“Musicians are magicians. That’s what I always say.”
Those words come from the supervisor of “Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem,” a full length animated movie that covers French electronic music duo Daft Punk’s album “Discovery.” And his words cannot ring truer in the context of the movie- it really is a magical experience.
“Interstella 5555” is not an ordinary music video, nor is it an ordinary movie. At around an hour run time, it covers the entire length of the album “Discovery,” and at the same time completely lacks any form of dialogue. What it manages to accomplish in storytelling despite such restrictions is truly a testament to the animation studio.
“Musicians are magicians. That’s what I always say.”
The premise is a twist on the abduction trope in science fiction: an alien band (consisting of keyboardist Octave, guitarist Arpegius, drummer Baryl and bass player Stella) is abducted by humans and taken to Earth, where they have their memories removed from them and their physical appearances altered to look like humans. Under the orchestration of Earl de Darkwood, they are mind controlled into becoming the pop band Crescendolls, and they quickly take Earth by storm, though it quickly becomes realized that Darkwood has (surprisingly enough) a darker goal in mind.
Though aged, the animation conveys the story incredibly well. Every character bobs to the beat of whatever song is running at that moment, and the imagery is colorful and lively. It is also interesting to see what the tracks off “Discovery” sound like in a different context as opposed to in a vacuum. Revisiting “Discovery” after viewing “Interstella 5555” shows that the movie cements its storytelling into the brain without even needing to see the animation again. A listener is able to associate the emotions and ideas of the story with the album, giving it a fuller and more realized sound.
Though aged, the animation conveys the story incredibly well. Every character bobs to the beat of whatever song is running at that moment, and the imagery is colorful and lively.
However, it should be noted that this movie is not for those who can’t stand Daft Punk’s music- for the most part, it’s the only audio throughout the entirety of the movie. For many, this is an automatic disqualifier, as Daft Punk’s collection can be quite polarizing. It’s still worth a shot for those into sci-fi concept albums, but it won’t wind up being for everyone. And because it is based around an album, the pacing at times can feel stilted or rushed to get from one track to the next while still staying totally relevant. But ultimately these flaws do not detract too heavily from the intergalactic experience.
“Interstella 5555” is pure at its heart: it celebrates heroism, discovery and in the end is ultimately a triumph of the imagination. The end of the movie is both a heartwarming and satisfying conclusion to a great story.
- Unique premise with an interesting execution
- Great blend of animation and music
- Dated animation
- Stilted pace
Photo courtesy of Wallup.net
