It is curious that "Discovery", the hit record by Thomas Bangalter and Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo (AKA Daft Punk) was launched in the year 2001. Perhaps it was some kind of hommage to that coincidence and the legendary picture named after that year, but it inspired a whole movie. And the result is this one. Some years later, it comes out, and what to say? At first, I remember I didn't like the singles, I remember thinking that "One More Time" was too commercial and bubble-gum. And I thought also that this kind of japanese animation wasn't something that wondered me at all. But there is something magical about this movie, which starts to glory with that same tune, the one I thought I didn't like. The animators really had a field day here, working hard to revive every feel of that 70's style, adding a fantastic feeling to the listening of the music, and making the viewing experience sheer pleasure. The movie never loses breath as long as the music stays up to it, and we are greeted with bone-chilling renditions of "Aerodynamic", "Digital Love" et al. Beautiful sounds, that find their true meaning when married to these pictures and when they come out of theatre speakers. The concept may have looked like risky, since the animation looks so old fashioned, but the revival goes all the way to the music, and the result is a fascinating journey in time. Fantastic achievement, that will change the way we look at "Discovery" forever.
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Dockelektro24 September 2003
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FilmFlaneur24 October 2005In its way a remarkable film, and a genuine one-off, which deserves to be better known amongst animation lovers. Co-director Leiji Matsumoto, who during his long career in anime has been associated in one capacity or another with such cheesy epics as Space Battleship Yamato, the Harlock Saga, Star Blazers & etc, worked with Daft Punk (a French two-man band specialising in electronic rock) on this unique feature. Deliberately recreating the extreme glam stylisation of the 1970's/early 80's Japanese animation style, albeit done with more fluidity and detail which modern day budgets and software allow, Matsumoto has married image and sound to hypnotic effect in a movie which in effect is both unique and unforgettable. A "digital love story" of a kidnapped technoband - who incidentally travel together in a Scooby-Do like 'Mystery Machine' as events unfold - and an evil music impresario (echoes of the obscure Toomorrow here (1970) - anyone seen that?). Despite some snipes at pop exploitation, there are no great depths here story-wise, although there are dark elements, such as the painful burial of a deceased major character. But the characterisation is not important, as it was not what the creators were after, leaving the graphic designs and timings to unfold. What makes the film so great is the peculiar manga-music hybrid that results, as the stylised visual design and editing rhythms join with a contemporary soundtrack (the entire film is wordless outside of lyrics)in a way which is both culturally nostalgic as well as being strikingly modern in effect. The plastic surface which results entirely transcends the original pulp manga inspiration. In short it's a film which sounds naff but, somehow, works. As an achievement the result is miles ahead of the director's previous, briskly produced juvenelia and ought to be required viewing.
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mighty_pickman6 December 2003Despite not really being a Daft Punk fan, i enjoyed this film. Looking at this as a film & not just an extended film clip, i thought it took a little while to move into full swing, the middle sections were very good, while the end tended to drag on a tad. I know it was based on a Daft Punk album, but the end would have been better if it was a couple of minutes shorter.
Well worth checking out if you are a fan of Daft Punk and/or a fan of anime, especially 1970's & 1980's style anime. 7/10 -
riot4kimber2 December 2003From the time that I saw the music videos for "One More Time", "Aerodynamic", "Digital Love, and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" I fell in love with the story that unfolded in each video and I wanted to know more. After Listening to the cd that the videos where from "Daft Punk's Discovery" I could only imagine what the rest of the stories would be.
After buying the dvd and finally seeing the entire story unfold in each song, I was impressed by the talent and skills that Daft Punk and Leji Matsumoto brought to the project.
The movie's design is a nod to Leji's designs in Captain Harlock & Galaxy Express 999. It's a refreshing change to go retro in anime in see that a story can be told in a simplistic way without the current CG japanese animation.
I highly recommend that if you love anime, Techno, Daft Punk, or just a good movie see Interstella 5555 -
niz13 October 2003Okay so its just an extended music video, but so what? If you were intrigued by the One More Time video, or even just liked the sound of that track, you'll get something from INTERSTELLA 5555. The retro-nostalgic 70's and 80's japanimation style perfectly fits Daft Punk's "old-school electronica" music. The story is dialogue free but tells a remarkably dense tale, characters are well-defined, and there is some great comedy (Daft Punk's cameo at the awards ceremony).... but at the end of the day, its all about the music baby - before, I only really knew Daft Punk from their 2 major singles, now I want to rush out and buy the album!
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vixendark5 November 2005I am a big Daft Punk fan. Actually, a huge one. I play the Discovery album on a loop, all day, quite regularly. So when my friend first informed me about this movie, I was ecstatic. I immediately borrowed it, and the magic began.
It tells a fairly simple and predictable story. But when you watch it, you won't care. The music and art are expressive and captivating. They alone carry the film, as there is no dialog anywhere to be found. You will never miss the dialog, I can promise you. Instead, you will be dancing, then on the edge of your seat. You'll laugh, you may cry. But you will be left stunned.
A tip: watch the 'extras'. Many amusing scenes are merely random bystanders doing silly things.
Though on the surface, this is nothing but a long music video, in truth, it is an epic musical journey. -
chadwholovedme9 May 2005Discovery by Daft Punk was proclaimed to be the greatest dance album ever, at least in some circles. I really liked what i had heard previously 'Da Funk' and 'All Around the World' were some of my favourite songs of the 90s. At first listening to Discovery I'd not really got into it except for the singles I didn't feel much about it.
Interstella 5555 came out well after Discovery, by then i was very taken with Anime and Daft Punk had sort of always been in the back of my head as a band I should try out again. Speaking personally the best thing about Interstella 5555 is that I now love Discovery and find myself remembering how great the film was.
Many reviews I'd read claim that the plot is 'paper-thin' and never really amounts too much, I found myself enjoying the action and the comedy and at the same time not being able to work out where it was going obviously the ending was always anticipated. Interstella was overseen by Daft Punk but it's not really their film, the film really belongs to Leiji Matsumoto, the design, story and direction all are in part by Matsumoto, although his role in the film is unclear. Matsumoto is probably best known for his animated TV series 'Star Blazers' and 'Galaxy Express 999'.
In terms of animation quality Interstella is very good, the characters move realistically the locations look great and range from fantastical and blatantly mundane. However, the first four segments were Daft Punk's commercially released music videos for the Discovery the quality is exceptional, but after that the film seems to jump into a lower standard with thicker outlines and repeating of footage from the first four segments, that's not to say it doesn't look good.
The Films best asset is that it isn't constricted by the music in that the viewer is not subjected to literal imagery from the lyrics displayed on the screen. Instead the films pacing runs like a normal movie occasionally sequencing it's pacing with the music and telling everything very visually. Why include exposition, when you can display it in pictures? As in a news report that occurs during the film.
Basically if you like Daft Punk, Anime or Simply want to try something a bit different Interstella is worth checking out. -
kurthectic5 July 2005"One more time", I'm gonna try to spread my love for this movie.
This film is magical, the soundtrack is wonderful, you get the feeling you're lifted up in the air, it's like you're "aerodynamic".
The story might seem quite simple, basically it's a "digital love" story where the hero will have to be "harder, better, faster, stronger" in order to rescue the woman of her dream and her music band (the "Crescendolls") from an evil record producer.
The animation by Leiji Matsumoto is just so beautiful; for instance, the "nightvision" you get of the town on Earth (probably inspired by Tokyo) is breathtaking.
But, the real "superheroes" of this movie are the Daft Punk. These guys understood that a good music could lead to an "high life", they know how to move us, how to reveal "something about us". Let them take you on this space journey, whether it's on the "voyager" shuttle or not, you'll find it "veridis quo". It's a "short circuit" (only 68 min, the length of the "Discovery" album) but in the end, when you find "face to face" with yourself, you can only feel like you would want some more, like it could never have been "too long". -
hakapes23 January 2005I hardly ever listen to Daft Punk's kind of music and hardly ever watch an Anime, but this one really got me. The animation and the music is a winning combo together here and I enjoyed every minute of it, even for the second and third run. In fact, I even looked for a recent album of Daft Punk and 'discovered' those moments when I like to listen to it, and even in the gym or at the Friday night parties the tunes come up making me smile. I don't thing to go that far to purchase a complete set of the plastic dolls (Shep, Stella, Arpegius, Octave, Baryl from the movie). But don't be mislead, Daft Punk is a French band of only two guys making electronic music. They started back in 1997 with 'Homework', then released 'Discovery' in 2001 - this movie builds mostly on the music of this album -, and 'Human After All' is dated to March 2005. Interstella 5555 is among the few titles in my collection that I like to watch over and over and each time I got the same addicted to it, 10/10! ' don't stop, come a little closer '
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Christopher_Reid4 April 2015This movie was awesome. It was so refreshing to see a movie without any dialogue. It doesn't hit us over the head constantly with exposition and melodramatic confrontations. We aren't told what to think or feel. We're free to analyse or just go along for the ride. It's very relaxed and easy to watch. The music is gorgeous and just doesn't stop. Each song flows beautifully into the next. There were no dull parts, no songs that sounded like mere filler. They matched nicely overall with the story and imagery. Sometimes they fitted perfectly with the visuals and other times they juxtaposed in an interesting way that still made sense and brought different, unexpected qualities out.
The story was generally easy to follow. It's interesting as an allegory about the recording business (or corruption in general) but then it also works as just a made-up story with aliens and fancy gadgets and guitars. It creates worlds that the characters exist within. It sparks our imaginations to fill in the details about these people and their worlds. We want to believe they exist outside of the movie. The characters all have clear motivations and are always doing things for a reason. There are no vapid argument scenes, just good vs. evil, man vs. nature.
I don't feel I have much else to say about this movie. It's short at only an hour but was one of the most enjoyable movies I've ever seen. I was in the right mood for it and it was highly satisfying. You can just sit back and let your mind wander. Bob your head or tap your feet. I really wish worlds like this actually existed, it feels like where humanity really belongs. Free, flying, traveling to all kinds of strange places, loving, listening to music. Alas, one can only dream... -
xamtaro24 November 2009It was a good concept but far from original and suffered from a case of poor excection.
Disney's Fantasia did the whole "animated movie told through music" bit so much better than this. Some of the songs feel like they do not sync with the footage on screen. Its feel is similar to some newbie anime music video editor who threw together a random scene that makes no sense within the context of the song's lyrics.
Leigi Matsumoto's animation manages to save this movie. The artwork is gorgeous and the animation is top notch for a 2003 movie productionl; fluid yet retaining its level of detail throughout. The implied story is easy enough to follow. A band of blue skinned music stars are kidnapped, brainwashed and made into a big money earner for a greedy earth coporation. As their fame on earth grows, they suffer the exhaustion of endless concerts and maketing deals take their toll on the band. It is up to their greatest fan, a fellow blue skinned alien named "Shep" to rescue them. However, as the movie nears its conclusion, the story just gets cheesier and cheesier. Something about accumulating 5555 records that allows the main bad guy the power to rule the galaxy.
Though the animation is quite good, nothing else really stands out. Also, if you aren't a fan of Daft Punk's music, they soundtrack(which is the ONLY source of audio) would start to grate on your eardrums after a while. That nasal electronica voice repeating the same words over and over again.............
Interstella 5555 would have been so much better as an actual animated film with full dialogue and Daft Punk's songs as Background music.A truly wasted opportunity there.
I cannot see this film appealing to anyone other than fans of such genre of music, fans of Leiji Matsumoto, and fans of poorly synced, home made anime music videos(tons of those on youtube). -
dirtychild2 July 2004This is freakin' tremendous stuff. I love Daft Punk - and I loved their Discovery album. This is basically an animated manga film to the Discovery album - and if you think this sounds crazy - well it doesn't as everything makes sense! If you are a Daft Punk fan - then you probably saw the first three or four video clips for the singles on TV (One More Time, Aerodynamic, Digital Love and Harder Better Faster Stronger) - and it tells a short story of a rock and roll band from outer space get kidnapped by some evil looking guys and get taken to Earth. But all hope isn't lost - as a funky guy in a Gutair rocket ship attempts a rescue mission. There isn't any dialogue - it is all cartoon with a Daft Punk soundtrack! The story tends to fit the mood of the music (of course!) and this really does have an intriguing story of mystery and music. All of the characters and artwork is very stylish in a 1970's-1980's Japanese cartoon sort of way (reminds me of Voltron!). So if you are a Daft Punk fan, a anime / manga fan - or just a fan of things different or cool - then get a copy of this today!
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ian-46219 June 2005A friend of mine told me about this around 6 months ago and I've only just gotten round to seeing it. I thought it sounded...idiotic, boring, ridiculous. It might be idiotic and/or ridiculous, but honestly, I should have figured out by now that everything Leiji Matsumoto has been involved with in the last 30 years has had a premise that just screamed "DOOMED." And it's been just about impossible not to love everything the man has done in 30 years.
I'd heard Daft Punk, of course, but never associated the music with the name. I'd seen and liked a lot of Matsumoto's stuff, but the two just...I didn't have the imagination to put the two together mentally.
This is an awesome movie. Visually and aurally, it is a thing of beauty, that rises above the occasional cheesiness in design, the occasional visual or narrative cliché, and the occasional track which would really not be terribly listenable on it's own. The synergy here is tremendous. -
Blackzor1 November 2013I have been a fan of Discovery and Daft Punk for years now. I finally took the time to take a look at this awesome little piece of animation and was extremely pleased with it.The animation is great and you can still make out each character's personality even without dialogue. Speaking of which, I'd like to address the folks that say that the plot and story are paper thin. It's not Why? Simply because this is an hour long movie with no dialogue and a lot happens in this hour...a lot. In a hour you see the world that they come from, the capture, the hero chasing them, the transformation, the new life as brainwashed musicians, the rescue partially foiled by the bad guy, the bad guy showing off the women and winning the award, the 2nd rescues, the chase, the love scene,the road trip, the burial, the discovery of the mansion,the back story of the bad guy and his ultimate goal, his final solution in progress, the foiling of his plans, the infiltration to get the data back, the realization of what the band really is,the world becoming aware of the bad guys plan, the help they get to get launched back into space, the final scare from the bad guy, the search for home, home finding them and finally..the conclusion.
All of this, without dialogue within an hour. One could agree that they had to simplify at some points but i feel it's never rushed and everything is clear. many movie have less content and story even with dialogue and exposition This movie is pretty much a long music video so the music itself does a lot of "talking", setting the right mood in general. The colours, the characters; the story, the music and the fact that its set in a sci-fi world make this experience very rich and entertaining. I even admit to having teary eye at the "Something Between Us" part. When a picture can make me emote in such way, it did something (many things in fact) right. If your open enough and you let it, it has the potential to make you laugh and cry. Also, as many reviewers mentions on this site, the throw back to the 70's 80's, Captain Harlock style of esthetic is a great choice and fits well with Daft Punk's multi-generation sounds. Worth the watch, highly recommended for any fans of Daft Punk and Japanese-animation. -
thehappyspaceman20 April 2016First thing first: I'm not an anime fan. At all. So I was skeptical when I first heard about this movie. But Daft Punk's Interstella 5555 turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable. With that said, the movie isn't perfect by far. There are a few plot holes and the villain's motives aren't really clear, but to be fair they do a great job considering that there's no dialogue in it. I guess you could say that this is less of a movie and more of a series of animated music videos that happen to tell a story, but whatever it is, it's done very well. The characters are great, the animation is stellar, no pun intended, the plot has a nice undertone about the modern music industry, and do I even need to mention that Daft Punk's soundtrack rocks? It's just a lot of fun, so if you like anime or if you like Daft Punk, I'd recommend checking this one out. And let me tell you, if they ever make a sequel to this, I'd be first in line to watch it.
(And no, I don't count Daft Punk's followup movie, Electroma, though believe me, I'll be reviewing that soon enough.) -
shivathejewgod8 December 2016I always loved Daft Punk, and I was hyped to hear that they made a movie. In the Interstella 5555 movie, nobody talked. It was only the amazing music of Daft Punk. They made the characters likable and the movie was colorful and beautiful. It may look a tad bad, but this was made in 2003, so I guess this was good for its time. I was never really a fan of anime, but this is just beautiful. The movie begins all happy, so the music is upbeat and happy. As the movie goes, the music gets slower and emotional. One of my favorite tracks from this song, 'Something About Us', Went perfectly with the scene. Im trying my best not to tell you what happens, sorry if you didn't like this review. But if you watch it, and you like anime/Daft Punk, I know you'll love this.
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Egufgasd90528 September 2020I LOVED IT, not just the music is good, but the story, the characters and the progression is so smooth well developed and overall fantastic
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This film makes good use of a very simple premise - an extended Daft Punk music video. The whole thing is very sweet and nostalgic. The story, although very simple, is told in a clear way that leaves us rooting for the characters. Of course it goes without saying that the Daft Punk soundtrack is great.
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Just an hour long Anime FMV played with Daft Punk music. Story was nothing special and some characters looked like Smurfs for no reason. If Daft Punk wasn't here it would have been far less tolerable to sit through this. Animation was average Anime stuff. I'll probably forget this film by next week. Overall mediocre at best.
4.5/10. -
evilcassie66628 January 2005I, like many people, found out about Interstella around the time the videos for the first four tracks of Daft Punk's Discovery album were released. Also, like many people, I was blown away by what I had seen and wanted more. I waited patiently for what had seemed to be an eternity to for the film to be released, a second eternity for it to be released on DVD so I could actually see it, and a third one for me to actually have the money to buy it and watch it.
During this waiting, I had built up great expectations of what I should expect, hoping beyond hope that Daft Punk and Leiji Matsumoto would not let me down when I finally got my chance. I am not let down in the least, not after all those years.
The film is, and I hate to use such a cliché', a roller coaster ride. There is no other way to put it. In its short runtime it carried me from the heights of pure elation to a dark depression the likes of which I haven't felt since I saw Shindler's List, then up through a joy that was so pure that I could not help but weep. I may have just been moody and relieved to finally grace my eyes with what my mind and soul have built up for so long, but any movie that can move me to tears is easily worth the fourteen dollars I spent for it on Amazon.com.
A little tip for those who do watch it but have not yet seen it, though: make no attempt to listen to the music or catch every detail of the drama playing out on the screen. Interstella 5555 is a full experience. Listen tot he music and you will miss the subtleties on screen. Watch for the subtleties on-screen, and you will miss the feel of the music and you will lose the emotional content the music carries.
It is not a must-see or a must-hear. It is a must-feel. -
sandover28 February 2010Being a later bloomer to Daft Punk, I am quite glad I have bloomed -
this anime is really animated -
it is simple, it is brainstorming, it is fearless in shifting gears,
being tongue-in-cheek, blatantly and deliciously critical of the pop industry, it is absurd if you are absurd, it is not sad, for the loss that is crucial although one could say schematic or unnecessary for our interstellar band to get saved is presented in an almost adult manner, it has a message, it is a romp -
I think the delight of all people involved is palpable, one feels them giving full rein to fun and imagination
pop art popping us at its best!
one of a rare bunch of films, or experiences, that you are in for a new ride right after the previous one has barely ended.
Stunning visuals, unapologetic when romantic, sometimes laced with delicious cheesiness, and seamlessly integrated music,
thank you. -
Ignore the insipid title: this film is brilliant, and one of the most enjoyable flicks of the last 10 years. Featuring beautiful visuals, an original and engaging plot, and great retro-stylized animation, Interstella 5555 works on every level and is much more than just an obnoxiously long music video. To make a film based on this concept - and making it work - sounds like a near-impossible task, but director Kazuhisa Takenôshi skilfully keeps the film entertaining all the way through. The good guys are easy to like and the villain is deliciously evil and self-centered; despite the fact that not a line of real dialogue is spoken, their personalities, emotions and intentions are always as clear as the colourful, stunning animation.
From the opening - which strongly echoes Kubrick's masterpiece "2001", as do certain other parts of the film - to the upbeat (not nauseatingly so) ending, I was transfixed, stunned, intrigued, saddened, and overjoyed that films this original and enjoyable are still being made. This is truly one of those films that are greater than the sums of its parts, as it is more of an experience and a ride than just a movie. As a bonus, there is a not-so-subtle message about the dangers of selling out as an artist and that you should never value profit higher than your own style since it will most likely make you miserable. Granted, "Interstella" might not be perfect, as it does get a little slow towards the end and has one or two cheesy scenes, but the majority of the film is so overstuffed with awesomeness that it's hard to care about minor flaws.
Perhaps only fans of anime or Daft Punk will love the film as much as I do, but music video directors should check it out as well and take note - the songs are seamlessly and expertly synced to the action on-screen. For the most part, the tone of the music is more in tone with the film than in most mainstream films; especially "Harder Better Faster Stronger", "One More Time" and "Crescendolls" are perfectly applied. Overall the film is an emotional, original, dazzling experience, a work of pop culture art, and a must-see for fans of the band or just of good movies in general. -
philm_phan14 February 2004The music and animation allow the story to glide through easily, to the point of mesmerizing the viewer. If you enjoyed "G-Force/Battle of the Planets" as a kid, then you'll love the animation of this film, and the tunes stick with you long after the fifty minutes are up.
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rod-8528 July 2003I grew up on Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space, Scooby Doo, Battle of the Planets, Thunderbirds and Astro Boy - and apparently so did French electro-funk duo Daft Punk. The guys have scripted a cartoon combining elements from the aforementioned and so much more to which they have matched their second album 'Discovery' in its entirety, in track-order with no dialogue. The story plays on the old alien abduction and alien-scheme to control the universe thwarted by humans - by turning it on its head. An alien band is abducted by an evil human and have their brains washed until they are compliant Earth pop stars. Very 1970s look to the graphics by Kazuhisa Takenouchi with fast edits and lots of characterisation (fabulous considering Interstella 5555 runs for 67 minutes and has no dialogue). A tribute to the animation upon which anime was built and a brilliant parody of current pop music. This one's for the DVD collection definitely.