The Sixth Element? Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (Video Review)
Like most people, I didn’t bother watching Director Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets when it hit the movie theaters. The critics panned the movie badly, so I waited until the video release to watch it. Based on the comic book series of the same name, much of the movie Valerian reminded me more of Besson’s The Fifth Element.
Lots of parallels.
If there’s a Sixth Element, it’s a dimension that involves virtual reality, psychedelic pearls, and lots more lasers and aliens.
The movie features plenty of action and plenty of neon. All in all, I agree with most critics that the film’s main attraction is its sumptuous visuals. In nearly every scene, we are treated to a scenic masterpiece: cities in space, dreamy planets, and more alien creations than you could fit in a Star Wars bar scene.
VR provides another dimension.
Anyone who likes ultraviolet jellyfish and that tingly, zappy lightning stuff won’t be disappointed. It’s like going into the future with a virtual reality headset. One shot of the Alpha station evokes a Ghibli composition and from there it goes to Las Vegas Venetian skies, but once we reach the main destination, the dominant visual tone is Battlestar Galactica-themed laser tag.
You can see most of it in this trailer:
Life on the pearl planet.
The visuals are impressive (probably even more so in 3D), yet the overall effect of the movie remains hokey on some level. It maintains that artificial deference that some directors seem to use when they’re working from comic books. The characters suffer the most from this disconnect. I wouldn’t call the acting terrible, but it’s plain and unremarkable. Dane DeHaan is cold and one dimensional. Perhaps Cara Delavingne can act, but Director Luc Besson does not put her in a position to succeed. She has no chance to create a strong female role like Natalie Portman or Milla Jovovich did more memorably in previous Besson films.
Are you getting the idea? They have these same fixed facial expressions for the entire movie.
The two leads here aren’t likeable. They barely look old enough to drive a spaceship, but of course the fate of the universe is in their hands. Besides appearing more like brother and sister than two people who might have a romantic interest in one another, they have zero chemistry and we don’t see the first smile until about the 45th minute (if there was an earlier one, I missed it).
Most of the time, they are grimmer than Herbie Hancock, who is instantly recognizable in his signature glasses. I guess they couldn’t get him to wear a duct tape bikini or a lizard mask dripping with slime. Perhaps the serious mood is in keeping with the comic book franchise, but despite the playful and imaginative scenery on the journey they take, the main actor and actress do not look like they’re having fun. Their quest is businesslike and their dialogue seems forced.
Herbie Hancock must have included the glasses in his contract.
The film’s storyline is the blank slate that director Luc Besson needed to take the next imaginative step beyond his 1997 movie The Fifth Element. There are some parallels in this dream. There’s the pervasive evil disturbance that the main characters set out to discover and eliminate, requiring a trip to another world. There’s the missing link that makes it all right in the end. There are the larger than life characters, both alien and human, who appear at every juncture and form the living landscape of the journey.
By “larger than life”, I mean these figures are role players in the exaggerated comic book style, often more of a visual distraction than key parts of a fast-moving storyline. The pace slows down noticeably only to bring in Rihanna as a shapeshifting stripper. She ends up being a bright point, but leaves us too soon as noise envelopes the story once more.
Rihanna's cameo is actually a high point, not just for the striptease, but because her character provides a bit of warmth in the film.
I almost missed Chris Tucker’s Ruby Rhod character from The Fifth Element. As in that movie, there is a scene at the departure point before reaching the next-stage destination (Fhloston Paradise in The Fifth Element and Alpha in Valerian). And instead of Ruby Rod, we are given a tour guide with a gigantic turban and a hippy bus. But he doesn’t last as long as the stripper.
Ruby Rhod from the Fifth Element.
The turban tour guide in Valerian.
The last 40 minutes of the movie are a slight improvement. It’s almost as if someone flips a switch, since the plot and the actors loosen up noticeably. Until then, I wasn’t optimistic that the story would resolve itself in any way other than its one dimensional trajectory would suggest. For a short time, it becomes unglued from that page. The actors show a hint of passion and some smiles. It finally appears as if they had rehearsed a scene together.
In the end, I don’t like having to watch a movie only because someone tells me it is a “must see” visual treat. The sideshow figures and critters are memorable again here, and the action is omnipresent, but please give me a movie along with them, even if it is from a comic book. Besides those highlights, there isn’t a good reason to watch Valerian. It reminded me of a SyFy channel movie on a bigger budget.
If you enjoy imaginative visuals and Besson’s sideshow characters with a dose of action, you might enjoy Valerian. But if you need a movie with characters and a plot, then feel free to skip this one. It’s missing some elements.
All images of the movie are from Valerian: City of a Thousand Planets from EuropaCorp and STXfilms. Images of Bruce Willis/Milla Jovovich and Chris Tucker are from The Fifth Element from Columbia Pictures. The last image is a widely circulated meme originating with Lord of the Rings by New Line Cinema.
Man, if it even captures 10% of the feeling and aesthetic of The Fifth Element, I might just watch it for nostalgia's sake. Thanks for putting it on my radar.
~ Kevin
You might get 10%, but not close to 100%. :)
I'll take what I can get...and I'll rewatch The 5th Element for the 100th time ;)
ohh great creation movie never seen before like this @donkeypong
Good thoughts here. I reviewed this film, too. Lots of style over substance, but I could see some technical awards this season.
Thanks. I'll have to go back and look at your review as well. Definitely style over substance; this director pretty much threw anything and everything in.
I can understand the appeal of more is more, but, often, it's less :)
The concept of the weird VR tour was a cool idea. There were many cool ideas here. It was just really hard to keep up with the actual acting of it...
Yeah. The acting was horrible. The script was terrible, too. It might be fun to read a translation of the comics to see what was so inspiring in the first place. Besson had been wanting to make this flick for years, but you have to wonder why?
idk I really enjoyed that movie thought it had a lot of unique and cool ideas in it along with creatures.
"One does not simply fix bad writing, bad acting and Jar Jar Binks with 3D." HAHA, I haven't had good laugh like that in awhile. Thanks for the in-depth review. I think I'll revisit The Fifth Element now instead of watching Valerian. What's the next movie on the list for you to watch?
Haven't picked the next one yet. Any good suggestions?
I've heard good things about Bright on Netflix. I just finished reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain, so I'm going to check out this oldie by Bing Crosby over the weekend: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041259/
Bright was crap, an opinion shared by almost as many people as this movie XD
Touche, guess I should skip it. Thanks for the heads up. Got one to rec me?
Lots but you need to be specific on what you seek
I'm in the mood for either sci-fi, western or thriller.
Not sure if you've seen these: Moon, El Topo, Donnie Darko.
I haven't! Thanks, I'll check them out soon.
I love Besson's films. It's always a terrific sight. It is not necessary to think about the plot of the film)) I'm sure this film is worthy of attention
Thanks for the review!
Ever since this interview, Cara Delevingne has kind of bugged me; although, the morning show anchors bugged me in this clip, too...
Yes. I'm not sure I've seen her in anything else yet (don't think so), but this wasn't a good introduction.
a very interesting post
The 3 Cs take away for me: Build a genuine interest and provide value before you look at the gain. How can I join the Alliance group?
An exciting and challenging movie. Hopefully I can watch this movie later. Thanks for your sharing and recommendation this movie @donkeypong.
I agree with you @donkeypong, I'm sure this is a really great movie. Thanks for share @donkeypong
I haven't bothered to watch it but i'm sure I will at some stage when I come across it on covenant. The fifth element however is a classic.
Bruce willis and a hot confused alien, what's not to love. To be fair the plot and visuals were actually decent as well which turned it into a great watch. It's still one I will leave on when it's showing on the tv.
The Fifth Element was better than this one unless you like raw visuals and action.
Very interesting movie... i wait until it release
@donkeypong - Hmm. As soon as I read the title, my mind did draw parallels to the 5th Element. I do love visual effects but am kind of fed up of the lasers poking me in the eye in recent 3D movies. I certainly do not want purple jellyfish tingling my nostrils.
3D has become kind of 'dr.fixit' for all shortcomings as you have correctly pointed out.
I would be freaking out within first 10 minutes of the movie if I saw those wooden expressions for one more minute! Aarrgggh. They are worse than models' expressions during a ramp walk.
Worst of all - instead of the Chris Tucker with attitude, I get to see a Turbaned tour guide? I see enough of those already in real life - Thank you!
Thanks for this comprehensive review (and heads up). Will avoid watching even as a re-run! LOL
Upvoted full.
Regards,
@vm2904
"Wooden expressions" is a good way to put it. They held them for almost the entire movie.
Seriously, you said my mind. They now cover so many loopholes with 3D. I mean, what the hell!!!
I'm all for good writing, nice plots, compelling dialog and excellent delivery. I don't give a damn about 3D or whatever D they choose to use.
did you watch Moon?
I can only say thank you for making sure that I’m not watching this film at all now, excepting maybe when it’s on Netflix and can serve as a pretty muted background collage of images, but dayum, that’s a lot of votes for a movie review which is incredibly consistent with the general feelings about valerian. For me to get such votes at this point in time I believe I would have to write the seventh element, or at least seven minutes abs. But it is POS after all, and you are donkeypong. I’ll take this over bitcoin and Satoshi rolling around in her grave. Love, Alx
You wouldn't believe it. Their chemistry was just soo off. It was ridiculous...
This is a very nice review, movie directors should give you a role to play in reviewing or going through movies before they are published, I will definitely see the movie, and mark your points out.
For me the characters and plot are a must, unfortunately very few sci-fi movies are blessed with such "details" nowadays. I quickly get bored of only visual stuff, no matter how entertaining.
The Ruby character from the Sixth Element was hilarious btw :) I hope they will make movies of that caliber in the future because I'm kind of losing fate in the sci-fi genre, even though I like it a lot.
That's how I feel also. I love scifi, but it's become so lazy overall. There aren't many decent storylines or characters.
Did you watch Moon?
I don't think so.
please do, it's low budget sci fi thriller/mystery at its finest
Thanks for the suggestion re: Moon. I was just jokingly complaining about not having an alternative after reading this review :)
no problem
No
I wasn't asking you but watch it regardless to see how a low budget can still produce good sci fi
@donkeypong I just watched this movie and Hollywood directors sadly needs to go away and do some soul searching. Their tired story lines , abuse of CGI plus always wanting to copy the avatar or whatever blockbuster movie is irritating. That's why i truly wish TRX Coin would fund movies from young directors with a fresher ideas for movies.
Do you like marvel movies too? sir @donkeypong ?
I felt like the characters were really unbelievable... like the protagonist... he was supposed to be an unpredictable "bad boy." He did not sell it at all.
He behaved like some random college kid they found on the street. Elite agent my butt.
This movie was one of the best
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Agreed, very unconvincing indeed
Science fiction is the chief role of our dreams!! @donkeypong @jasonyoakam
I am right there with you, I really miss the 70s style sci-fi, (pre-star wars)
where they had great dystopic stories that were usually depressing.
Modern Indecent and Foreign sci-fi films are sometimes really good if you can overlook the issues that come from filming with a small budget.
Nothing beats Le Planete Savage in psychedelic dystopia. Second place goes to Gandahar. Third to Zardoz. Fourth to Logan's Run.
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A lot of you guys don't even know that this Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets inspired Star Wars and many other sci-fi books and movies. I'm not saying this movie is gonna be good or bad, but just know that the graphic novel inspired many of the things we watch and read today. Give this movie a chance, I will
The fifth element was my most favorite sci fi movie back in the day, also ghost in the shell anime movie. I was going to watch valerian but never really was interested. It just didn't really look appealing to me. Good review by the way @donkeypong.
Heart touching and really nice story. @donkeypong
A lot of you guys don't even know that this Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets inspired Star Wars and many other sci-fi books and movies. I'm not saying this movie is gonna be good or bad, but just know that the graphic novel inspired many of the things we watch and read today. Give this movie a chance, I will @donkeypong
The books are beloved by many and yes, they were influential. If you like them that much, you might enjoy the movie, but I didn't.
I think Rihanna's play is the most important factor for watching @donkeypong
Thanks for your vote :)
Ey Tom, I actually enjoyed this movie so much!! I wasn't expecting much to be honest but it was a nice surprise!
I'm glad you liked it. In the right mood, I can see enjoying the ride as long as you acknowledge there isn't much more to it.
İ think visuals was really amazing but the real problem was everything was so open. Movie doesnt surprize me at all but overall it was nice.
I think there might be a problem with the casting here... Compared to the 5th element cast, this kids look too young and trying too hard to look cool whereas in T5thE Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman were just so right in their element it made the movie flow naturally. I hope I'm mistaken and they blow me away.
@donkeypong
Sadly, you are not mistaken. The casting was poor. The movie gave me no reason to like either of them. Even with flat direction, two decent actors could have carried it better than they did. Bruce Willis never won any acting awards (as far as I know), but he had force and charisma on the screen at all times. These people didn't have help from the director and they couldn't fill any gaps on their own.
I've watched it before. I think I will watch again(you brought the thought back) a very beautiful film. I think the followers should watch immediately. a fantastic film as a subject.
send me the rihanna you are talking about in the film :))) @donkeypong
Thanks for sharing. A carefully crafted review🙏☺️
Well @donkeypong,
One should i must admire that your level of analysis and review regarding this movie is above than standard, You have very great quality you don't take things in a negative way but make them correct and put the solutions often too. Which shows your level and caliber.
As far as the The Sixth Element? Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is concerned you just have nailed the review in a very deep and detailed way.
Duplication and copy of the scenes always make a video/movie less worthy. Director Luc Besson’s is a big name no doubt but sometimes he goes beyond the innovation which many viewers do not like.
I am sure the review you have done in your article took much effort than the script writer of this Movie.
By the way i would like to watch this movie by keeping your review in my mind.
Thanks for writing such a detailed and worth reading Movie-review
Stay Blessed, Steem On!
I liked Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, I think it was a fun, visually beautiful looking film. I also thought Rihanna did a good job as well in her small role. The potential is there when it comes to character and story buliding but there isn’t enough action to balance out the exposition and the dialogue is really silly a lot of times... It simply isn't a movie I enjoyed.
Great post! I love to see that trailer again. I love to give upvotes tonight :)
nah this is wonderful
why man?
why man?
This movie looks like it's going to be all over the place . . .
I like it.
@donkeypong. The movie to me was a disappointment. I believe if James Cameron had directed this movie it would be a masterpiece.
Interesting, I love the 5th Element so I think I will check this out if I get the chance, I have probably seen the 5th element 10 times, of course it won't be as good without Bruce Willis and Milla
i love this movie soooo and sooo muchh <3 especially the technolgy and graphics they used and both hero heroin are looking damn cute.
Thanks for sharing
love it tooooooo
Really interesting conspiracy. I have watched the movie and i have to say it's boring and unentertaining the cgi was bad in some moments and the actors were not convincing. I would rate the movie a 4/10
donkeypong I have read your post.I try to understand of your point of view.I am also 100% sure that this is a really great movie and it is more entertaining one.If I will chance I must watch this great movie.You always share informative, analytic post.Thanks to sharing this post,
nice one mate
why did u unpost my comment mate. it did not meant any harm
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I have seen this movie. And Aman likes it very much. Because of its graphics and its time and people are very strange. This movie was created in different categories.
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Am not a science fiction freak, so i would pass seeing the movie. Nice review of the movie @donkeypong. At least i have an idea of movie even if i do not get to watch it.
Dear sir, thanks for your reviewing the movies. Sixth element have made the movies more animated. But I think in my little own point of view the fifth element, Ruby Rhod is most popular. I really say that I have not seen the Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets fully. But I inspired and happy to read your review and I will see the full movie today if possible. Thanks @donkeypong
Thx for the review can't wait to see it, love these kind of movies..
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It's a nice move and I enjoyed watching it. Nice post too @donkeypong :)
Your reaction to this movie reminds me of going to the movies with my parents when I was a child during the time of the 3-D movies where you had to wear the glasses. Everybody was squealing loudly in fear but I didn't get that those movies were so fearful! I think the audiences felt they were expected to react in that way! Lol
Those things were headache-inducing, too.
Well, I enjoyed the "Gangster's Paradise" music in the climax of the trailer...that's about it lol.
Fifth Element holds a special place in my heart! Classic Bruce with everything you want in an Action/Sci Fi/Adventure !
great post. upvote me thanks :)
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great post friend really I hope to continue enjoying your wonderful content in the community steem Blessings Greetings from the other side of the world!
Thanks for the heads up and most thorough review my friend. As I appreciate more a plot and characters, I my skip this one as you recommend.
I know I'm a little old school but all the special effects in the world can not replace a good plot. I long for the twists and the turns of an intricate plot where I might actually be surprised at the outcome. Hard to find these days.
Your review was pretty much aligned with how I felt the entire time while watching.
The movie, while visually impressive, was not very well put together in terms of acting or flow from scene to scene.
Extremely confusing at times and very boring at others. I ended up turning the movie off and going to bed about 30 minutes before the ending.
Your review is so on point it is scary. I feel like the leads were acting with guns to their heads.
Now I also really really want to watch the Fifth Element Again.
I like ideas in Valerian about how the futuristic world can look like. Especially the VR thing. The main picture of the movie was very good, 3D was very well made and I love these actors!
But... scenario and their acting... I'm not here to criticise but... Let's say it could be better.
I waited for any hints of a love story to fire up so they could finally come to conclusion and rip each other's clothes. But no, they should be two Bellas from Twilight. And talk with robot face. Even in the end, they looked like brother and sister. And there was no exit from a friend zone...
hahah that was funny
why unpost my reply. it was meant not to disrespect
kidding me? I watched this movie three times. My fave part was the Rihana scene. I LOVE HER. The strip tease was on point. Graphics impressed me and i love the lead characters. The movie was great
Yaaaayyyyy! At last, someone who enjoyed the movie like I did. @kivar, I feel you!
i don't know why there has to be critics for everything. I'D WATCH IT AGAIN IF I HAD THE CHANCE TO
Haven't watched the movie, but I'm sure a lot of the reason why movies like this are so much duller and more generic in their feel is that Hollywood realized that as international audience revenue grew at the box office they would have to cater to them to maintain profit margins. This has led to major studios only pushing for safe investments and shying away from topics, subjects and imagery that might be deemed offensive in some of the larger markets like China.
As the creatives have less and less control in big budget movies we've seen them become tamer in their film-making approaches as they don't want to be punished for wasting filming dollars on scenes they know will be cut by the studio. Add to that the increased use of statistics to pre-screen for elements they know will appease the broad audience and they've honed holly big budget movies down into a narrow subset of extremely sameish-feeling excuses for action, physical comedy and large explosions, which are all things that translate well across language and cultural barriers.
So while they've increased their share abroad and held onto the mass market domestically they've willingly let go of the intellectuals amongst us who have ourselves benefited from a resurgence of thought-provoking television, whose long-form allows for far greater character and plot development and tackling of the issues than any two movie romp could ever do. The sad fact is that as a percentage of the market those with discriminating tastes can't influence the box office that much, but at least we can binge watch a few quality shows every now and then, or reminisce about how much better Robocop was than the reboot.
robocop was better.
why man
Nice
does this give any ideas donkeypong
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I like this movie just watched it and I do recommend it to all
Fifth Element is one of my favourite movies. It's just so much fun. I'll catch this one some time.
Bruce Willis's acting in the Fifth Element puts these movies beyond comparison.
Great post!
I love the The Fifth Element it is just a good time. I thought I was going to hate Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets but it was good, although... It was no Fifth Element :P
maybe the director needs more funds to make this movie more perfect and appropriate. especially male main actors need a refresher.
Thanks @donkeypong has reviewed
Aside from the lifeless acting, half the movie felt like dead time, as secondary events were taking up most of the duration with slow pacing, leaving very little for the main plot.
For example, calculate how much time was wasted on trying to rescue Laureline from those aliens by side tracking for a shape shifting stripper, when there was a hatch right there in the throne room. For all the time Valerian wasted on trying to sneak in and not cause a mess, he ended up causing a mess and escaped through the hatch. Why didn't he simply use the hatch and be done with it?
So we can have a completely useless strip dance. Not to mention how we are also supposed to care about the stripper afterwards, when in effect she was removed from the plot exactly when her purpose was fulfilled.
You're not wrong there. I liked the stripper, though. I know she was an alien, but my first thought was that she brought a bit of humanity to the screen finally (before being removed). Yes, the plot was a mess.
I might as well add the plot armor of Valerian having the soul of the dead alien inside him, so the rest of them will not oppose him once they meet and the story can conveniently move in his favor without having to kill any of those victimized fellows. For a plot point that was foreshadowed in the beginning of the movie, he dismissed its importance early on, and the aliens on the multi dimensional bazaar did not do something about it right away.
And then it's the plan of the human general to hide the truth of the battle. How exactly would he do that where there were thousands of soldiers fighting on both sides? How do you hide the destruction of a planet by erasing footage and killing a couple of staff members? There were way too many witnesses, enemy side included.
I watched it in the plane last month. I fully agree with your critique. The movie is beautiful, nice to watch. However, the story is not that great, very predictable, and the characters are not attractive.
I could actually say the same for the last Star Wars that I didn't like that much too...
It had some similarities to the recent Star Wars; they are throwing in as much distraction & action as they can now and hoping it keeps people entertained. I enjoyed Star Wars better than this one, though.
Same for me, but the comparison is unfair. I saw Valerian in the plane and Star Wars in 3D in a movie theater (and I was with my family :p ).
hello, science fiction and space movies are mostly watched very often. Of course we would like to have many more of these films. these films give us some clues to inform us of some kind of future generations of technology. Wishing that such films would come out a lot more :)
Its very interesting to watch. I have only watch 5th Element. It was some enjoy to me those days. I read this review completely. So I think I'll watch it soon. Sure....6 Element would be greatest movie. Thanks for introducing.
@donkeypong, Absolutely very impressive too read and watch movie review of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Its series of 6th Elements. The movie features very better arrangement. Film has attractive scene. Further confirmation I'll watch it out. Movie director Luc Besson’s did awesome task for made Valerian nicely.
I've seen past element series. Its my favorite sci fi movie collections. I refer to aliens compared movies including planets. Valerian its indeed. I bet has amazing impressive 3D visual scene. Currently film making without 3D technology its would be unsuccessful. More peoples like to watch with 3D visuals like as me.
Actually I can't wait to watch Rihanna's character from movie. She's act very better in the movie. Finally I tell Valerian is a attractive film to me. But I can give more credit after check out. Thanks for nice movie trailer.
I watched the 5th Element for the visuals I could expect from the trailer. I later learned that famed artist and co-founder of Heavy Metal Magazine, Moebius, was a consultant for that film.
So I watched the trailer to see if there were any parallels or resemblances. I didn't see much, but the trailer does tease with great visuals. I'd watch the film just to see if there are any new or interesting concepts. That's kind of where I go, even if the plot and acting don't work for me.
I watch Jupiter Ascending even after reading reviews that panned it. Yes, it had it's problems, but like the 5th Element, there were some genuinely funny scenes. I suspect Besson has a few of those, too.
Thanks for your review and bringing it here. Now I'm curious to see it just to see if your review does it justice. But I'll be waiting to stream it for cheap when that time comes.
I think is a well written movie i saw it in the cinema and liked it allot!
But i like sci-fi!
Upvoted!
I watch this movie because of Luc Besson as director. After watching The Sixth Element years ago, I kept waiting for his upcoming movies since then.
The sixth element was more enjoyable and lively.
In Valerian, I think Luc Besson was more concentrated in creating his imagination world than the plot.
In my opinion, Dane deHaan is not suitable for playing this kind of chacacter. For me, he was major uninteresting element in the movie.
Nice review sir!
I actually liked the movie. I probably enjoyed it more than The Last Jedi, now that I think about it. What I liked about it the most was that it had that "European Sci Fi" feel to it. It was just different from the usual Star Trek / Star Wars look. I think it will become a cult classic, even though I know it lost a lot of money for its investors.
Awesome movie if you enjoy watching children carry on like pork chops for how ever long.
Thanks for such an in depth review! Going to have to go and watch Valerian now :)
This was super awesome review with some classic image gems so thanks for post!🎥I'm curious about Valerian now...
I might watch it on psychedelics this weekend I liked 5th Element
Lovely movie that
Very nice review, do they even know if I should still watch the movie cause your review has seen it all.
attention to detail It was a science fiction film. thanks for the post ;)
I agree with you that the visual effects in this movie were pretty much the main attraction but I overall enjoyed it. I did feel as though it didn't really live up to my high expectations (in sense of plot and character execusion) but it was still fun to watch.
Great review! Thank you so much for weathering this so I didn't have to.
I got incredibly lucky when my 12 year old son said he had no interest in it at all. It seems I dodged a major time sucking bullet.
Very good character with detail information
I have watched this movie. It is not interesting for me as I am not a America .
This is very nice review @donkeypong. Impressive video trail. Its using 3D technology and Bruce wills did better character here. Totally awesome.
Buena Opinion!!
A real search for thousand planets.
That's like future right there quite cool :D
Sorry to hear this, as I typically like Besson's films, and it's especially sad to hear that even the great Herbie Hancock wasn't a high point. Sigh.
I'll be grateful when they finally start realizing again that sci fi fans are typically pretty smart, and dislike dumbed-down storylines.
OMG! This is such an great post! Thank you for sharing! I gave you a vote!! And i resteem your post because u done a great work keep it up
Thanks! Can't wait to see it!
Fifth Element was waaaaaaaaay better
这部电影非超棒，很有想象力！！里面的kris表演的也很帅很不错！！
Really great review, i loved 5 elemebt
Wow! I doubt I have ever read such a comprehensive movie review! @donkeypong, you are incredibly awesome! And there I was thinking Steemit would be no fun... Boy! Was I ever so wrong.
I saw Fifth element years ago and I loved it. Leeloo was so sexy and so vulnerable despite being so powerful, and Bruce Willis as cab driver Dallas still had his hair and had a tendency to smoulder sexily like D Rock in Jumanji (2017) *grinning. The 2 lead characters had crazy chemistry.
I totally agree with you that Valerian and Laureline indeed lacked chemistry but come on! Cut them some slack...the infrequent smiling and their serious expressions were in keeping with their characters... Laureline was a no nonsense agent, while Valerian was a happy go lucky but expert agent.
I agree with you about Bubble the shape shifter, she was fabulous and she brought much warmth to the movie just as Ruby Rod brought comedy into The Fifth Element. I believe they let her character die so soon so as not to steal the show. The truth is I did enjoy the movie a lot but then, I'm pretty easy to please... Lol
Hi I watched this movie it is very nice and characters and animation and story awesome...thank u support me
I haven't watched this yet. Maybe I should. But I need to find time.
I wanted to see this movie in the cinema despite the negative reviews of many critics, because knew I would get great visual enjoyment. However, I could not find free time, so I had to wait for the video release.
Critics didn't wrong, the acting ruins the whole movie. Especially the main character who tries to act like young Korben Dallas, but does not have sufficient manliness. In the Fifth Element all of these amazing space scenery and the world of tomorrow has served to reveal and emphasize the characters, stories of heroes were in the foreground.
In Valerian, the heroes are lost on the background of the fantastic world. Perhaps You are right that the best character in this film is a stripper performed by Rihanna.
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wonderful all video. i like this content.
thanks for sharing @donkeypong
what a great review man this is one brilliant post
I haven't seen this movie yet. But reading the reviews, though some are not favorable to the movie, it gave me interest to try :).
The reviews are helpful indeed!
Good post ! you writing is knowledge for me.
I have watched the trailer of this movie but I was not that really attracted with the movie and the characters . I do love sci-fi but I think this movie is not my cup of tea for now . :)
Anyway , your movie review was well written and you made it with humor and I love it . It just made my day . I'll be looking forward to more of your posts .
Best regards,
@joancabz
This is the best post on Steemit. I gave you a vote now, ya heard?
Science fiction films enrich our dreams. Establishing imagination improves our point of view, and improves our approach to events.I close our eyes and think, is there really such a place? Let's see what the consequences are. :)) @donkeypong
I was utterly dissapointed by it. Altho the original piece was the first of its genre and Star Wars took from it, the film is abit late and everything is not original in movies anymore.
Great colors and CG but its flat and soulless in plot and character.
looks quite interesting from your review amazing :)
This is a good review. I think movies are so focused on box office right now that good ideas (and this film has a good idea at it's core) are sacrificed to the need to have a great opening weekend. This movie looks like a (slightly more attractive) Marvel movie and I suspect the director wouldn't have said no to a franchise. He won't get it (and wouldn't care) but it's symptomatic of the current state of cinema. Everyone competes against Star Wars and Marvel.
This movie is obviously a 'think piece', and stood no chance against 'Avengers Go Shopping' or whatever those things are called.
I give you my fullest guarantee that Valerian will be a cult classic in about five years.
I love this movie, the visual is epic, never seen more clean bright visual effect like this before. If only they make a better story, this movie must be the best movie this year.
I'm gonna have to give this a watch this weekend. Hadn't bothered with it yet but seems like it could be worth it just for the visuals alone.
I think hollywood made a good job for the effects no argue with that lasers and etc.are awesome i felt watching this makes me feel i am in a different world or dimension how much more in 3D.
Amazing post..
Epic !!
awesome review @donkeypong !!
Nice post.. this is so nice..
I love Sci-fi movies only if it has a strong storyline. There aren't a lot these days. I just want them to sweep down from the screen and draw us into the world
Im all in for scifi but these recent movies are taking a really depressing structure lately. Its mostly about tje special effects now and not on the plotlnes or the chracaters.
Have you seen coherence? Its one of those scifi movies which are really well sciency and fictiony lol. The concept is there and the plot is great. Maybe you should do a review on that one.
One of my favorite movie! Great post of it!
Nice detailed review. I think a lot of your criticism is fair, but I still enjoyed watching the movie. I actually went out and saw it in theaters and I left the theater happy that we went. We also recently rewatched it at home and it was a nice flick to end the evening to with beer and sunflower seeds. :)
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I like this movie
Mantap jiwa
The name of the movie is: movie hits.
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i must say the sci-fi 3d graphics was on point, but i think it was too much. i guess why people didn't like the two lead characters was because they were pretty young. but to me the characters were perfect cause i fell that we are too familiar with older characters. my review for the movie ? it was awesome especially rihanna's scene lol
Glad you liked it. We've seen some great younger actors and actresses in other movies. Star Wars chose some much better ones to cast in recent movies or gave them the freedom to put more life into their characters. I still can't figure out why the Valerian actors kept the same facial expressions the entire movie. They weren't given a chance to act.
It's true though. But I guess there's still room for improvement
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I felt like the characters were really unbelievable
That is quite the parallel you bring here! I recall seeing The Fifth Element and enjoying that movie. I also saw Valerian. Interestingly enough, the word just reminds me of the plant valeriana officinalis, which doesn't give a very strong name for a lead character for this type of movie (IMO). I never realized the similarities you draw out here. The Fifth Element, to me is a classic. You certainly are right about a lot of these things. Thanks for the perspective!
That's what I thought of also - the plant - which is a remedy for insomnia. :)
Love this movie!
That looked amazing movie @donkeypong
Now I kinda want to see it only because you didn't leave me with an alternative suggestion lol
I agree to a point that is film lacked in alot of areas. It seemed like it was thrown together and they were hoping for the best from the fan-base that the movie had. Thinking about it I had to force myself to finish watch it and that's not a good thing for me to say about a film because I generally take the complex visuals into consideration because I'm an enthusiastic video compositor and cg artist. That said it was not as enjoyable as I hoped and your analysis fully broke down why. It's sad that directors rely on fancy never before seen visuals to sell tickets and then we're left with golden poo. Its just shit that looks nice.
I feel like Science Fiction in general gets shafted in terms of resources devoted to the production teams who transition written works or even video games into movies/shows. Don't get me wrong, the original written/drawn(comics)/gaming material is amazing in many cases, but the less than enthusiastic screen play authors can quickly ruin a great story through a lack of empathy or connection with the work when writing it for filming. There is often tons of internal narrative & dialogue in books which is very hard to translate into screen plays, but without it, the product can be confusing, dull, or just plain bad.
Awesome post man!
Good work @donkeypong
Give me upvote please @donkeypong
Your interest in various fields, especially artistic ones, indicate your high intellectual level, and I appreciate you for that
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you are awesome loved the review and now i am followig you for the future great stuff i expect .. some thanks for posting
you Did great review i appreciate it and i followed to read your new Amazing posts daily thank u for sharing
wow! Even though I haven't watched the movie, I love your analysis and review, it gave me a visual and preview of what the movie entails, nice one @donkeypong.
https://steemit.com/teammalaysia/@yuanthinkchia/maze-runner-the-death-cure-movie-minho-is-not-death
( I just watch Mazer Runner ) Here is the review from me !
Hi. @donkeypong. It seems that you are sci-fi lover which makes me feel more interested on it.
I'm like this post @donkeypong ^_^
@donkeypong you have posted the most genuine review otherwise now a day's people get paid for giving false information and reviews and I feel that's not right at all......... The way you have narrated made me a big fan of your writing fella keep steeming looking forward for more interesting articles
I didn't even need to read the critics, watching the trailer turned me off and I decided, I will not be wasting my time for this movie. I loved 5th element, but this trailer showed me that the director lost himself in unlimited possibilities of computer graphics.
@donkeypong I also do movie review but they pale in comparison to what you have here. Thanks for setting the bar @donkeypong
wow awesome post i am follow w8 for new great stuff
Very interesting post, I would like to continue reading your publications. and i hope someday you upvote my post. well done
Quite a bad movie for me and it just needs more and with a more better actors. Sci-Fi must have a bigger budget.
Mr. Donkeypong
Please be updated once my posting, let me help level up and earn income from Steemit. Thank you Mr. Donkeypong
donkeypong...another marvelous post. You are truly a talented writer and I truly enjoy learning from you and the insights and critiques you provide through your very intellectual point of views. Reading this makes me kind of curious to see this movie even if its not the greatest, I liked fifth element so maybe I will enjoy this. The only thing I don't really agree with is is that Ned Stark in the quotation poster you put on the bottom of your post? Game of Thrones is one of my favorite and Ned Stark was a honorable man..the quote is true though just not about Ned Stark common he has been through enough.
Cara Delevingne is a male to female transgender. Transgenderism is a form of satanism!!!!
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I got really bored, the characters were not that good @donkeypong
As a movie lover too (although one who is kinda too easy to please) and a newbie on Steemit, I took a cue from your post and wrote a review on The Greatest Showman... https://steemit.com/movies/@mosunomotunde/the-movie-that-captured-my-heart
@donkeypong, could you please read it and tell me what I did right or wrong? Wish there was a mentoring program on Steemit. I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks!
I liked every scene, every moment in this movie.
This is one of those movies where if you were lucky enough to see it first-run, you did not really appreciate it at the time.
It holds up very well. And gets better with subsequent viewings (As does MS. Jovovich who went on to do a string of very memorable sci fi flicks, and one drama where, believe it or not, she played an aspiring wedding singer) Massive (truly massive) talent in front of and behind the camera. Luc Besson in front (crazy as a loon but boy can he write scripts) and Willis/Oldman in front.
For the day, the special effects were top notch.
There a joyful innocence about the film which was rare at the time, and even rarer today.
See it once. See it often. It'll make you smile
Good movie
I swear I'm the only person I know who actually liked this movie.
I'm not sure what it was... I really liked the universe that they setup, and I just felt like the plot held from start to finish, that I could sit back, switch off my brain and enjoy a nice action flick with some sci-fi thrown in.
Maybe it helped that I went in with super low expectations
wowo you just reminded me for what i have been procrastinating since 2months now, thanks for the reminder. lemme go get it asap
Omg I waited impatiently for this movie and all I got was a fart to the face.LOL
People just be hyping stuff tho.
I have seen this movie. that girl really fostrate the guy life the major
You wrote an interesting story, super! Goodjob
tbh its not my type of sci-fi. way tooo weird
Ah good thing I didn't watch this. The Fifth Element is awesome. :D
I have watched this movie,for me it just an inch or two away from being a blockbuster
I enjoyed this movie as a visual feast, for some of the morality messages and and felt there were lots of similarities with the Fifth Element, which is a classic and a league above Valerian in terms of quality. Worth a watch though.