The Fifth Element

THE FIFTH ELEMENT (aka LE CINQUIEME ELEMENT) (PG)

D: Luc Besson

Columbia/Gaumont (Patrice Ledoux)

France 🇫🇷 1997

127 mins

Science Fiction

W: Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen

DP: Thierry Arbogast

Ed: Sylvie Landra

Mus: Eric Serra

PD: Dan Weil

Cos: Jean-Paul Gaultier

Bruce Willis (Korben Dallas), Gary Oldman (Zorg), Milla Jovovich (Leeloo), Ian Holm (Cornelius), Chris Tucker (Ruby Rhod), Luke Perry (Billy), Brion James (General Munro), Lee Evans (Fog), Tiny Lister (President Lindberg)

Visually and conceptually inventive but altogether a bit of a mess. The film did however find some box office success in Europe and has since developed a cult following.

Set in the 23rd century, a taxi driver, a monk and a supreme being must fight off the forces of evil (headed by an overacting Gary Oldman) and save the planet.

While all the stunning visual effects, costumes and set designs can be marvelled at, the narrative really is a gigantic mess and all the characters are far too eccentric, including a totally irksome performance from Chris Tucker as a campy new-age DJ which the film definitely could have got by without.

I'll accept that I may have an unpopular opinion on this movie, but I really consider it style over substance and wasn't taken in by the characters or story at all.

5/10