Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

We've all seen a plethora of sci-fi films in our past and even though they have evolved through the decades--in technology and storyline, other than "Avatar", there probably hasn't been any other one produced that has been as visually stunning as "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets".

 

This is the new adventure film from visionary Luc Besson, the director of "The Professional", "The Fifth Element" and "Lucy". In the 28th century, Major Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Sergeant Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the Minister of Defense (Herbie Hancock), the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of Alpha--an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. There is a mystery at the center of Alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian, Laureline with some help by Bubble (Rihanna) must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

 

Others to round out the cast are Clive Owen as Commander Arun Filitt, Ethan Hawke as Jolly the Pimp, Kris Wu as Sergeant Neza, Sam Spruell as General Okto-Bar, Alain Chabat as Bob the Pirate, Rutger Hauer as President of the World State Federation, Peter Hudson as Captain Crowford and Xavier Giannoli as Captain Norton.

 

This was directed by visionary filmmaker Luc Besson ("Subway" '85, "The Big Blue" '88, "La Femme Nikita" '90, "Leon: The Professional" '94, "The Fifth Element" '97, "Angel-A" '05, "Arthur and the Invisibles" '06, "The Lady" '11, "The Family" '13, "Lucy" '14) plus others and shorts. Besson's characters are always so rich and distinct no matter what the genre and this is what separates him from most other directors. The lead stars in this are relatively newer actors, and the audience is mesmerized with the this premise, and this is the mark of a talented director. It was also written by Besson ("Taxi" '98, "Taxi 2" 2000, "Kiss the Dragon" '01, "Wasabi" '01, "Transporter 2" '05, "Revolver" '05, "Bandidas" '06, "Taken" '08, "Transporter 3" '08, "Colombiana" '11, "Taken 2" '12, "3 Days to Kill" '14, "Taken 3" '13) plus others and shorts. This was well written--thought out well, however it was a little long-in-the-tooth and with that it had a few areas of slow spots that wouldn't have made or broke the story if omitted or not. Once it got going, it simply soared. The main reason for watching this is for the visual effects predominantly created by Weta Digital and ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic). These visuals, unlike a lot of films, actually enhanced the storyline, and connected with the cinematography, costumes, and production design made this film was a stunner.

 

If the sci-fi genre is your favorite, this is one you'll revel in, especially considering it is visually eye-catching from every angle. This style is Besson's trademark and with this, it soars. If you opt to see it, definitely it has to be seen on the large screen and this is also in the 4DX format as well. Have fun!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                   Rated: PG-13                                    137mins.