Rock-A-Doodle

Release Date: April 3, 1992
Director: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Dan Kuenster
Story By: Don Bluth, John Pomeroy, David Steinburg, David Weiss, T.J. Kuenster, Gary Goldman
Screenplay By: David Weiss
Cast: Phil Harris, Glen Campbell, Eddie Deezen, Toby Scott Ganger, Christopher Plummer, Ellen Greene, Sorrell Booke

Following in the same footsteps and animation style as it’s predecesor’s The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, and An American Tale, Rock-A-Doodle took a stand against the animation conglomerate, Disney. With it’s catchy tunes, and slap-stick comedy, it’s an adventure that’s as kid friendly as it is entertaining.

Rock-A-Doodle opens on a small animated farm telling the story about Chanticleer – the farms’ rooster that they all believe helps wake the sun each day with his crow. When he is unable to crow, they farm shuns him for being a “fake” and he leaves, embarrassed and depressed. The animation suddenly opens to a small human boy being read a story in the midst of a tumultuous storm. The child believes that the storm is caused by Chanticleer not crowing the sun awake and the evil owl, Duke breaks into the house to turn him into an animated cat. Edmund, now in cat form, goes on his own adventure to discover the whereabouts of Chanticleer and restore peace to the farm.

Re-watching this story, nearly 20 years after I used to watch it constantly as a child, sure brought back a lot of childhood memories for me. I remember having a crush on the animated bird. While, I’m not sure what that says about my character, it does have to say something to the quality of the character development, if children can get that easily attached to them. Rock-A-Doodle is definitely a child’s movie, however. The slap-stick comedy, and simple themes are easily followed by the youngest of viewers, and there is very little to the film that is adult friendly, compared to modern day animated feature films. In all, the best part of this film for adults, is watching their kids laugh and enjoy this animated classic.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Part of YAM’s Unofficial Animation Week.

Jenna

Part-time student, full-time media whore, fan of all things Asian.

5 Responses

  1. amy says:

    I’ve watched this on VHS, LaserDisc… and computer file. LOL I grew up with the Latin American Spanish dub, though – so re-watching this in English was weird. I know the crowing song by heart xD OMG, that’s embarrassing.

    Also, a little bit of trivia. The Duke’s odd nephew is voiced by the same guy that did the voice of Killer in All Dog’s Go to Heaven.

  2. sally says:

    Charles Neilson Reilly, yap your right he was the voice of Killer in All Dogs Go To Heaven, But the one thing I like Rock-A-Doodle the most is Edmond the Cat if he wasn’t darn annoying or what should have been one of my favourite Don Bluth animal characters including Littlefoot and the gang from The Land Before Time and of course good ol’ Fievel from An American Tail, Edmond kinda reminds everyone of Banjo but that’s different. Well another cat (well sort of) in a Don Bluth … That kinda resembles Fievel getting his hat that once belonged to his dad and thought that once Edmond puts his shirt and hat on he looks a lot like Fievel.

  3. Sally says:

    Maybe you know what Amy, I kinda miss him too.

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