The Sixth Element

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
***/****
By Jason Wiese
I often admire the science fiction/fantasy genre for its sociological appeal. Charlie Brooker’s anthology series Black Mirror is rich in cautionary tales involving humanity’s obsession with technology. The pre-smart phone era Twilight Zone used the same methods to explore mankind’s more primal emotions in an imaginative setting. And if we want to make some extra-deep cuts, the political strife that came from the Vietnam War inspired George Lucas to make Star Wars. With the vast potential to create anything, the genre is capable of exploring many thought-provoking concepts.
However, iconic French filmmaker Luc Besson is not concerned with that aspect of the genre. When he tackles science fiction, he wants the audience to have fun. Good, clean, sometimes mindless, yet, visually entrancing, fun. And I have no problem with that, especially after seeing his adaptation of a nearly 50 year-old French graphic novel called Valerian and Laureline: The Empire of a Thousand Planets.
Sporting a few minor edits to the original title, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets centers on one adventure of the titular character (Chronicle’s Dane DeHaan) and his partner Laureline (Cara Delevingne), who are agents of the government in a society far, far into the future in which creatures of every kind live in peace, yet still need a criminal justice system. Quickly after we meet our hero and heroine, Besson thrusts you into an adventure that is as difficult to follow as it is wonderful to sit back and experience.
Valerian has been a passion project of his since he grew up reading the source material, and it shows. His directorial vision never backs down from creating the most visceral and immersive world possible. If I could have paused this film at any time, I would have still had the same genuine moments of glee I felt from the film’s best action set pieces, which there are many of. Besson, despite borrowing plenty of ideas that may feel frustratingly familiar to a die-hard Star Wars fan, throws so many gorgeous images and creative concepts at you that it is enough to forgive him when the story runs out of steam and begins to drag on near the end.
I wish I could say that our main protagonists also lend to the fun, but not quite. While they are easily likable and boast nobility that one would hope to see in a protector of a utopian society, their dynamic is bogged down by one of the most confusing and illogical “romances” to ever grace the screen. Valerian seems more concerned with convincing Laureline that they are made for each other than saving the day and Laureline seems constantly annoyed by Valerian’s advances, along with just about everything else she encounters, yet still find herself attracted to him… or does she? I do not know, nor did I care, because all I was concerned about was the next strange creature or futuristic technology that Besson was going to show me next.
Destined to forever be compared to his 1997 classic The Fifth Element, Valerian is exactly what you would expect from a film by Besson: a strikingly beautiful and bizarre adventure with a story that leaves room for improvement. But what does come as a surprise is how satisfyingly thrilling and enjoyable it is. It is the steampunk utopian thriller you did not know you wanted to see.
Published to Newstime and the Lincoln County Journal Friday, July 21, 2017
