Om Improvement |Those tiny humanoid "pets" turn the tables on their masters in Fantastic Planet.
On the occasion of its 35th anniversary, the animated cult classic Fantastic Planet is making a return to the big screen, which means a brand-new generation of fans will get a chance to visit a troubling alternate reality where all of humanity is trapped in another, more evolved species’ idea of utopia, one in which humans are either coddled as pets or hunted as pests. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, this French/Czech co-production has long been a favourite among sci-fi fans (and 17-year-old stoners) fortunate enough to have stumbled across it.
Fantastic Planet takes place on Ygam, a planet dominated by the “enlightened” Draag, a race of meditative, blue-skinned, red-eyed giants. While the Draag seem to be the most highly evolved species on Ygam, they “share” it with the Om, a tiny species of human-like animals, some of which are captured by the giants and kept as pets... if they’re lucky. Great numbers of Om are cruelly dispatched under the feet of the Draag, or by their “de-Oming” machines. Those few Om who are able to stay free eke out a tribal existence, warring amongst themselves while living in terror of their towering masters.
The Draag, in their enlightened yet clinical way, are intrigued to discover that the Om are showing advances in cognitive thought and adaptation to environment, even though their short lifespans and rudimentary reproductive habits make them an interesting but ultimately dispensable lifeform. The Draag begin a campaign of de-Omification with the goal of thinning out the herd, making the small, savage species more manageable.
But the Om fight back against mass extermination with the aid of Terr, a recent Draag escapee, a Prometheus figure who brings with him the secrets and technology of the giants themselves. Using their newfound knowledge, the Om adopt their enemies’ strategically cruel mindset and strike out at the one thing the Draag hold dear: their spiritual connection to Ygam’s celestial neighbour, the fabled Fantastic Planet.
With a visual style that falls somewhere between a moving Hieronymus Bosch painting and an episode of Max the 2000 Year-Old Mouse, Fantastic Planet is a trippy treat for anyone looking for an adult-themed cartoon chock-a-block with disturbing and thought-provoking images. While its hand-drawn action and static, Rocket Robin Hood-like backgrounds will seem scribbly and antiquated by today’s standards (especially if you’ve just come from a screening of Pixar’s Wall•E), and the acid-laced, Pink Floyd-inspired soundtrack is sometimes hard to take, this dystopic mindscrew still packs a wallop. With a 75-minute running time that feels “just right,” Fantastic Planet is just a brief stopover in an unsettling world—but the memories of the time you spend there will stay with you for years after.
