Ivan’s review published on Letterboxd:
"What a shame we can't play with her anymore."
If there is uniqueness in this world. Then, there is more from this bizarre, strange, moving, mind-wrecking, one-of-a-kind yet fascinating French psychedelic science-fiction animation feature that deals with adult themes of philosophy, power, and existence. Using the cut-out animation technique, the film made from its strange visual influences from the surrealist art movement and of speciesism, the prejudicial notion of the moral domination of the whole species thinking it lives as superior to others.
What if humans become playthings of blue huge giants? This is the first question that I've asked before watching this film. And yes, the question writhes the plot of the film. Directed by Rene Laloux with design by Roland Topor and based on Stefan Wul's allegorical novel Oms en series , the film story revolves around the Oms, a race of Earth- origin the human beings living where they are kept as a pet by the Traags, blue giant-living creatures who see the human beings as a pet. The story doesn't just revolve around the Oms, the Traags, and the human enslavement but also around the living hierarchies which dictates that this film is more painfully relevant today.
First and foremost, Fantastic Planet successfully dominates the elusive sense of other-worldliness and creates a sense of erratic, bizarre visuals that mile-by-mile snatches us out from the screen. The film is a unique take that no other animations that I've watched would have done. It would be better I guess if I've said that this film is very different from others. You will easily distinguish the differences which for me are very artistic, consistent, and solid. Not only that, the characters are carefully made that it touches us, the background and the characters are fit together organically, the movements are smooth that you will not believe it was made in the 1970s and its consistent stylization of the director lends the alienated quality to its bizarre world.
With a shy runtime of 72 minutes, the engrossing music adds up the psychedelic experience. Short it may be, the film's depiction of the human themes such as machinations of enslavement, the revolutionary power of the oppressed, and the peril of prejudice are still very significant and relevant as of today. Director Rene Laloux made a bizarre and honestly disturbing animated film that in every way connects us to the fact that human beings are capable of such evil which will still run through time.
