Post by ronnierocketago on Mar 25, 2008 5:23:40 GMT
THE FIFTH ELEMENT (1997) - ***1/2
Director Luc Besson initially began writing the story that would become THE FIFTH ELEMENT back in his public school days in France, and thats what the film feels like. You know, the sort of adventure about a hero having to undergo a great journey to save the universe or whatever the hell that kids of that age pen as they try to create the next STAR WARS or LORD OF THE RINGS.Trust me, this earnest hack has been there, so I know that for a fact. Don't believe me? Go watch that terrible ERAGON, which was based off a book written by a kid. Thank God I wasn't published at that amateurish age....of course I haven't yet so maybe I should shut up.
When I saw ELEMENT in theatres, I didn't care for it. I considered it simply as yet another action movie that used science fiction not as an advantage, but as an excuse for expensive CGI and alot of explosions. A decade later, with a more nuianced understanding and not being as much of a prick, I know now that I was really wrong wrong.I mean sure, there is tons and tons of CGI, a good number of Bruce Willis-caused fireballs, and the story is pretty generic. But that sorta-bland story is simply a vessel for for visual sci-fi storytelling about Earth in the far-future. French comic book artists Moebius and Jean-Claude Mezieres use their influence from the Japanese Manga to design a whole unique, original universe for THE FIFTH ELEMENT.
Sir Ridley Scott's masterpiece BLADE RUNNER laid down for what many consider the epitome eye of the future, but Besson's big budget Hollywood enterprise doesn't feel intimidated at all. I can't even say that about George Lucas. Like any good anime from Japan, its the eyecandy and the details that make the story, not the plot. If BLADE RUNNER was an Anglo film-noir drunk with moodyness, THE FIFTH ELEMENT is French funk music. I mean 954 costumes were designed and produced just for this movie![/b]
In fact, its that Franco-view of action cinema from the art direction to Besson's touches to the well-worn comic bookish space opera adventure tale that makes THE FIFTH ELEMENT so fascinating to watch. I mean it's no accident that Willis, an actor that the French actually love (they admire DIE HARD too), got casted as the has-been warrior-turned-cab driver who's forced by one literal giant leap of destiny to become a badass hero again, as only Willis can comfortably become:
Now If we Americans usually are dead-set at presenting such fare as dead-serious, the French play such a story with camp humor on the sleeve like these sequences. I mean what else explains Ian Holm as a priest and pro wrestler-turned-actor "Tiny" Lester as the President?
Take the movie's villain, Gary Oldman. He's introduced as an intergalactic arms smuggler. We expect that. But he's presenting some high-tech super weapons to alien shoppers as if he is a fashion designer in Milan unveiling a new wardrobe line in Paris, hell he even dresses like one himself. He's also so fucking proud of his designs. Plus he's hilarious with Oldman's random Texas accent and deadly smart dangerous enough to pull off his phone-booth bomb across the wire. I actually kinda felt bad for him when in the 3rd Act he makes a common DIE HARD villainy mistake: Assuming that because he's smarter than Willis, that he'll outwit him.
Just like the football player who fires bullets at teammates during a game in THE LAST BOY SCOUT or Brandon Lee complementing Dolph Lundgren's big dick in SHOWDOWN IN LITTLE TOKYO, there are crazy-but-cool moments in THE FIFTH ELEMENT that will probably make this movie for many if the plot or thrills don't. I did like Besson's touch to have the hero and villain never confront or even talk to each other. Name a movie you've seen lately that pulled off such a feat without being contrived. THE FIFTH ELEMENT though has one critical problem that completely bugs me. When Milla Jonovich researches "war" on the future internet, she goes damn cataonic because of how bloody evil humanity can be simply from seeing pictures of Hitler and nuclear explosions.
HUH?!?
Poor gal. If she watched The History Channel today, she would go brain dead. I mean what a fucking lazy-ass plot turn just for the damn sake of adding an obstacle. Whatever. Instead, what if as she is fighting those alien thugs, she snaps one of their necks, and the jobber slowly and painfully dies. Psychologically virgin to such an awful fate or emotion from what she did to another organic creature, she shuts down. Now that would have been an anime-inspired moment of coolness. Oh well.
In spite of that, the bigger tragedy is Chris Tucker. Actually, he does nothing wrong in this movie at all. Hell he's ridiculously hyperbolic and awesomely fun as this future's Prince and Michael Jackson, the ultimate manwhoring and flamboyant rock/pop singer. But damn, the only other movies the man has made after 1997 were those darn RUSH HOUR flicks. Talk about fine possible talent pissed away....