Light Years

Essentially, what we have here is an animated sci-fi/fantasy story similar to those in "Heavy Metal" magazine. The plot follows the efforts of a warrior from a futuristic utopian society as he attempts to discover the source of an invasion of robot-like creatures. (The title of the original novel upon which this film is based is Metal Men Against Gandahar by Jean-Pierre Androvan.) A turgid script is offset by superb animation, featuring fluid movement and creative scene design. There is also an imaginative array of unusual creatures. Gabriel Yared's lively soundtrack complements the production style, and headlining the voice talent is Glenn Close as the Queen Ambisextra. From the credits, it's often difficult to determine who actually did what in the production of this film. Some of the advertising material hypes Isaac Asimov as screenwriter, yet within the body of the film, Raphael Cluzel is credited. There is apparently a French version (the original) and an American version of Light Years. Harvey Weinstein is credited for directing the American release. The original adaptation is by Rene Laloux (Fantastic Planet). Recommended. (Elliott Swanson).