Les Maîtres du temps

Animation is the perfect medium for sci-fi. Unfortunately, few animated sci-fi films have lived up to their potential. French animation master René Laloux is definitely one who let his imagination run amok in his medium. He is best known for his 1973 film Fantastic Planet. He must have had a difficult time getting funded for other projects, because he only ever made two more features. He died just a year ago. Time Masters is his second feature (he made another in 1988, called Light Years). The animation is very primitive, and not in the inventive primitiveness of Fantastic Planet. But, what it lacks in animation, it more than makes up for with its imagination. It's simply wonderful to behold. I especially love those two little telepathic creatures, referred to as "gnomes". The story is good, if not great. The ending is quite clever. I was wishing that it had gone on for at least a half an hour longer, but I won't complain, given the limited amount of material Laloux was able to produce in his lifetime.

"Les maîtres du temps" is as good as french animation movies are rare. Designed by Moebius (Fifth Element...), inspired from a novel of Stephan Wul (french science fiction writer) "L'orphelin de Perdide", it remains one of the most powerful animation movie I have ever seen.

Evidently, It is pretty old and the animation cannot be compared to today's movies, but the rest is very impressive. Characters are mature and have interesting personnalities, the design of ETs and plants is original and the scenario is full of surprises. This movie is different from all others and it is a real victory to be better than the book it has been taken of.

As much as I did love Fantastic Planet, I think Time Masters is the better film. It is a spectacular sci-fi film and as an animated film too. While the incidental music is great and fits with each scene very well, the songs for me are nothing special and one or two don't do much to enhance the story.

That said, the story is wonderfully creative, imaginative and clever with a promising intense atmosphere and a convincing twist, and the characters are all likable with great personalities. The dialogue is simple without being too simplistic and mature without being too convoluted. The best asset about Time Masters asides from the story is the animation. The character designs are good enough, but considering when it was made the backgrounds and colours are quite stunning.

Overall, a spectacular film. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I saw this film when I was about 15 when it was shown on British television. I was already a big fan of Alien and Bladerunner but didn't realise then that Jean Giraud (moebius), the concept artist behind some of the costumes on those films was the artist behind this film. The film made a big impression on me and I spent years trying to find out what it was. Finally I described it to an anime-fan friend of mine and he knew it. Although animation has moved on I still think the look of the film is really good, and the story is quite unsettling especially when you're on the planet with the boy, there is a real sense of menace. There's a body count! okay so it's a little bit dated, there are two pretty cheesy songs in it and a cute moppet kid but that's part of it's charm. Don't forget it was made in the early eighties (in fact it looks more seventies). I'll give it an 9/10, i'm afraid it loses one because of the songs.

I accidentally found this film, on YouTube to top it all, and was amazed how nice it was. The animation is in the French style of animation from the early 80's, so not fantastic, but the imagination and weirdness of it all more than compensate.

I think what I loved most about the film was the European feel of the plot. Characters are weird, each with their own quirks, not just bad or good, while the events are really imaginative. The planets, the creatures, the kind of interactions, all wonderful.

Bottom line: a gem that I had no idea existed, it will probably make me watch other Laloux movies, even if originally I just wanted to see the drawings of Moebius. At just 80 minutes, it would be a shame to not have seen it once.