Ranked #287

Interstella5555: The 5tory of The 5ecret 5tar 5ystem

So here we are with another anime review! This time around, it seems that I'm reviewing not so much a series, but a single one shot movie.

This movie in question is called Interstellar 5555(which I found out of luck), and I have to say that it was something very unexpected.

Story: While this movie is really a visual representation of the Daft Punk album Discovery, it actually had a pretty good story. The basis of the story involves four extraterrestrial musicians who get kidnapped from their home world and brought to Earth. They end up having to be rescued by a fan/spaceship pilot, and the rest turns out to actually be a pretty enjoyable movie. As a note, I'd like to point out that there is absolutely no dialogue in this movie, so everything is pretty much told with body langauge, facial expressions, action and of course, music.

Art: The art was simply phenomenal. Everything flowed, and the animation was crisp and smooth, especially for it's time. Character designs were awesome in my opinion, my favorite one being Octave and his radical afro. As a note, I have to say that I personally liked how the artists drew Stella, because I could tell that the way she looked was slightly different than from what I've seen of most anime females. It's little things like this that give the art a unique feel.

Sound: Of course, the sound is perfect. I had a slight interest in Daft Punk before watching this, but after watching this, my interest grew to a lot more. The music is magnificent, and every song perfectly fits with each segment of the movie, from the happy, upbeat dance parts, to the slower, sadder ones. The audio shines bright in this movie, but what else would you expect from a movie based on a music album?

Character: Unfortunately, this is where this movie lacks a bit. With no dialogue, character development is close to zero here. Now that's not saying each character was the same. There were differences based on facial expressions and such during the many scenes of the movie, of course. It's just that with no dialogue, the character's personalities are left to our imagination. It's mostly opinion whether that is a flaw or a good thing. I personally don't mind it at all.

Enjoyment: If you like music, especially techno, then this is a definite watch for you. I enjoyed it from start to finish, and although it wasn't perfect in all ways, it's unique enough to take the 5th place spot on my favorites list.

Overall: A fantastic movie overall, with awesome music, amazing art, and a pretty good story to go along with it. Besides the lack of character development, this anime movie has no other faults that I can think of. I award it a 9/10, and it's definitely a must-watch.

Now go watch it. Now! read more

Story:
The story is a fairly normal thing. Several musicians get kidnapped and brain washed by an evil doer.
The most interesting thing about this story is the fact that said musicians are aliens.
Which makes things very interesting.
The story moves along quickly but doesn't skim things either.
And if you like AMVs you'll find this to be very much the best one you'll ever see as things make sense!
An 8 on story from me.

Art:
While the movie aired in 2003, the art looks very much like something from the late 80s.
That is not to say it isn't well animated. It's very smooth, but looks like cleaned up 80s arty work. I think it fits with the mood quite well.
A 9 on art from me.

Sound/Music;
Something I did not know before I first watched 5555 was that there is NO TALKING! That's right. No voice actors, monologues, or trash talking contests.
The entire story is told with the music!(Very cleverly mixed with the visuals)
As the story is told entirely with sound, the score is incredible!
It ranks in the top 15 of all soundtracks I've heard.
(Which is very impressive considering I've listened carefully to over 200 OSTs)
A generous 10 from me on music! ^__^

Character(s):
If the movie has a single weakness, it's the characters.
Since there is no talking, there is very little character development.
And much is left up to the audience to imagine.
Some might like this, others might find this very dissatisfying.
All we have to go on with the characters is their looks and the actions that we witness, and while this gets quite a lot across, it still leaves large holes in what the characters are actually like. Their personalities and thoughts are left up to us.
And while this doesn't REALLY affect the movie, since it's a feast of the eyes and ears, not of the mind, it could be considered a minus overall.
A 6 on characters from me.

Enjoyment:
I enjoyed the movie hugely! I loved it from the first time I watched it, and have watched it several times since. Each time loving it more.
But just because I liked it, doesn't mean everyone will.
I showed it to more people then my self.
And they were not all impressed.
I would have to say that...you need to be a certain type of person to fully understand and appreciate this type or film.
I would suggest that if you want to watch this that you enjoy music much more then the average person, have a liking for music videos, as this might be considered a long AMV.
And have a mind which embraces the weird or unusual.
And enjoy techno! ^^
A 10 fom me on enjoyment!

Overall:
The way this movie handles story is something very interesting to look at. As their is no talking, their is no 'story telling' as such.
Everything is told through the music and visuals.
It is a feast for art lovers and dreamers!
It challenges you to think and imagine while taking you on a wonderful trip through the strange, dream like world that is created when music and animation are joined in such a unique and breath taking way!
I highly recommend this for anyone likes to imagine and dream to the hypnotic beat and notes of music. ^^ read more