Rating: 
Summary: Don't get the version by United American
Review: Fantastic Planet is by far one of the more unusual animated I have ever seen. Truly unusual and surrealistic scenes, and that funky Pink Floyd meets "Shaft"-style soundtrack by Alain Goraguer gives the movie that truly '70s look and feel. But I warn you to stay away from the earlier VHS edition from United American Video Corps. While the newer dubbed-in-English VHS from Anchor Bay has the problem of forgetting to remove the subtitles, the United American Video Corps. version suffers from poor picture quality, and several missing scenes, not to mention a lot of the animation seems rather choppy. Anchor Bay fixed that problem with better picture quality, and all the scenes intact, and without that choppy animation in certain places. The only advantage United American version has is no subtitles, but since it's not widescreen, you won't be able to see everything. Despite the drawback of subtitles on the Anchor Bay version, if you want the dubbed-in-English version of this European sci-fi masterpiece, go for the Anchor Bay version and avoid the earlier United American edition.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie... VERY annoying subtitles
Review: I was fortunate enough to have seen this feature in the theater when it was shown here in the U.S. It haunted me for years... I had never seen anything like it before or since. Then, one day, I saw where Fantastic Planet was going to be shown on USA Network's "Night Flight" show they had running a few years ago, so I was excited to get the chance to tape it. That was my only copy for a long time, and then I saw where it was available on DVD, so I jumped at the chance to get it! Unfortunately, I should have waited until a few people had reviewed it first... if I had known there were "permanent subtitles" in this DVD, I would not have purchased it. The "extra features" cannot make up for the fact that you can't turn off those annoying subtitles at the bottom. The version I taped from USA Network didn't have subtitles... the version I saw at the theater didn't have them... and I'm not sure why this DVD was done this way - the permanent subtitles don't add anything to the DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: A good movie for Sci-Fi buffs
Review: Despite the gripes about the subtitles and lack of features on the DVD, I think it's a good movie and worthy to be in my collection. I think the gripes about the subtitles are overblown. I didn't find them that annoying.I had seen this movie when I was 10 years old, and it captivated me ever since. I was amazed when I finally did a web search and found the movie based on only a few flimsy details. 20 years later, I eagerly watched the movie to see if it fulfilled all the expectations I had built up. It did. It is a fascinating, well-thought out movie with interesting allegories to society. It is highly imaginative. The animation is good for 1973, and I find the art pleasing. If you're a Sci-Fi buff, you'll like this movie. If not, don't bother. It's an eclectic niche film. Can't find it at the video store, so I bought it instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Do NOT get the current edition -- permanent subtitles!
Review: First of all, I love the movie and have long wanted to have it on DVD. The quality of the DVD seems fine to me, but it is clear someone did not take the time to consider the subtitle treatment. You can view the movie either with a French or English audio track, but in both cases you have to look at subtitles in English: you have no option to turn the subtitles off. Yes, you're reading this right: the English audio track option includes subtitles for the French translation of the English! A large portion of the reason I enjoy animated features is, not surprisingly, for the animation, and the white wording at the bottom of the screen is annoying and distracting; moreover, it wrecks the lower portion of the movie visually. I have the English version on VHS, without subtitles. Until this DVD is redone, that's the version I'll be watching. Because I speak French, I also want to be able to watch this movie in French without subtitles! I've never encountered a film moved to DVD with a treatment this inept.
Rating:
Summary: Not a good DVD, but a must own film!
Review: The DVD itself is not the greatest quality. This DVD's biggest upset is that it has subtitles which cannot be turned off. They will probably never release a special edition version of this DVD, so you are stuck with this version. With all that said though......this is still a must see/must own for all true sci-fi fans. This is one of the true strange/weird/brain-melt sci-fi films. If you enjoyed David Lynch's version of Dune, the anime Galaxy Express 999, TRON, or A.I. you will probably enjoy this film.
Rating:
Summary: almost interesting story; naive, clumsy animation
Review: Though I'm well aware of all the awards, notoriety, and cult status of this film, thirty 30 after it's making I would be forced to label FANTASTIC PLANET "clumsy and naive." The plot is the most interesting aspect: In the distant future, a gigantic race of blue skinned humanoids rules the land, relegating the tiny-by-comparison, post-civilization humans to the role of mice. They're either charming pets or wild vermin. One such "house pet" figures out how to gain the blue creature's knowledge and ultimately uses it against them, liberating and evolving the tiny, enslaved humans. Unfortunately, the story moves at a lethargic, almost disinterested pace; and the very-european soundtrack does little to keep the tempo moving. As a matter of fact, the end of the film is flaccidly delivered as an almost casual after-thought. Character design and art direction are terribly dated, if not poor, and the animation itself is very limited. Stylistically, I would almost liken the visuals to Terry Gilliam's Monty Ponty animation crossed with YELLOW SUBMARINE. Bear with me for a moment, I'm serious. Imagine Gilliam's muted tones, rolling hills, cut-out animation, and shift in scale crossed with YELLOW SUBMARINE'S surrealism and gadgetry. Unfortunately, FANTASTIC PLANET is neither funny nor visually (or musically) polished. As others have pointed out, the subtitles are annoying to watch with the english dialog. Particularly when they say "FANTASTIC PLANET" and the subtitles read "STRANGE PLANET." The most amusing part of the voice over occurs during the council meetings of the "Traags," or blue skinned giants. One of the council members was voiced by a guy who did voice-overs for THE SUPER FRIENDS, and his annoying, nasally whine is totally obvious. I originally saw this film as a young boy and decided to watch it again with adult eyes. It hasn't gotten any better. If FANTASTIC PLANET were made in America, or made in 2003, it would go completely unnoticed. However, given it's outsider, independent origins, it manages to still attract some level of attention. I would recommend this to animation enthusiasts only. This DVD will easily bore the casual viewer.
Rating:
Summary: subtitles are the problem
Review: i agree with what everyone else has said. you can't turn the subtitles off and it is really distracting to see subtitles that don't match the english. i love this movie but do not recommend it until it get's re-issued with changes and remastered. i wrote to anchor bay who say they have no intentions of reissuing this anytime soon.
Rating:
Summary: Great film, Bad DVD
Review: This is a very good, animated film that I saw in 1973 with NO subtitles and in English... A few years ago it was very disappointing to buy the VHS tape in the English language AND English subtitles (that doesn't match the dialog). The subtitles may be a literal translation of the French language and while interesting to see the difference, once, it's rather tiresome to have the subtitles there, not to mention distracting. It's difficult to rate this DVD because it's a great movie, but the subtitles only version sucks. And I haven't actually bought the DVD because in reading earlier Amazon.com customer reviews it seems the producers are pushing that same cheesed-out VHS tape version, with extra features of course. Why would I buy the same old VHS rendition? I will not buy this DVD version. If an uncensored version is released with the ability to switched off the subtitles, and in the original English language that I'd seen before, then I'll buy it!...
Rating:
Summary: Do not buy this! You will be disappointed!
Review: z??N^$ish subtitles cannot be turned off, and they do not match the English language dialog. For once the dialog is more detailed than the subtitles. The disparity ruins the viewing experience. I wish I would have read the reviews before purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic planet not fantastically transferred
Review: OK, let's get this straight right up front: I love Fantastic Planet. It's a fantastic film (yes, I meant to do that). I was elated to see the DVD arrive at my door. And oh, hurray! Widescreen! Finally I can watch it in widescreen! So I go to watch it in Laloux's preferred version (English, yes - and the flat emotionless voices in the English version are indeed intentional and not "bad acting" for the inhuman Trogs), and oops, the subtitles are still on. And, annoyingly, they are not on the bottom black bar but right over the artwork. I go to turn them off, and - lo and behold - they are already off! The only film print transferred for this DVD has the subtitles on RIGHT OVER THE PICTURE. I've seen videotapes of FP that did better than that (English, no subtitles). The inexcusable laziness of those overlooking the transfer covers up some of the richest art in French animation. It's appalling. I can't even tell you how mad I was when I saw it. All they had to do was do a transfer without subtitles, and have them re-entered as an optional subtitle display (like every other DVD I've seen or owned!). Am I too picky? Perhaps. My other options? Just one right now: Just live with this less-than-completist edition of one of my favorite movies. Guess I'll have to wait and pay...for the Criterion edition... Not that that'll ever hit the shelves. Matt
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