Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

[spacemanoeuvres]

I was mildly interested in seeing this but it sounds like a pass 

[derex3592]

Netflix on a lazy Sunday afternoon.....maybe...

[kajnrig]

Saw it yesterday.

 

This feels like the Dark Souls of cinema, by which I mean the background details are where the story is really told. The first two-thirds of the movie is by far the most interesting because it's chock-full of different species and cultures and technologies coexisting. Every time the story focuses on the two protagonists or the main narrative, it loses all momentum, and unfortunately, that last third is all about tying those loose ends. It doesn't help that the main plot isn't very exciting, anyway; corrupt human commits genocide and tries to cover it up while protagonists slowly discover the truth.

Eh. It might not become the same cult hit The Fifth Element became, but it certainly has the same kind of generic story set in a fantastic world.

All in all, I had a better time with it than I didn't. I'd rank it a little above Wonder Woman.

Edited July 26, 2017 by kajnrig

[Big s]

My daughter and I saw it earlier and we both really liked it. It's a bit more pretty than story and could have used a bit more of a stronger bad guy to keep things moving. I also would have liked to have seen more of the evil store owner storyline. I do feel that this film deserved more than 17 million at the box office. Luc Beson also said he had plans for a few sequels, but I don't know if that will happen at this point.

any way I do recommend it as a fun lite sci-fi summer film.

[jenius]

The more I look back on it, the more I think the lead actor was miscast... it's a cool movie in so many ways and feels like less than the sum of its parts. 

[Big s]

I don't think the lead was a problem. I do think more people would be on board if the overall story was a bit better written  and the weak bad guy wasn't so dull. There is also space for the side plot at the beginning to have had more of a payoff, but that may have been planned for a sequel that may not happen now. The advertising could have also been an issue. I still think it's a good movie. Maybe not a great movie, but still good.

[TangledThorns]

Valerian is on Amazon Prime so you can watch it for free if you have an account.

Saw it over the weekend. Makes for a trippy experience if you watched it after surgery like I did, lol. OK film that seems to appeal to Europeans than Americans.

[technoblue]

Mm. That's how I finally saw the movie, myself--on Amazon Prime. I didn't get out to see it in the theater, but now I kinda wish I had . IMO, it was fun even with some common Sci-Fi tropes scattered throughout.

I'm now curious about the comics, and may pick up a few volumes of the Valerian books to read the story in its original form.

[Dynaman]

I thought it was a turd from start to finish.  The kinda movie you get when someone has too large of a SFX budget.  The two leads had zero chemistry (and it just kinda felt creepy - the act more like brother and sister someone else mentioned) to boot.  There was a good movie hidden in there somewhere but almost took the wrong turn almost every time when it came to details.

[eXis10z]

Very pretty movie but I would rather re-watch The 5th Element anytime.

Edited March 8, 2018 by eXis10z

[Graham]

I actually quite enjoyed it.

[chyll2]

I enjoyed it. I wish I could have supported that movie. The criticism on it was mostly true.

[TangledThorns]

6 hours ago, eXis10z said:

Very pretty movie but I would rather re-watch The 5th Element anytime.

Agreed! Fifth Element had well casted actors playing very memorable characters. That is what was missing in Valerian.

[Dynaman]

3 hours ago, TangledThorns said:

Agreed! Fifth Element had well casted actors playing very memorable characters. That is what was missing in Valerian.

Gotta ditto this again.  Fifth Element is a movie I really wish I had seen at a theater.

[Vile]

True, Valerian can't compare to Fifth Element, but few movies can. Takes a lot of guts to make a completely over-the-top French-style SF movie, and treat it as a serious project with all the attention to detail it deserves. Not to mention actors.

[jenius]

Too bad we can't reverse age Bruce Willis and make him star in this movie also... I think it would have helped a lot.

[Marzan]

I think having a big name actor front and center would have helped this film enormously. Too bad.

[easnoddy]

Saw it Friday. Lead actor's voice is forced and distracting, like Keanu in the Matrix movies (or Bill and Ted). There's zero chemistry between the main actors (the girl was much better than the boy). Lastly, as bad as it it was going it dropped to new levels of bad acting and voiceover work when Rihanna entered the picture. The dance scene was ok but TOO LONG and then she talks and its monotone, forced, incongruent and terrible. And she's in the film distracting you for around 20 minutes.