rather short list of March inductions, but there's definitely some good things planned for April. Including one induction that's been long awaited. Let's just say this one planned is going to be a Mega Painicus Maximus.