Runtime:
137 minutes
Directed
by: Luc Besson
Starring:
Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna (unfortunately),
Herbie Hancock (!!)
From:
Literally at least a dozen different production companies
What a movie this is. It's not for everyone but that is part of its charm for me. It does look amazing so seeing it on the big screen is a must if you have even a little desire to give this a shot, See me wax poetic below:
I know I've mentioned this before in other reviews,but as I have mutuals here from around the world and random people who read my reviews can span the globe, I sometimes realize I have to explain things for those that don't live in the U.S of A. You Euros may be surprised, but when I first heard about this film, Valerian and Laureline were comic books characters that I had zero knowledge of . Once I looked into it I discovered that those French comics were wildly popular in Europe and were known elsewhere around the world... except the United States, even though I've heard it could be found in the past in graphic novel form. Most Americans are like me in being totally unfamiliar with this property. A shame, as from what I've heard about the adventures of Valerian and Laureline, it sounds pretty bitchin', something that apparently was one of the many influences on Star Wars.
I haven't reviewed any of his movies here before but in the past I've seen some of Luc Besson's work, including his most famous films. One day I'll get to talking about those... as for this movie, I wasn't sure beforehand if I would think it's awesome, although I was hoping it would be. No matter what I am hoping it is not a money-loser, as this is something that Besson financed independently (this is now the most expensive independent movie ever made) and if it fails, that wouldn't be good for him. I won't be comparing this to his other movies (even The Fifth Element, which I haven't seen in many years) and of course I can't compare it to the comics I haven't read. Henceforth, I'll be reviewing this on its own.
Overall, I understand those who don't care for the movie, even in the slightest, or felt disappointed by it. It's a loud sloppy film which gets sidetracked sometimes (whether or not all those supporting characters that time is spent on are in the comics, I really don't know. I just know for certain that a fan favorite species does appear), the chemistry between the two leads isn't always the best, the acting isn't always top notch, and the story isn't exactly complicated. Plus, the Mass Effect games definitely had an impact on this movie, from the look of the title itself to some of the outfits. BTW, I shudder at thinking of how much Hollywood would screw up the franchise if a movie actually happens, as the first three Mass Effect games are incredible, aside from how the third one ended...
But as I have carped about often the past few months, this not being the typical Hollywood blockbuster which is now focus-grouped to death and homogenized in a dumb attempt to be “appealing to everyone” is a positive to me; this can be weird and be stuffed with bizarre characters and unique alien species and that is refreshing these days.
What helps is that I am one of the few who had the chance to see this in a Premium Large Format auditorium* as the movie is absolutely beautiful, full of many astounding images and a wide array of vibrant colors. I loved looking at that unique world and I was always invested in the movie as I wanted to see what brilliant sights or zany creatures would be next. It also sounds great and a cool score from Alexandre Desplat; unfortunately many of the Premium Large Format screens are tied up with other things, so I know many people won't have that opportunity, even if they want to see it that way.
As an aside, I knew beforehand that Rihanna had a supporting role. I realize this is not a popular opinion to have, but I think that her music is pretty putrid and I think she's a heinous human being, a drug-abusing irresponsible loser. Thankfully that did not ruin the film. I won't spoil who else is in the cast as that was unknown to me beforehand and there were several surprises when I saw the opening credits. The biggest one of all was that the movie has another musician as an actor, but this one is infinitely more talented than Rihanna and them acting in fictional roles is extremely rare, so Besson must be a huge fan of their work.
These days, some people try WAY too hard to make something into “a cult film”, and usually it's not a lot of fun as it's so forced it's not fun. Here, this is naturally something that will be a cult favorite in the years to come. It's a wild pulpy tale and not everyone will love it due to its faults, but I say it gives the film plenty of charm and while I suspect it won't be successful in the United States, tastes around the world are different so maybe it'll earn more greenback there. From Wikipedia, the two leads as portrayed here seem accurate to the comics; fans may think differently. Regardless, while the characters here aren't always great, the movie itself has plenty of character and even though the movie doesn't reaches the highs of The Fifth Element, those that enjoy science fiction may very well have as much of a blast with this as I did.
* That is now the accepted term to use for auditoriums that have giant screens and fancy sound systems. That includes the enormous screens of the original IMAX, the much smaller modern IMAX screens (commonly known as LieMAX), Cinemark's XD, Regal's RPX, and similar ones from smaller chains. To me, all of them are worth going to but Dolby Cinema at AMC is a step above the rest. That's how I saw this film and I am very happy I got that opportunity.
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