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| photo courtesy of screenrant.com |
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is an interesting animal to tackle. Based on the French comic
series Valérian and Laureline and
directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element,
Lucy), it takes place centuries in the
future. At that time, the human-created space station Alpha has become home to members
from every species of the universe. Special agents Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and
Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are tasked with uncovering the secret that lies at
the center of the station—and defending its inhabitants at all costs.
Valerian is visually striking and has
some great ideas, but it’s shallow in the places where it counts most. It’s not
that it’s a totally bad movie—it’s really not so bad—it’s just that it’s the
kind of movie you watch for the atmospherics and action alone. It operates
somewhere in the range of Tomorrowland:
a movie that works best for kids and that’s only worth watching once.
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| photo courtesy of thesun.co.uk |
Let’s take the pros first. Valerian presents a futuristic worldview
that’s undeniably immersive. In terms of imagination, it’s one of the best
sci-fi flicks in recent memory, producing a universe that is diverse,
believable, and inventive. The filmmakers highlight several really interesting
ideas that help the audience buy into and care about the world of the movie. For
instance, one sequence showcases a virtual market, which acts as a logical
extension of present-day VR tech. Another scene convincingly demonstrates how
the Alpha space station evolved from our current day efforts at space travel. Fresh
ideas like that are all too sparse in many recent sci-fi features—last year’s Passengers, by comparison, brought nothing
new to the table.
All this world-building depends on
CGI-work, and on that front, too, Valerian
excels. With a few exceptions, the CGI works wonders, creating visuals that
juxtapose bright color with the darkness of space. The animation is successful
enough that one alien creature can carry an entire scene based on the humor
provided by its facial expressions. Only one species with particularly humanoid
facial features fails to hold up the standard.
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| photo courtesy of filmonic.com |
On the con side, the movie’s main flaw
is that the characters at the center aren’t strong enough to carry the
narrative, which is a pity, because it’s named after one of them. It’s hard to
care about any movie when there’s no character to root for, and in this case
neither protagonist is particularly likeable. We’re introduced to two young
agents who, presumably, have a level of skill that has moved them up the ranks.
But neither of them really ever gets the chance to demonstrate that skill—it’s
their advanced tech that always carries the day—and in the meantime, they act
like ungrateful teenagers who disregard the consequences (see one scene, in
which several friendly operatives die but Laureline spares a thought only for
her ripped dress).
It doesn’t help their case that the
dialogue is rather poorly written, especially in the sections that focus on the
interaction between the two main characters. It’s cliché, unnatural, and
although humor peeks out every now and then, it rarely (successfully) comes
from Valerian or Laureline. The chemistry between them is supposed to drive the movie's romance, but it never gets off the ground. Casting also hurts their chances, because Dane DeHaan
cannot pull off the “loveable but annoying/Han Solo” vibe necessary for the
character.
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| photo courtesy of cinemavine.com |
The plot, too, disappoints. There are
twists and turns to keep the audience interested, and the conclusion of the
movie is not without emotional consequence. But the movie’s moral lesson seems
so overt, so heavy-handed, that most of the intended impact is stunted.
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| photo courtesy of theyoungfolks.com |
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