Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done

An animated feature designed by Ronald Searle and based on the plots, characters and songs of Gilbert and Sullivan. Those in love with G & S may find the narrative line stupid, the new lyrics silly, and the reggae accompaniment sedate (compared, that is, with the rollicking Black Mikado). Animation fans will no doubt moan that Melendez' movie is hardly animated at all - just a series of grandly designed backgrounds and characters who are jerked about like puppets. But those with a taste for Searle's ornately grotesque style will find much pleasure, both in the elaborate settings and in the hideous array of barmaids, whores, pirates, policemen, rear admirals, sisters, cousins and aunts (with not a well-formed human body among them).