Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem

Similar to DJ Qbert's Wave Twisters, the French house duo of Daft Punk have taken their entire Discovery recording and used it as the soundtrack for an animated feature. Their video for "One More Time" sets the stage, as four blue-skinned musicians from another galaxy rock their home crowd, only to be abducted by an insect-like army of thugs in gas masks that take them back to Earth in order to exploit their talent. With their skin transformed to flesh tones and their past erased from their memory, they're ready to become the largest music outfit on the planet: the Crescendolls. With the heroic efforts of a friend, the brainwashed band must fight to regain their identity and crush the evil record empire that has stolen their lives and exploited them for financial gain. The main element that Interstella 5555 succeeds in accomplishing is giving new life to Daft Punk's sophomore release. The retro-house vibes and '80s guitar licks seemed a tad corny when Discovery was first dropped two years ago, but work magnificently with Leiji Matsumoto's Japanese designs. There's no dialogue in the film, which is fine because it allows for the musical aspect to be felt in full range, although Interstella definitely would have benefited from sound effects to give the action more impact. The end result feels like an hour-long music video, when it could have been so much more. The DVD is quite slim on extras, and again there are no voices to be heard. Character files and biographies are all text, and visual extras, such as the animation editing of "Digital Love," aren't terribly interesting. This DVD would have benefited immensely with a documentary or any indication of the developments of Daft Punk's idea to create a house musical. Plus: interactive game, karaoke and trailers. (Virgin/EMI)