mike k in l.a.

Fantastic Planet is a French sci-fi animation (1973) directed by Rene Laloux. Humans are called “Oms” and, newly imported, are kept as pets for giant blue humanoid aliens called “Traags”. I had to watch it twice because it’s short and incredibly beautiful. The sound design is unique and the environment of the film is incredibly imaginative, with a wide array of surreal creatures and plants.

My favorite thing about Fantastic Planet, besides the music and visual beauty, is simply the economy with which animation is actually used. Most of the film consists of edited drawings that are quite static, with multiple layers moving in the foreground and background. The drawings are rich, colorful and sketchy. Besides being aesthetically wonderful, the story is really a pleasant allegory about coexistence and growth through knowledge and collaboration.

I highly recommend! It’s one of those animations that makes you think Damn, maybe I should start doing animation..