Director – Leiji Matsumoto – 2003 – Japan – Cert. PG – 68m
**
Back in UK cinemas from Thursday, December 12th 2024
Review from What’s On in London, December 2003.
Admirers of legendary anime series Capitaine Albator / Captain Harlock, 1978), electronic band Daft Punk sought out designer and source manga artist Leiji Matsumoto (anime series Space Cruiser Yamato 1974-5, 1978-9, 1980-81, dubbed into English as Starblazers, 1979-84; The Cockpit, 1993-4) to put together images to accompany their latest project. Their resultant collaboration is the unwieldily titled Interstella 5555: The 5tory Of The 5ecret 5tar 5ystem. Perfectly acceptable as a DVD release (it originally came out as such in December 2003), it doesn’t really cut it on the big screen.
5555 is basically an overlong pop promo: images put to music with no sound effects. A narrative of sorts has an evil rock manager kidnap musicians from another planet, wipe their minds clean and develop them into a huge commercial success in Earth’s music industry.
However, the script (such as it is) is very loosely constructed. Instead, what drives its 68 minutes is Daft Punk’s music upon which, almost as an afterthought, are hung Matsumoto’s images. These bear his visual stamp, his uniquely gaunt faces and figures.
Yet, both script and images generally rehash tired music industry and space opera clichés without really adding anything new. The result is little more than a curious footnote to Matsumoto’s fascinating career, with Daft Punk’s electronic music mismatched by his images of a seventies rock band playing Flying V guitars. An oddity: strictly for fans of band, anime designer, or both.
Back in UK cinemas from Thursday, December 12th 2024
Review from What’s On in London, December 2003.
Trailer: