In 1982, Bulgarian cartoonist and animator Rumen Petkov released his futuristic take on the acclaimed Robert Louis Stevenson novel Treasure Island called The Treasure Planet. Not to be confused with the Disney feature of the same name, the film is somewhat historically significant as being one of the very first animated feature films produced in Bulgaria. Despite an English dub being made years ago, the film has only recently seemed to have gotten a notable cult following on the internet due to how strangely surreal the execution of the whole film is. So why exactly is this bizarre feature beloved for the wrong reasons?
The film centers around adventurer Felipe who ventures on a quest with Commander Smollet to retrieve a magic gem that will bring life back to earth. By utilizing the Stevenson novel through a robotic sci-fi setting, The Treasure Planet's approach to the adventure angle is truly out of this world. One has to wonder if Petkov and his crew behind the feature were making the story up as they went along, because even the general goal of Long John Silver and his crew seeking out the treasure for their own desires goes all over the place in how difficult it is for them to do a basic act of villainy. No matter where the characters go or do throughout the story, there are so many unexpected twists and turns that could make one bust a gut laughing from the sheer absurdity on screen. Whether or not the original Bulgarian dub takes the movie more seriously than the English dub, it even sounds like the voice cast are making stuff up as the film goes along. It's almost like the people behind the project knew they were making the sci fi equivalent of an animated 70s fever dream, so they might as well go out with it all.
With all of that said, the art direction is nothing short of astounding in how gorgeous the environments and effects are and how hideously laughable the actual animation is. On top of the characters looking nearly identical as these strange amphibian looking robots or aliens with bare minimum attire, they all jerk around when they move so much that it feels like they're all on the verge of epilepsy. There are a lot of phenomenal compositing effects shots and transitions that are remarkable for their time, and one must give props to all the hard work pulled off from a studio in a country that lacked the resources others had to make any kind of animated film. Another added bonus is the soundtrack which features a mix of jarringly static early video game sounds and a refreshingly dated score courtesy of Boris Karadimchev and the popular Bulgarian rock group Tangra. All of these astonishingly outlandish production qualities make the film feel like a janky drug trip that frightens you even when you're sober, and it truly makes the film a time capsule worth analyzing to infinity and beyond.
Where it lacks in telling a cohesive story, The Treasure Planet more than makes up it all with phenomenally wonky visuals and sheer surreal beauty. There has never been a feature film this strangely cobbled together before and there most likely isn't to this day, so by all means give this feature a watch for yourself. It truly is one of those films that must be seen to be believed, as this short review can hardly do the film any justice without giving anything away. Even if you end up hating it, you will definitely walk away having remembered at least one piece of memorabilia from this masterpiece of surreal madness.
