Fantastic Planet
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Movie Reviews of Fantastic Planet
Movie Review: Great Film, Good DVD edition - finally with optional subtitles!
Summary: 4 Stars
I am very relieved to say that this new DVD edition allows you to TURN OFF the English subtitles, something that you could not do in the previous DVD. This is one of the very few foreign films I prefer to watch with the dubbed English track (probably because I grew up seeing that way on cable in the 80s). The previous DVD forced you to watch the English subtitles, even with the English language track. The titles and the dubbing did not match, so it was distracting to the point that I could not stand to watch the movie.
The transfer is in anamorphic widescreen (not full screen as in the Amazon description) and looks good, though the print used was not cleaned of nicks and dirt. The sound is monophonic, but clean and about what you would expect for the early 70s. My only complaint is that I had some trouble with the programming on my disc. I had trouble accessing the menu at some times.
I have not yet watched the special features but they include an interview with Rene Laloux, a trailer, a short film (Les Escargots), a music video and a photo gallery. I would like to have seen something more comprehensive, but I am just glad to have a watchable version of the film.
As for the film itself, there is nothing else quite like it.
Movie Review: In a word: strange.
Summary: 3 Stars
But you know what? I kind of like it that way. This animated movie almost touches on being more of a concept piece than science fiction as far as execution is concerned. Fantastic Planet is definitely not for your average sci-fi fan, but it is a very unique experience.
The animation for Fantastic Planet is drawn in a rough yet artistic way. It reminds me of the animation done in the classic Pink Floyd videos. Not exactly something the frame rate maniacs out there would enjoy. The animation does look choppy but considering this was done in 1971 I can forgive that. I can also forgive the animation because the art form in which the movie is done affords a low frame rate. You will be hard pressed to find science fiction content like this in a cartoon in those days.
The planet this movie is done in is just a freaky as those Pink Floyd videos I was talking about. The clothing, plants, creatures, all of it is like looking at a surreal painting done by some French expressionist. I don't mean they are rendered in a strange way. I just mean the things themselves are strange. In a way it adds to the mood of the animation and music (also very Pink Floyd-esque). All this moodiness and artistic content is also a two edged sword. The movie tends to drag in places and there are few scenes that just seem to indulge in the strangeness of it all. The plot itself is solid enough if not totally original. It's just the execution tends to drag at times.
Now there's something you should know in case you're thinking that since this is a cartoon it's appropriate for kids. That may not be the case. There are a fair amount of scenes with partial nudity and a fair amount of violence in it too. Just giving you fair warning.
Bottom line is if you can get into conceptual movies or science fiction that is more avante garde artistic than mainstream then you will find Fantastic Planet interesting. If you only like cutting edge animation then it's likely you won't get into this movie. A fair amount of you might just finish the movie scratching your heads so keep that in mind.
Movie Review: Best DVD version, but low bit rate transfer can cause issues.
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the best transfer I've seen to DVD for this amazing film, but there surely is room for improvement. I'm not going to go into details about how awesome this film is, if you are reading this you most likely already know all about it.
What I do want to address is the bit rate of this DVD. It dips really low and some players do not like lower bit rate DVDs. This is why a few reviewers couldn't get it to play on their systems. In my home theater my main DVD player can balk at low bit rate media. It typically only likes DVD-R for home burned movies as DVD+R gives a lower bit rate. This issue typically only rears its head with consumer burned discs as 99% of studios use top end media with good bit rates. That ISN'T the case with Accent Cinema and Facets Video and this movie.
My Onkyo player plays the movie, but during motion scenes you can literally see the picture break up into major digital macro-blocks, a true sign that the player is getting a low bitrate read. Again, some players just shut down and refuse to play movies with such a bad data rate signal.
To remedy this you can make a 100% uncompressed back-up copy if you have the right software and put it on media like a DVD-R that will give a better bit rate to your player. Use media you know is compatible with your player. Also, most PC DVD drives are more forgiving and you can easily watch this on them using something like VLC player (or your DVD software of choice).
I gave the DVD 3 stars. It would have been 4 if the media wasn't so lame, but this company should know better. I get the feeling they tested it on PCs, ran a bunch of copies off and never took the time to check the bit rate to see if it dips too low for the common stand alone players out there. It is a shame because I had high hopes for this version with its decent extras and wide screen aspect. Why is it so hard to give this movie the transfer and treatment it deserves?
Movie Review: Fantastic Film, Low-Quality Medium
Summary: 3 Stars
(*NOTE: Review pertains specifically to the particular media release format, as opposed to the actual content.)
Without a doubt, "Fantastic Planet" is amongst the most enduring animated foreign films of all time. The story is as intricate yet accessible as any science fiction is ever going to be, entailing many of the themes which were relevent during its initial release - and remain every bit as vital to a contemporary audience. An investigation into xenophobic cultures of varying capacities, "Fantastic Planet" deserves to be seen by many generations.
However, this particular release proves not to be in keeping with this ideal. Though the film is magnificent, Facet Video's DVD release version suffers from a low bitrate - thus causing a less-than-ideal visual presentation, as well as numerous problems in DVD playback. For instance, a DVD player which is not sufficiently equipped to handle such a low bitrate (including the PlayStation 2 device) will play no more than the menu screen. It remains necessary to utilize a DVD-ROM device to view the film properly in many cases, as a large number of DVD players (and not necessarily older models, either) will not recognize the disc as a valid format.
The second major release of "Fantastic Planet" onto DVD, this version disappoints due to the technical issues which ought to have been addressed prior to release.
Movie Review: Classic animation from the past
Summary: 3 Stars
I saw this movie at an art house theater in Boston when it came out and loved it.
Today many people will say the movie is "Cold" and the animation is not good.
I say that the animation is perfect for the story line.
The "Ohms", small creatures controlled by the "Drogs" fight back.
That is the simple plot.
Its about over-coming opression against all odds.
Surviving in a world hell bent on controlling you, and "Owning" you !
Get out the pop corn, fire up a doob, and enjoy.
You wont be disapointed !!