Stars Dane DeHann, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Sam Spruell, with Rihanna, Herbie Hancock, Kris Wu, Alain Chabat, and Ethan Hawke Directed by Luc Besson The prospect of Luc Besson returning to science fiction films is enticing given the highly imaginative and very appealing The Fifth Element back in 1997. Then again, there have been so many advances in effects and film presentation in the last 20 years, that coming up with something fresh and enticing for a very jaded sci-fi / fantasy audience weaned on the likes of Avatar, Star Trek reboots, Star Wars revivals, trips through The Matrix not to mention the TV escapism of Battlestar Galactica (2004 - 2009) or even The Expanse (2015-). Heady competition indeed. This is a time when original Sci-Fi / Fantasy adventure isn’t really thriving and audiences will pounce on anything not living up to their expectations, no matter how ridiculous those expectations may be. I’m not making excuses nor giving validations, I’m just going by what the movie was to me backed by some knowledge of the comics the movie is based on. And I like a majority of Besson’s movies going back to the likes of Atlantis (1991), The Big Blue (1988), La Femme Nikita (1990), Subway (1985), and more. The man has an atypical sense of humour, often clashing the normal with the odd or absurd, and somehow making them all part of the same world. You can se this happening in films like Adele Blanc-Sec (2010), The Family (2013), Angel-A (2005), and even The Fifth Element where a majority of the characters are obviously out of their element (no pun intended) like Ruby Rhod or Father Vito Cornelius. A lot of what he likes and does in his movies are here in Valerian. And more. The movie opens with two remarkable set-pieces that are practically masterpieces at film-making in their own right. The first is the origin of Alpha, its history spanning over 200+ years, showcasing some of the more imaginative alien designs put to screen, most of them adapted straight from the comics. All this plays out backed by the haunting Bowie track, Space Oddity. Following quickly is the introduction to an alien species later called The Pearls, their lives and their cultures before the destruction of their planet that serves as a plot point to the main story. This sequence alone is gorgeous in design and execution, playing out in near silent movie mode save for Alexandre Desplat’s amazing score and the alien’s own minimal language. Then the movie proper kicks in and so do the few problems with the story. Besson remains fairly faithful to the characters in the comics where the writing is concerned, but something is a little lost in the translation in terms of performance by Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne as Valerian and Laureline respectively. Their escapades are not unlike the comics where the characters may stumble from one plot point to another but the flirtatious chemistry between them doesn’t translate as well as one would hope. They do try, tho, knowing they’re playing second fiddle to the world their characters inhabit. Of course you have your oddball characters and casting as a string of characters flit on and off screen, not many having the opportunity to truly establish themselves save for one or two set-pieces. Bubble (Rhianna) gets her moment to shine; Ethan Hawke’s Jolly the Pimp, Alain Chabat’s Bob the Pirate, or even Herbie Hancock’s Defence Minister amount to nothing more that colourful cameos. Briefer still feature the likes of Rutger Hauer or directors Louis Letterier, Gerard Krawczyk and Olivier Megaton popping in and out as other American directors used to do in a John Landis film. It might be clear the cast had more fun making the movie. Still, Besson does throw together an escapade of an adventure that scours through Alpha, the titular City of a Thousand Planets, and it’s many areas or territories. Before that is a romp through the Grand Bazaar, a multi-layered and multi-dimensional marketplace which could give Alpha a run for its money in terms of depth and design. Suffice to say, this is a visual feast that warrants multiple viewings with a serviceable story. Some may enjoy it, but quite likely, many will find it pedestrian. The threat isn’t quite the galactic consuming Evil of The Fifth Element, but there’s also nothing wrong with keeping the scale a little on the smaller side, like the extinction of one alien species for nefariously selfish purposes. This is a sci-fi adventure in an older sense, based on a comic that found its success in the 1970s influenced by the space adventures of the pulp era. Get past the performances of the leads and you have an enjoyable and highly entertaining visual extravaganza that you will very likely want to revisit time and again. Rating ***1/2 /5 Find the best online deals here. | Barnes and Noble | Google Play Store | Book Depository Discover more about the books here. Please Support.
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