MPAA Rating: PG-13/Genre: Sci-Fi Action/Stars: Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker, Brion James, Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr., Lee Evans, Charlie Creed-Miles, Ivan Heng, Tricky, John Neville, John Bluthal, Luke Perry, Maïwenn Le Besco/Runtime: 126 minutes
As I hope some of the reviews I have had the pleasure of writing for all of you out there have managed to showcase time and time again, I am not the kind of critic who will always immediately dismiss a goofy and/or silly slice of cinema as being “terrible”. Rather, I will watch it knowing full well the kind of slice of cinema that it is being at the very front of my mind and then base my opinion off of that and the usual factors. Not just because doing so is the most impartial and, if I’m being completely honest, stress free way of doing things, but also because (as shocking as it might be for the vast majority of the reviewing community to hear me admit it) there can still be slices of cinema amidst that group which can in fact be genuinely good. Sure there is the very real possibility that there are going to be things about them which just simply don’t work as well as perhaps they could, but honestly that’s an issue that 95% of all movies face to begin with so why judge these films any more harshly than the ones called (be it accidental or otherwise) on the Oscar stage the night that the land of movie magic decides to hand out Academy Awards? Yet amidst the ones I have found in this distinct category which I have enjoyed quite immensely, and yes I am including the films Frogs and Fritz the Cat both from 1972 into that mix, there is another one that was actually Oscar-nominated, but which still doesn’t get nearly as much love as I feel like it should despite being quite the gem to a lot of cult cinema fans out there. That being a film from 1997, and slice of cinema which I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally, known as The Fifth Element. A film that, besides being what it would like if you gave the guy who made Leon: The Professional the chance to make a live action take on a sci-fi Saturday morning cartoon for adults like what you might see in 1981’s also underrated Heavy Metal, is also one that I have quite the distinct connection to. Not because I saw this when I was a kid as has been par for the course with some of these, but because this was actually the first movie I saw with my childhood best friend back in the day in a marathon that included this, Donnie Darko, and the first 2 X-Men movies for some weird reason. Yet even with the removal of the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, there is no denying that this movie is a heck of a lot of fun. Yes, it does have issues, but with the aid of relatively well-done work on both sides of the camera, The Fifth Element is still one undeniably creative, wonderfully gonzo, and fairly engaging viewing experience that fans of pop sci-fi should definitely check out if given the chance to do so.
The plot is as follows: The Fifth Element gets its truly out of its world narrative underway by first taking us back to the time and place that is Egypt in the long-ago year of 1914. It is here where we witness as a routine archaeological expedition takes a rather….unexpected for lack of a better word turn. Not because a mummy is accidentally risen from the dead nor is it because the Transformers show up and mess some stuff up. Rather, it’s because of the sudden arrival of a group of visitors to the site that aren’t exactly from our planet. We soon learn that the reason that these aliens, or Mondoshawans if you prefer the proper species classification, have decided to come and pay us a visit is because the archaeological team was getting too close to a very important discovery that they have tried to keep hidden with the aid of a secret order of priests here on Earth. A discovery that takes the shape and form of a powerful weapon that is designed to defeat an ultimate evil. Yet in case you are concerned that these aliens are leaving us defenseless from this foe I can assure you that is not the case; rather, and according to them, they are simply trying to protect it until such a time that they will return it back so the great evil cannot overwhelm all life in the known universe. From there, our story jumps ahead to Earth in the 23rd century where we see that, as foretold, the great evil has shown up in a sector of outer space as a huge sentient ball of fire and has already started wrecking some serious havoc. Fortunately for mankind, we see that the Mondoshawans’ current human ally on our planet, a Father Vito Cornelius, is able to brief the President of the Federated Territories and convince him to let a Mondoshawan spacecraft bringing the weapon back into our airspace so they can deliver it and the evil can be thwarted. Tragically, it isn’t long before the ship in question finds itself attacked and obliterated by parties unknown. Yet just when all seems lost for life across the universe however, we see that a team of scientists, using a recovered detached hand encased in metal armor, are able to resurrect a key piece of the weapon in the form of a humanoid female that proceeds to escape only to crash land inside the flying taxi of a former major in Earth’s Special Forces by the name of Korben Dallas. Thus, after figuring out this young woman’s, now calling herself Leeloo, backstory can Korben, with the reluctant aid of Father Cornelius keep her safe from the Evil and its human emissary, one Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg, to say nothing of Zorg’s ruthless team of extraterrestrial mercs so she can fulfill her destiny and save all life in the universe or is this one battle that we sadly are not meant to win? That I will let you uncover….
Now right off, it should be said that, even with a few issues here and there, there is no denying that the work done by the various departments operating behind the camera still is undeniably engaging all the same. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with the work done by Luc Besson (Leon: The Professional, Lucy, and Anna among others) at the helm and honestly this is one of his more solid efforts. Indeed not only does Besson do a terrific job of incorporating some truly thought-provoking thematic concepts including the timeless battle between good and evil plus the impact that love can have on us as individuals and the world overall in a way that feels almost like something Paul Verhoeven did with the original Total Recall and RoboCop back in the day, but he also does a wonderful job of both giving us as movie goers a film that is able to be equally as entertaining as it is thought-provoking courtesy of action beats that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat and also at balancing those components with a healthy degree of both genuinely funny comedy and heart as well. Yet whilst the work done in the director’s chair by Besson is genuinely entertaining and impressive, I don’t quite know if the same can be said for this slice of cinema’s screenplay as penned by both Besson and Robert Mark Kamen respectively. Not because the story itself isn’t an intriguing one; far from it actually. Rather, the main issue is the fact that not only is the plot one that is more than a bit on the complicated side than it should’ve been, but also the fact that the cast of characters aren’t as fleshed out on the page as they honestly could’ve been despite the more than capable efforts of the performers portraying them in front of the camera. Perhaps the big thing that the work being done behind the camera has going for it however is in terms of the work done by the visual effects team. I say this because not only does the team’s work here really help the world that this slice of cinema is set in feel like something ripped straight out of a comic book in the best way possible, but it also (and perhaps even more impressively) makes the world of this film feel realistic and believable as possible regardless of how outlandish and over the top things get. Alongside the work done by those other departments, this slice of cinema also features terrific work from the cinematography department as headed by Thierry Arbogast. Indeed the utilization of such ingredients as a vivid color palatte and truly energetic camera work all manage to do an impressive job at both conjuring up the vibrant and eclectic world of the film, but also aid it in being more than a typical run of the mill outing you’ve seen a million times before. Lastly, I feel that this section would definitely be lacking if I didn’t take a moment to talk about the work done by frequent Besson collaborator Éric Serra on this film’s musical accompaniment. Indeed equal parts hard-hitting, loony, weird, and even a hint of delightfully demented, Serra’s score does a wonderful job of not only reinforcing the overall aesthetic of the film, but also at proving to be an entertaining listen on its own as well. Suffice it to say that when you also take into account fairly well-done work from the editing department among others it’s clear that the work done by the various departments might not be flawless by any means, but if you are able to synch up to the wonderfully quirky wavelength that this film is operating on then I promise you will definitely find quite a bit to enjoy here.
Alongside the delightfully gonzo solid work engaged in by the various departments behind the camera, this slice of cinema is also aided immensely well by a collection of (mostly) delightful performances in front of the camera by a game and capable cast of talent. Without a doubt this starts with the iconic Bruce Willis and he is really freaking good here. Indeed as Korben Dallas, we see that Willis yes brings the trademark snarky attitude, gruff exterior, and resourcefulness that he brought time and time again during his career. At the same time though, we also see that Willis does a wonderful job of also taking this character and giving him the chance to showcase a softer, more human side especially in his moments with the character of Leeloo that, in a weird way, are actually kind of heartwarming to a degree. Suffice it to say that it’s a genuinely engaging performance and one of the more underrated in Willis’ career. Alongside Willis, this film also features a terrific performance from Milla Jovovich in the pivotal role of Leeloo. No this role might not be the most dialogue-heavy in the world, but even so there is no denying that Jovovich does a terrific job of giving us a character that might be an incredibly powerful being yet also has a fair bit of naivety and innocence to her that makes her a character that is genuinely endearing even in the moments when she isn’t doing an amazing job of kicking bad guy butt left and right. Besides the work done here by Willis and Jovovich, we are also given a delightfully goofy yet undeniably sinister turn from the always enjoyable Gary Oldman in the role of the diabolical Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg. Indeed Oldman does a magnificent job of giving us a character that, wonderfully over-the-top Southern accent aside, is someone who is a sleazy and trigger-happy, yet also a bit of a sissy, guy who has no amoral limit to how far he is willing to go in order to achieve his goals. Indeed if there is even remotely an outlier in this cast of individuals it would have to be in the form of Chris Tucker in the role of highly flamboyant radio personality Ruby Rhod. Now don’t get me wrong: I do think Tucker has had movies where he has shown himself to be a capable actor (Jackie Brown, the first Rush Hour, Silver Linings Playbook, and Air) and yes I can see how this character, on the page, was supposed to be comic relief that was genuinely funny. With that said though, I have no shame in saying that this character is absolutely annoying at best and an insult to the ears at worst. I mean not only will every line uttered by Tucker make you immediately cringe in terms of its screech-worthy delivery, but you will also be incredibly thankful when the character *finally* leaves the movie whilst also hoping you still have the same level of hearing you had before the movie started. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in efforts from such individuals as Sir Ian Holm who brings a welcome degree of gravitas to the proceedings as Father Vito Cornelius, Brion James (Leon from Blade Runner), Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr. (Deebo from Friday in 1995), British rapper Tricky, John Neville, John Bluthal, and a brief yet pivotal role for Luke “Beverly Hills 90210” Perry among others it’s clear that every actor involved in the making of this slice of cinema is aware of the kind of film that they are making and, as a result, are by and large able to give performances that are reflective of that and then some in the best way possible.
All in all and at the end of the day is The Fifth Element a flawless cinematic outing by any means? Sadly no, but in no way does that make this a terrible film that has not a single thing about it worth recommending and/or praising in the slightest. With that in mind, is this slice of cinema the worst film that any of the creative talents either behind or in front of the camera have been a part of during the course of their individual careers? Happily, for both my sanity to say nothing of my ability to get a decent night’s sleep, I can confirm that is not the case either. Not by a long shot. To be fair, this distinct slice of cinema does have its fair share of issues with the most prominent being that not only can the story be a bit on the confusing side at best and at worst wanting to make you tear your hair out in frustration because you can’t figure out what’s going on, but even the cast of characters themselves aren’t exactly as fleshed out on the page as they should have been to say nothing of the fact that one of the characters, as portrayed, winds up being so annoying and excruciating to listen to that I wouldn’t be lying if I said that every home media copy of this film should come with Boze noise-canceling headphones for whenever that distinct character opens their mouth. Thankfully, the film is able to more than make up for those issues with sturdy work at the helm by Besson, a fairly intriguing (when not befuddling) story, jaw-droppingly incredible work by the visual effects department, spot-on work from the cinematography department, an eclectic yet intriguing musical accompaniment, and performances from a game cast of talent (with particular regard to the ones provided by Willis, Jovovich, Oldman, and Holm) that, by and large, all manage to do an immensely enjoyable job with their respective characters no matter how much or how little in the way of screentime that they are gifted with. Suffice it to say then that if you are looking for a “prestige picture” then I am sorry, but I think (to paraphrase Bugs Bunny) you took a wrong turn at Albuquerque. On the other hand, if you are looking for a delightfully over the top live-action cinematic equivalent to a sci-fi Saturday morning cartoon then I think you will find a fair bit to enjoy here. As it is, The Fifth Element might not be the film to save the known cinematic universe, but it most assuredly is a blast from start to finish that I think you should try to check out at least once! Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give The Fifth Element “97” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
