Directed by:
Luc BessonScreenplay:
Luc BessonCinematography:
Thierry ArbogastComposer:
Alexandre DesplatCast:
Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Elizabeth Debicki, Clive Owen, Ethan Hawke, Rihanna, John Goodman, Kris Wu, Rutger Hauer, Alain Chabat, Herbie Hancock (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. Valerian has more in mind than a professional relationship with his partner- blatantly chasing after her with propositions of romance. But his extensive history with women, and her traditional values, drive Laureline to continuously rebuff him. Under directive from their Commander (Clive Owen), Valerian and Laureline embark on a mission to the breathtaking intergalactic city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all four corners of the universe. Alpha's seventeen million inhabitants have converged over time- uniting their talents, technology and resources for the betterment of all. Unfortunately, not everyone on Alpha shares in these same objectives; in fact, unseen forces are at work, placing our race in great danger. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (15)
An entertaining comic book movie with no greater ambitions. Visually unbelievably well made, maybe on a par with Avatar. It’s a bit over-long, but there is lots to look at. Fantastic music, fantastic Cara. P.S.: You can see the influence of the original Star Wars, but it certainly doesn’t seem like a copy at all.
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I think that despite all the enthusiasm, energy and breathtaking production design, we are all willing to forgive the lack of physical laws, technical fundamentals and logic. But forgiving a stale story full of boring puzzle unravelling and a predictable finale – that's too much. So if we ignore the story filler, we're left with about 50 percent of the whole, i.e. fantastic-looking filmmaking full of funny scenes (Rihanna is incredible), Luc Besson's exceptional imagination of fictional worlds, and the awesome chemistry of the central couple, with the sexy Cara Delevingne playing with Dane DeHaan like anything. The European version of Guardians of the Galaxy.
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Deeply disappointing and one of Luc Besson's worst films. The film has only two good things: the beautiful model-lesbian Cara Delevingne and the excellent five minute performance by Rihanna, which is very little for the most expensive European science fiction flick. The effects are too colourful and fabulous for my taste, there is very little action and above all it is uninteresting, the pace is incredibly slow, the two hours in the cinema dragged unbelievably, somewhere in the middle of the film I looked at my watch and planned my escape, I just couldn't stand another hour, well I did stay in the end, but this just didn't work. It's just not a good movie. 35%.
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Well, it was nice to watch, yeah. There hasn't been a more spectacular-looking sci-fi film since Avatar, but visual effects aren't everything, and although Luc Besson manages to impress with the very first scene, he soon runs out of breath. In fact, it's as if he's decided not to tell a story, but merely to present a world in which another twelve films could take place. That world is really beautiful, mind, but when you have boring protagonists running around the screen, and when they actually intervene in the story rather accidentally, boredom is bound to set in sooner or later, no matter how good it looks. The main characters are unnecessarily out of the action all the time, and the more interesting and exciting things happen almost without their input.
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After its very promising start followed by playful adventures that sometimes add nothing to the plot (product placement by Hawke and Rihanna targeted at American audiences), Valerian ends just in the way you’ve been expecting since about the midpoint of the movie, without any effort to freshen up all the genre clichés. It seems like Luc Besson used up all of his imagination on monsters, set designs and visual details that are pleasant to see, but he didn’t care whether the viewer would remember anything after his spectacle is over. The only thing I remember is Cara Delevingne, which is thanks to her performance and the work of her costume designer. And does a director with Besson’s reputation really need to have it explained to him that Clive Owen is a bad fit for this type of villain and that the film would have greatly benefited if Owen switched characters with Sam Spruell?
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