Review of Fantastic Planet (1973) by Michael K — 07 Nov 2009

Not quite as powerful now as it must have been when it first come around, La Planete Sauvage is a unique veiwing experience. Harking back through cinema's surrealists there's a strong Dali, Magritte and Gilliam influence throughout lifting this above the less cerebral imagery of something like The Yellow Submarine. Less trippy and more artistically conscious I guess.

The story itself isn't that interesting except when put against the backdrop of the continued Russian presence in Czechoslovakia, post-Prague uprising. However the scenery is laden with undefined symbolism which mean the relatively flat animation doesn't grate too much. So even if there's a lessened impact it is an interesting piece of work, especially when put alongside the production line of today's cgi animated industry.