Brightlyme
i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.
SoftInloveRox
Horrible, fascist and poorly acted
Dynamixor
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Matylda Swan
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.
elicopperman
In 1973, French animator/filmmaker Rene Laloux released his film adaptation of the book Oms en série by Stefan Wul. While it did undergo a troublesome production due to the film being coproduced in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) during the time of Russia invading said country, the final product went on to win the Grand Prix special jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Nowadays, the film is regarded as a cult classic by film and animation aficionados alike, and while I don't regard it as a great film, I do admire it nonetheless.The film centers around the planet Ygam where humans, referred to as Oms, are an inferior species to the large blue android like Draags. However, one Om named Terr learns of the Draag's knowledge through a bracelet, and uses it to teach other Oms to rise up against the superior species. With this in mind, the film displays an allegorical message about taking other species for granted, but the story is carried through surrealism. The world of Ygam is harsh and cruel by how the Draag's treat the Oms as animals, some of whom dress them up in prissy attire and use them for fights once they're domesticated. Not to mention, the Draags learn their language through meditation, displaying psychedelic fantasies for all to question. In addition to the bizarre story, the animation is a visual splendor, mainly by how it looks like a series of moving illustrations. Throughout the planet of Ygam exist a variety of exotic creatures and dreamlike scenarios, complete with an avant-garde soundtrack. The character animation is pretty limited, but the unique visual style really helps the film stick out from any other, so it fits well enough in this environment. These surrealistic visuals help emulate the analogies alluding to the film's themes of fascism and war, mainly by showcasing the scary truth of the Draags and how they run their society.That being said, as much as I admire the film's method of visual storytelling, I do think the plot drags on in some points. Roughly half of the film is Terr growing up around his owner Draag named Tiwa, but up until he finally runs away from her, most of the scenes with them could have been edited out to add more momentum. Also, Terr and most of the other characters aren't really that memorable outside of their essential goals to trump the Draags, making them come off as two-dimensional. I know this film is meant to focus more on the allegories of racism and the trippy visuals, but a little more character development would be nice.Nevertheless, Fantastic Planet is a very distinct and worthwhile experience that you only see once in a blue moon. Sure, the characters aren't all that interesting and the plot can get a little slow sometimes, but the way the film tells its story of prejudice through bizarre animation and psychedelic ideologies makes the film quite a unique feature that is worthy of its cult status. If you're looking for an animated feature that embraces surrealism to get its themes across or you're into cult sci-fi films of the 1970s, then this is just the film to check out. Considering that this is one of the few animated features on the Criterion Collection, it's about time we got more of them on said collection to give underrated gems like this the attention they deserve.
lion_time
I first watched this movie without subtitles (I don't speak French) and simply listened to the soundtrack and watched the animation. A few months later I watched the movie with subtitles and followed the plot. I imagine some will find the plot interesting, and it's a cool story for those who like imaginative sci fi. However, I found that the soundtrack absolutely stole the show and commanded most of my attention. The arrangements are dense, dark and swirling. The animations compliment the music wonderfully and made for a hypnotic, contemplative experience. Check this movie out for the music, and maybe see if the story interests you.
acingst
This film is made by René Laloux who is French. This film's original name is "La Planète Sauvage". This film's genre is in science fiction. The original story is novel by Stephen Ur who is French. Place of this film is in any planet. There are Doragu group of the giants and Om group of the little people in the planet. Doragu group's appearance seems alien and has the ears looking like fish gills. Om group of the little people look like human. This planet has been dominated by the Doragu group. Om group is often at the mercy of the Doragu group. This film begins from the scene that a mother of Om group holding a baby escapes from a person of Doragu group. Then, the mother cannot live, however, her baby can alive. The baby is picked up by the children of Doragu group. And, he is brought up by her for her pet. This film is very ideological. If you watch the film, you maybe feel the fear. Because, in this movie is drawn stupidity of human beings too.
Donald F
Made in 1973, Fantastic Planet predates most mature animation. I think the only piece I've loved before this is Fantasia, three decades prior. But Fantastic Planet isn't just adult. Its also ambitious because of its surreal style. Fantastic Planet is one-of-a-kind, and freaking weird.We are in a sci-fi world. But nothing meets expectations. Humans are dominated by giant blue aliens, kept as pets. These Draags are more advanced than us, but their devices are strange, stuff that'd never be useful in real life. There's hardly a regular moment in the film. Funny clothing, strange customs, nefarious devices, disturbing flora and fauna. In terms of creativity, I believe this is #1.The other elements also compliment the style perfectly. The animation uses both traditional and stop-motion animation, giving the film a jerky pace. The soundtrack is pure 70s psychedelic. An appropriate tune for something impossible to fully comprehend. You get immersed in the experience.However, a fair warning - this movie is the epitome of style-over-substience. The characters are weak, and the message is ancillary at best. If the unusual style doesn't appeal to you, then move on. But for those who love the animated art, its something you need to see at least once.