Why so much hype?

Very disappointed :(

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

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.

Good points: Animation is interesting style, nice textures, fun obscure looking creatures. Good old 70's chilled Pink Floyd style guitar music. If you were high it would be memorising Bad points: Animation is not smooth and you can tell they minimised the work as much as possible. It has dated hugely! I don't know if the ideas and storyline were original in the 70's but it doesn't seem new or interesting now. It seems to be like a documentary in its narrative, very stilted with no emotional content. The ending was lacklustre, without adding spoilers I'd say it went from chaos to suddenly winning the revolution within a couple of minutes. In conclusion: If you have nostalgia, are high, like odd creatures, go ahead. If not, watch something else. If you fancy something similar, I prefer heavy metal or wizards myself, bit more entertaining to say the least

I was 12 when I first saw this UFO of a movie in Paris in a beautiful, vast old theatre with a chandelier in the middle of the room back in the early 80s. The blue humanoid alien on the poster had intrigued me and it had good ratings so I went in not having a clue what to expect, but I liked science-fiction in general so in I went on my own. Having recently watched it again, the fascination it exerted on me back then rushed back, only with more insights into the different possible levels of interpretation of the story. What I had only perceived at first as a very conventional tale of struggle between races for independence and power is also the start of more thoughts about other layers of interpretation, some maybe only in my imagination but still interesting to pursue in their own right, which is a lot more than your average Hollywood sci-fi big budget production can provoke.The extermination scenes with the big ball squashing humans like ants were very distressing for me as they echoed other, very ugly and real scenes from WWII I had seen before. The "can't we all get along" theme is the obvious first level of interpretation. Beyond this politically-correct view, there are other potential interpretations.The first level : Race. Enslaving inferior sentient beings is wrong and will come back to bite you in the ass when they get an education and organize themselves to fight.The second level : Politics. The superior blue aliens are the masters and humans the slaves. That they are considered in the movie mere pets or vermin is even more odious but serves to stir deep feelings and pure fear in the viewer ("what if aliens showed up tomorrow and treated us the same way?" - a few horror movies have used this theme to great effect). This class-struggle allegory is flagrant to me and is typical of the moral indignation that exploitation and injustice spark in anyone who has a conscience. Beyond this, the film shows that the only way out of oppression is education and fighting physically for independence and respect from the so-called 'superiors'. In this the message becomes universal but not very original. From both extremes comes the argument that it is a fight to the death, there can be no middle ground. Elimination of the enemy is the only way back to harmony and peace.The third level : Metaphysical. The supreme entities are blue aliens and, in this view, the humans are on a long quest through ever-deeper knowledge to rise up to be able to see how these creatures find their bliss and harmony (meditation/sex/dancing being the simplistic illustration of this). Of course humans want their share of this and to be their equal. This can be seen as the goal of our existence in this universe : to go to the fantastic planet and leave behind the pain and misery of the human condition. Or just maybe knocking on the door of the creator to get some answers.As one can see there is a lot to appreciate and matter for thought in this eerie, beautiful and graphically original movie. Roland Topor is a weirdo, but an interesting one. The simple animation does not detract from enjoying the story and one must learn to realise that perfection of form is not the most important in conveying a good story even if it does help.I prefer a clumsy but funny Gilliam animation to a perfect but predictable Disney one. Art does not need a reason to exist, sometimes it is just the artist pleasing himself, and we chuckle away with him at his nerve at showing us his bizarre personal visions. We must sometimes stop reasoning only in terms of function and enjoy what makes us human, not just efficient commercial-minded robots ("the focus group indicates maximum joy at this scene!" eeech.)This story is based on a french sci-fi novel called "Oms en série" by Stefan Wul. The music is good, typical of it's time and adds to the overall sense of watching something slightly odd from the 1970s. La Planète Sauvage is a work of art that deserves the highest praise and attention not only because it is eerily beautiful but also because it illustrates some of the most fascinating fears and hopes of humanity. Simple it may seem, but there is lot more to think about than the obvious struggle shown.

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.