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| 4/5 Stars |
Back when this stellar sci-fi film came out on home video, my dad and I rented one Friday as a part of our weekly video store ritual. While my dad wasn’t quite as captured by the movie, I was blown away by the bright visuals and the unique storyline.
The movie was written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen and directed by Besson. The story follows Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), a former soldier turned taxi driver. One day, a woman literally falls into his Taxi. Her name is Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) and she is here to save the universe.
A malevolent and faceless entity is making its way through space and will eventually destroy Earth. Korben learns that he must obtain four stones representing the four classical elements of earth, wind, water, and fire. They must also find another yet mysterious “fifth element”.
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| Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich star in 'The Fifth Element'. |
The movie is a futuristic fantasy quest. Dallas is the hero that must take the damsel to a certain point in order to take out the evil forces that are descending upon them. However, it is worth noting that the damsel is certainly not in distress as Leeloo can definitely take care of herself should the need arise.
Since the evil entity is essentially a giant fireball in space, the face of the villain is a ruthless and eccentric arms dealer named Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg, played by Gary Oldman who once again gives a fantastic performance. Since the true threat is an entity in space, Oldman gets to chew some scenery and have a lot of fun with his character and in turn, it is fun for us as well.
Another side character of note is Chris Tucker as Ruby Rhod, a loud talk show host who somehow gets involved in Korben’s quest. Now, I will say that if you don’t like Tucker in any of his other films, then this movie won’t do much to change your mind. As it stands, I do like Tucker and I especially liked him in this movie as Ruby Rhod.
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| Gary Oldman plays the villainous Zorg in 'The Fifth Element'. |
Willis was already an established action star by the time he joined the cast on this movie. Therefore, it should be no surprise that he turns in another great performance as a hero that is both a badass but also open to being vulnerable at times.
Jovovich also stands out as Leeloo, an alien character who doesn’t quite understand human life at the beginning. In many ways, she plays Leeloo as an innocent child who is just now discovering how to behave as a human though she is a quick learner. This role has become something of a signature role for Jovovich and it is easy to see why with her confident performance.
One thing that surprised me while I was rewatching the movie is how good the special-effects look 27 years after the movie has been released. The effects truly hold up and pull you into this bright yet somehow bleak version of the future.
If you claim to be a fan of sci-fi films and you haven’t yet added this movie to your collection, then you need to check it out. It is one of the most unique sci-fi films out there that truly stands up at the top with the likes of “Star Wars” and “Blade Runner”.
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