Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
France 137m, Colour
Director: Luc Besson; Cast: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, Herbie Hancock, Kris Wu, Rutger Hauer
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is an inventive and visually stunning science fiction film based on the French comic book Valérian et Laureline about 28th century space-time agents who find themselves at the center of a conspiracy that has covered up the destruction of an idyllic planet and its peaceful inhabitants. Comparable in look and tone to The Fifth Element (1997), Besson’s other widely criticized science-fiction fantasy, Valerian is a much better movie than critics had led me to believe. Unfortunately like many, I made the mistake of not seeing this very enjoyable film while it was in theatres (Klaus Ming November 2017).
2 comments on “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)”
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I enjoyed this, and, like you, I wish I’d seen it in a theater. It’s no Fifth Element, though.
I think the cast is a nowhere near as good as the earlier movie (particularly DeHaan vs. Willis),and the story hints at various themes and arcs but doesn’t nail them. For example, at the beginning Valerian and Laureline are self-centered jerks (it’s obvious in his case — and remember that when they escape Big Market the entire squad of men helping them is slaughtered, and Laureline’s only comment when they get on their ship to escape is that her dress is ruined), and they sort of get less so, but it doesn’t really pay off.
Rihanna is great, but there’s not enough of her. I assume they only had her for a limited time — certainly it would have been easy to have her character stick around longer.
Indeed, The Fifth Element is a superior film.
I think that a lot of people got hung up on the fact that Valerian and Laureline were “self-centered jerks” — and dismissed the film. Indeed they are supposed to flawed characters — like you said, this didn’t seem to pay off in the end.
I would like to see a sequel – though i’m probably in the minority 🙂