Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen

Synopsis:
Two special operatives investigate a threat to the space metropolis Alpha.

Impressions:
You know how I said The Fifth Element is dumb but fun? Well, this latest outing into scifi by Luc Besson forgot about the fun part. I'll admit to being a little curious when I saw the trailers but not enough to want to go to the theaters for it. This was a good decision. While there are occasional glimpses of chemistry between our two leads, instead of unresolved sexual tension it mostly just seems like Valerian and Laureline simply don't like each other that much. The best thing I can say about the film is that it's highly imaginative and visually lush, but neither the plot nor the characters impress much. While Rhianna has a rather memorable scene, her acting hasn't improved much since Battleship (particularly when her character is CG and she's giving stilted line readings from the recording booth). All told, this film just didn't do much for me. Depending on your tastes, you might want to give it a try, but I don't think most people are going to have a very satisfying experience. Take it or leave it.

Rating:
50/50