The Fifth Element (1997)

Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman

Synopsis:
A spec ops soldier turned New York cabbie stumbles onto a beautiful alien woman who is the key to saving the world from the ultimate evil.

Impressions:
This movie sticks out in my head because I had a project in school that required a movie review and I used a review of this film completely lambasting it and ran with the review's take on the film even though I hadn't seen it myself. Once I did see it and on subsequent viewings, I certainly wouldn't dismiss it as "pretentious French crap" like that review did. It is a very silly movie, I admit, but there's a lot of good action, a distinct visual aesthetic, and it's certainly memorable. It's a stylish film that brings a lot of director/writer Luc Besson's interests together and I can respect that. I say again, this movie can get very silly and every time the comic relief music starts and the clown shoes go on, I roll my eyes, but it's a fun ride and you don't see many films bring such a vivid world into being. Bruce Willis is of course more than up to the task of playing the action lead and Milla Jovovich is a bit of a mixed bag as she tends to be, but if you're a fan of hers, you won't be disappointed. Like the film itself, the music succeeds in being memorable and the Diva's performance is an interesting display of musical range on the part of singer Inva Mula. Final word: This is a fun and stylish film that's well worth watching.

Rating:
Watch It