Insektors: The Movie

Insektors: The Movie is a 1996 French computer-animated film, and is the first ever Insektors movie. The movie was released in France on March 8, 1996.

Plot
The plot of the film revolves around Fulgor/Flynn trying to stop Queen Bakrakra/Katheter from using a giant machine to destroy Flower City and enslave the Joyces/Verigreens. Along the way, he must also deal with Prince Acylius's/Prince Maximillian's attempts to win over Aelia's/Alex's affections.

Distributed
The film was distributed by Gaumont Film Company and Buena Vista International (now Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures).

Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Insektors: The Movie was composed by Philippe Chany and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. It was released on CD on March 5, 1996 by Milan Records.

Animation
Insektors: The Movie was animated entirely in CGI at Fantome Animation Studios in Paris, France; this makes it one of the earliest CGI films ever made (predating Toy Story), as well as one of only a handful of hand-drawn 2D animated features that were converted into 3D CG during production (the others being Beowulf & Grendel, Looney Tunes: Back in Action and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle).

Trailers
The film's trailers were released in France on February 8, 1996.

Production
Insektors: The Movie was in production for two years at a cost of $15 million. It was the most expensive French animated film ever made at the time of its release.

Development
The development of Insektors: The Movie began in 1994, after the success of the TV series. The original plan was to make a direct-to-video sequel, but Gaumont Film Company suggested that it be turned into a theatrical feature instead.

Casting
Casting for Insektors: The Movie took place in early 1995, with David Gasman reprising his role as Fulgor/Flynn and Karen Strassman returning as Aelia/Alex. Teddy Kempner replaced Paul Bandey as Lord Krabo/Draffsack, while Andy Secombe took over from Edward Marcus as General Lukanus/Wasabi. Neil McCaul joined the cast as Teknocratus/Synapse and Protokol/Kopius respectively.

Release / Screening / Home media
Insektors: The Movie premiered at Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 1996; it went on general release in France on March 8, 1996. It was released in the United Kingdom on June 14, 1996 and in the United States on July 19, 1996.

The film was screened out of competition at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 10, 1996.

Insektors: The Movie was released on VHS and Laserdisc by Buena Vista Home Video (now Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment) in North America on November 12, 1997; it was later released on DVD in France by Gaumont Buena Vista Home Entertainment (now StudioCanal)on September 3, 2003 and in the UK by Optimum Releasing 	(now Studiocanal UK)on May 7 2007.

Reception / Box office
Insektors: The Movie received mixed reviews from critics; while some praised its visuals and humor, others criticized its plot and characters. On Rotten Tomatoes ,the film has a "rotten" rating of 40% based 	on 9 reviews with an average rating of 5/10 .On Metacritic ,the film has a score of 47 out 100 based 	on 15 critics ,indicating "mixed or average reviews".

The film grossed $12 million worldwide against its $15 million budget, making it a box office bomb.

Accolades
Insektors: The Movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 69th Academy Awards in 1997 ,but lost to Pixar's Toy Story. It is currently one of only two French animated films ever to be nominated for an Oscar (the other being Sylvain Chomet's Triplets of Belleville).

The film won the César Award for Best Animation Film at the 22nd César Awards in 1997. Insektors: The Movie was also nominated for five Annie Awards :Best Animated Feature ,Outstanding Achievement in Music Score ,Outstanding Individual Achievement For Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production (David Gasman as Fulgor/Flynn) Outstanding Individual Achievement For Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Feature Production (Karen Strassman as Aelia/Alex) and Outstanding Writing In An AnimatedFeature Production. However, it failed to win any of them.

Legacy
Despite its mixed reception and financial failure, Insektors: The Movie has gained a cult following over the years; some have even called it "one of France's most underrated films".

Insektors: The Movie was ranked #93 in Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010.

In 2012, Complex included the film on their list of "The 25 Most Underrated Animated Movies". In 2014, IndieWire listed it as one of the 20 best animated films that never got an American release.

Insektors: The Movie was ranked #8 on Paste magazine's list of "The 20 Best Animated Movies You've Never Seen" in 2015.

A sequel to Insektors: The Movie, titled Insektors 2: The Return of the Yuks/Kruds, was released direct-to-video in France on March 5, 2002. It received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office bomb, grossing just $1 million against its $10 million budget.