I remember first seeing this animated movie on telly back in late 1987. At the time I had no idea who René Laloux was. This was his second feature, after his cult classic Fantastic Planet. It's a film which is much less known and only ever played on British TV one further time after that screening back in the 80's. It seems like Laloux had mixed feelings on it. It was animated by a team in Hungary for budget reasons and the results are uneven at times, with some of the animated characters being fairly basic/ropey. Having said that, other characters are rendered very well and many of the backdrops are beautiful. Like Fantastic Planet, it has an effective sound design too, with atmospheric minimalistic electronic soundscapes (very French). Also like that film, there is some great imagination in the creation of the alien world where most of the action takes place, with some imaginative vegetation and animal life. While it also has to be said that the way the story is wrapped up is kind of cool. So, while this one may have a few minor issues, it is nevertheless totally worth watching, especially if you like off-beat animation.
Review of Time Masters
