I don't know why I keep seeing Bakshi films, but I do. Each time I see a great plot flattened out by Bakshi's style. This is no difference. There's grea potential here. Four generations culminate in a rock star. First is the immigrant who gets into show biz just to survive after he's orphaned. Next is his son who's a piano genius killed in WWII. Third there is the son who's a lyric genius, but can't play or sing, who leaves to find his destiny, gets caught up in self destructive drugs and eventually finds his son. This son combines all the previous talents into one, and becomes a star.
But the timing is all off. Either too much, or too little time is spent on each character. The movie is heavily, heavily weighted on the third generation and the life and times of the final generation, the star, the culmination, is squashed into a tiny segment at the end. The animation is uneven, good in some places, terrible in others.
What it comes down to is that Bakshi may have tried pioneering a type of animation, but at the same time, his lack of directorial ability doomed each project. This one is no different.
But the timing is all off. Either too much, or too little time is spent on each character. The movie is heavily, heavily weighted on the third generation and the life and times of the final generation, the star, the culmination, is squashed into a tiny segment at the end. The animation is uneven, good in some places, terrible in others.
What it comes down to is that Bakshi may have tried pioneering a type of animation, but at the same time, his lack of directorial ability doomed each project. This one is no different.