Multi-pass, understood

★★★ out of ★★★★

The Fifth Element (1997)

Runtime: 126 minutes

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence, some sexuality and brief nudity.

Behold the elements: Fire, Water, Earth and Wind! The Fifth Element is needed to destroy the incoming object.

It is said that Luc Besson made The Fifth Element, drawing inspiration from the Valérian and Laureline comics, running from 1967 to 2010. He read the comics as a child and always dreamt of making a film adaptation. His dream came true in 2017, but I think there's already a better version of it - The Fifth Element. The Fifth Element is goofy, I know, but it understands that it doesn't need to be serious and the experience is absolutely joyful. It is a magical and enchanting experience, although it still has its own flaws. Nevertheless, I was endlessly entertained by its unexpected but effective lands on humor, and I never yawned once.

Every 5000 years, a cycle happens in the Universe where evil threatens all life in it. However, in 1914 Egypt, a Professor found The Ultimate weapon against evil, which was created a long time ago. Four stones were needed and placed correctly, along with a demonstration of each of the elements. Most importantly, "The Fifth Element" is needed to connect the rest of the elements and protect the Earth. At the same time as the discovery, a group of beings called Monascheiwans (who are fortunately allies with humans) come to Earth to take "The Fifth Element" for safekeeping. They promise to return it when the next cycle arrives.

We jump to 300 years later, in the 23rd century. Korban Dallas (Bruce Willis) is the first main character introduced to us. He's a former elite commando in New York City, but retired six months ago and became a taxi driver. The streets of New York and Earth look drastically different now. Thousands, and probably millions, of cars float and flock around streets and are arranged like floors in a tower. At the same time, as the Monascheiwans return the Fifth Element to Earth, they are ambushed by a group of savages known as Mangalores. When the ship crashes, upon discovering the remains, a piece of the Fifth Element is found, and the "perfect being" is created from that.

Named Leeloominaï Lekatariba Lamina-Tchaï Ekbat De Sebat, or simply, Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), the perfect being escapes the programming facility and leaps out of their building into the flock of messy, noisy, swiveling cars. She literally lands on Korban Dallas' car and he professionally navigates vertically downwards the stream of cars. Valerian wishes Laureline had driving skills like Dallas'. After escaping from the government, she mentions Vito Cornelius (played by the late Ian Holm), who turns out to be a priest that knows almost all about the Fifth Element. They go in a race against a businessman named Zorg (Gary Oldman) to find the stones and prevent it from falling it into the wrong hands, and saving the Earth.

The Fifth Element provides a source of tension and a sense of urgency. The race against time and a villain is a sufficiently effective narrative, and it doesn't always rely on special effects. Of course, it may not be as great as other sci-fi flicks out there like Star Wars or 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it carries an inane quality that makes it all the more hilarious. I never got tired of characters fainting and literally dropping on the floor, Bruce Willis poorly managing his fellow associates when a guest shows up, and the comical one-liners. Chris Tucker appears halfway in the movie and carries such infectious energy that the movie feels very lively, though that may get a little out of control at times. He speaks almost endlessly yet it miraculously doesn't feel annoying.

Furthermore, the dialogue is actually smart. If you compare it to Valerian, his dialogue is just suggesting that he wants to marry his partner, who looks like his sibling, and get laid. How unbelievable. In The Fifth Element, Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich have exciting dialogue, as well as some chemistry together. There are pauses for scenes for the actors to express themselves and some that are quite powerful, too. Not to forget, there is action in this movie, though not frequent for the narrative to properly develop. When it arrives, even if it's quite deafening, it's a fun ride.

In addition, the costume design of Zorg looked wonderfully humorous. It looked as if half of Gary Oldman's head was bald. He doesn't play an over-the-top villain or a threat that is dangerously menacing to the main characters, but rather feels like a secondary antagonist. I assume that the main antagonist here is that clunk of burnt Sun that is 1200 miles in diameter. Gary Oldman himself stated that he hated his character and the movie, but I wonder why.

Of course, The Fifth Element is not without its flaws. Certain characters or events could have been explored more, and it could have been a little more intense. However, I found myself ignoring almost all of its flaws and had a thrilling ride. In fact, at some times I was afraid time went too fast I actually looked at the time and was relieved that only half of the movie had passed. The special effects may not hold up today, but it probably was revolutionary at that time. Certain scenes or lines also inspired later movies. I'm not fully sure about this, but the Opera attack towards the end of The Fifth Element probably inspired the opening sequence of Tenet. Points aside, don't judge or criticize The Fifth Element too harshly; relax, sit down and have some fun!

Trailer: