Fantastic Planet The Criterion Collection Blu-ray

Must watch! If you've never seen it, turn off your phone and pay attention when it starts. Very psychedelic. Read more

Classic animation. I used to go to the midnight movies in the 1970s and this was one of my favorites Read more

Good find. Quick delivery Read more

as described Read more

I saw this movie years ago in a special and I had totally forgotten about it until I saw bits of it elsewhere. While this is animated, it is not for the younger set, nor is it cutesy in any way as it depicts a wholly alien world, Ygam, where two races co-exist. The dominant species are the highly evolved and advanced race called the Traags. Blue with unblinking red eyes, they are a relatively peaceful people who's main occupation seems to be meditation. The other race are humans, renamed Oms, who escaped from Earth years ago and landed on Ygam, but had become somewhat degenerated over time to the point where they had become primitive, living off the land and hiding from the Traags who sometimes capture them, breeding them for pets and for sport while they try to cull the number of savage Oms from time to time. Terr, is a young Om, rescued from a group of Traag children to be raised in a household as a pet for Tiva, a young Traag child. Here he learns his place as a pet as he grows and as he sits in lessons with Tiva, he discovers, despite his Master's wishes, there is more to life and soon takes the head phones used for the lessons as he seeks his freedom among the savage Oms who don't really take to him too well. They soon learn however, that he has brought something truly valuable among them and they begin to learn about their world. When Terr reads the sign that another culling is about to take place, he tries to warn another tribe of Oms, who don't take him seriously until it happens. It is then that they finally seek to shake the dominance of the Traags that they learn the Traags' greatest secret and just in time to prevent the other Oms from being systematically hunted down and destroyed. These drawing are closer to Dali in art and are more like rough sketches, so don't expect Disney here, but the very fact that this movie is so unusual makes it a must see. Read more

This 1973 production still evokes many different impressions. First, there's the retro appeal of the animation style: hand-drawn in a subdued palette (colored pencil?) and clearly hand animated, there's a charming ineptitude in the characters' motion. Next, the psychedelic visuals, with mind-melting meditations and bizarre wildlife being only a part of this classic's unique look. The plot and action truly carry this one, though. The opening scene features the infant Terr in his mother's arms. Just as human children might play with a beetle until it break, giant Traag children kill his mother in innocent if brutal play. Later scenes of pet humans might bring dog-fighting to mind, or some of those guilty moments with a child, a magnifying glass, and an ant nest. If you're so minded, this could easily represent the politics of subjugation - a reading I find somewhat strained. In time, the giant Traags decide on a course of pest eradication, intended to keep their parks safe from vermin infestations, something that invites political readings of its own. When Terr escapes his pet cage and joins the feral humans, he brings with him a Promethean gift of knowledge. Of course, the lore-keepers in the wild tribes declare advanced knowledge "evil" (sound familiar?). In the end, though, that knowledge gives the human population the technological power to escape, and military power to coerce the Traags into peace negotiations. The end up with a planetoid of their own, possibly a cop-out if you hoped for a solution of peaceful coexistence. This disk includes additional features, including a forgettable piece by Sean Lennon, said to be inspired by Fantastic Planet. Another short animated extra, "Escargots," takes surrealism yet another step forward, even if it takes animation a step backward. They support the main feature nicely, even though it stands well on its own. I hadn't seen this in decades, so I'm glad I rediscovered it. For one thing, I had not picked up on the "knowledge is power" theme, something that seems especially important in today's anti-scientific atmosphere. -- wiredweird Read more

An absolutely mesmerizing piece of cinema. I discovered this movie around the time that I first watched Pink Floyd's The Wall. After seeing the Wall I was on an adult animation kick and during my search I came across Fantastic Planet. I must say that between the two FP left a much stronger impact on me. Originally released in France, FP is an adaptation of the novel Oms en série by Stefan Wul. The story takes place on a planet where humans are enslaved as pets by gigantic blue humanoid aliens called the "Draags". In the movie humans are referred to as "Oms" and are treated with indifference and occasionally hostility by their enormous captors. The Draags don't regard the Oms as much more than vermin and tolerate them so long as they don't pose too much of a burden. As the movie plays out it becomes apparent that the movie is an allegory for racism and animal rights. What makes FP so captivating though is the imagery and tone. The devices the Draags use as educational tools was fascinating and the way they commune together in a transcendent ritual reminded me of Huxley's Brave New World. What struck me as so eerie was the stark almost clinical way the Draags discussed the Oms. Seeing how the Draags demean and torment the Oms really drives home the allegory of animal rights through its similarities to how pet owners treat their pets. If bizarre animated films are up your alley I can't recommend FP enough. I am so glad that Criterion was the company to reissue this movie on stunning Blu-Ray. If any part of you was thinking "Oh I'll just stream it or torrent it" Criterion's involvement in this movies release is all you should need to know it's worth the money. They always pack their films with extras and give you the most bang for your buck. Enjoy! Read more