Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003)
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An extraterrestrial pop band is abducted by an Earth military force and forced into a life of manufactured fame.
The story
On an alien planet, a popular band consisting of Octave, Arpegius, Baryl, and Stella is kidnapped by an invading Earth military force. While Arpegius manages to escape briefly, the rest are taken to an underground facility where their memories are replaced with fake ones and their appearance is altered to look human. They are rebranded as 'The Crescendolls' and forced into a life of grueling publicity. Meanwhile, a space pilot named Shep, who has a crush on Stella, discovers the kidnapping and sets out on a mission to rescue the band from their captor, Earl de Darkwood.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The band members are rebranded as The Crescendolls and forced into a life of grueling publicity under the management of Earl de Darkwood. Shep eventually finds the city and flies into a stadium concert with a jet pack, using a beam to free most of the band from mind control, though he is mortally wounded in the process. Stella, still under Darkwood's control, eventually escapes with the help of Baryl and Octave. The band reunites with Shep, who reveals his feelings for Stella before dying. They later discover Darkwood's plan to collect 5,555 Gold Records to rule the universe. During a final confrontation at Darkwood Manor, the band defeats his robotic henchman and Arpegius throws the final Gold Record into a lava-filled chasm, killing Darkwood and his followers. The authorities eventually restore the band's memories and send them back to their home planet via a wormhole. The film concludes with the band performing to universal acclaim, and a statue of Shep is erected. It is implied the entire story was a dream of a young Daft Punk fan.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 65
- Production countries
- France; Japan
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Kazuhisa Takenouchi
- Writers
- Thomas Bangalter · writer; Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo · writer; Cédric Hervet · writer
- Cast and characters
- Daft Punk · Daft Punk; Romanthony · Octave's singing voice; Todd Edwards · DJ Sneak; DJ Sneak · DJ Sneak
- Genres
- anime; musical; science fiction; fantasy adventure
- Themes
- overcoming oppression; rebelling against the machinery of life; noble sacrifice; remembrance of fallen friends
- Tone and mood
- romantic; science fiction
- Setting
- An alien planet with a city of blue-skinned humanoids and Earth's underground facilities and Darkwood Manor.
- Premise and plot tags
- visual album; space adventure; musical; sci-fi
- Source material / true-story basis
- Discovery by Daft Punk
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from various outlets, with the BBC calling it a 'visual and aural treat' and Mania.com praising the blend of music and animation. However, Empire gave it a mixed review, suggesting it might only appeal to fans of the band.
- Production trivia
- The film has no dialogue and consists of the entirety of the Discovery album.; The production cost was reportedly $4 million.; The film was inspired by the duo's childhood hero, Leiji Matsumoto.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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