valerian and the city of a thousand planets
watch the trailer for
valerian and the city of a thousand planets .
sucker punch, jupiter ascending and valerian and the city of a thousand planets. composite: rex / allstar
’s goofy sci - fi valerian and the city of a thousand planets. it might look a bit like his film
1. it would have positioned valerian and the city of a thousand planets as the last big movie of the summer .
valerian (dane dehaan) and laureline (cara delevingne) in valerian and the city of a thousand planets. all images: stx
i ask him if he’s seen the clips for valerian and the city of a thousand planets that we’re about to watch .
valerian review: a thousand planets but a frustrating plot | birth. movies. death .
the federation: the united human federation which runs alpha, a. k. a. the city of a thousand planets .
if two minutes of
valerian and the city of a thousand planets
leaves you borderline speechless, imagine what the whole movie will do .
looking for movie tickets? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing valerian and the city of a thousand planets near you .
no movie this summer will leave your jaw on the floor and your eyeballs as wide as saucers like luc besson’s valerian and the city of a thousand planets .
my first tweet ever! let’s share a real news! my next film is a big sci - fi: # valerian and the city of a thousand planets .
chinese authorities have given an aug. 25 release date to luc besson ’s sci - fi epic “ valerian and the city of a thousand planets. ”
the first teaser for valerian and the city of a thousand planets is expected to be released nov. 10, with another teaser in january and then a full trailer in march .
after its ill - fated release in north america and most foreign territories, “ valerian and the city of a thousand planets ” looked to china as its final hope .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets is playing everywhere. try convincing your most literal - minded friend to see it with you. it’ll make for a good story .
while the special effects are sure to help make valerian and the city of a thousand planets as visually rich as the fifth element, the heart of the film’s story is its two main characters: valerian and laureline .
here’s a wide shot of alpha, the titular city of a thousand planets. most of the movie takes place here and its construction is detailed in a breaktaking opening sequence that spans centuries of space exploration .
the first five minutes of valerian and the city of a thousand planets, iconoclast luc besson’s latest magnum opus, emotionally overwhelmed me in a way i wasn’t expecting, in a way i dare not say a word more about .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets is set for release on july 21st, 2017 and features a cast that also includes clive owen, rihanna, ethan hawke, john goodman, herbie hancock and kris wu .
luc besson’s valerian and the city of a thousand planets started strong at the french box office, topping 1. 3 million admissions on 970 screens over the opening weekend in the director' s native country .
if you think that’s cool, a new website just launched that’s even better. it’s the world of valerian, “an in - depth 360 - degree look at the visual development of valerian and the city of a thousand planets from legendary directory luc besson. ”
luc besson is a grandmaster of cinematic kitsch, a director who can make us gasp in wonderment one moment and groan in dismay the next. valerian and the city of a thousand planets (based on a french comic strip) is a crash course in the best and worst of besson .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets is the visually spectacular new adventure film from luc besson, the legendary director of the professional, the fifth element and lucy, based on the ground - breaking comic book series which inspired a generation of artists, writers and filmmakers .
these men represent everything that director luc besson did not want in “ valerian and the city of a thousand planets, ” his big - budget sci - fi phantasmagoria, which opens in theaters this weekend .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets features about 60 major aliens (all told there are hundreds, besson said). each of those aliens has their own backstory and history, all put together in a 15 - page dossier .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets, the latest sci - fi epic from luc besson, had far more humble beginnings than the silver screen. it started out as a series of french comics called valérian and laureline that launched in 1967 and wrapped in 2010 .
a dark force threatens alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. special operatives valerian and laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just alpha, but the future of the universe .
it’s easy to see why valerian and the city of a thousand planets is bombing hard. for starters, it’s called valerian and the city of a thousand planets, a name that means nothing to american audiences. like other high - profile, auteurist, director - driven science fiction flops such as sucker punch, chappie, sky captain and the world of tomorrow and jupiter ascending, valerian is audacious, original and ambitious to a fault. like those oddball flops, it’s clearly the work of an auteur willing to pursue his creative vision even if makes him seem ridiculous and laughable .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets is not to be confused with the czech cult film valerie and her week of wonders, though a week of wonders is what it feels like writer / director luc besson delivers here. which is to say, it’s a visual marvel, but a long sit .
director luc besson is a world - builder, and that’s never been more evident than his upcoming comic adaptation valerian and the city of a thousand planets. his heroes traverse the galaxy, encountering fantastic places and things, before landing on the biggest cultural melting pot in history: alpha .
with a week left of shooting on valerian and the city of a thousand planets, luc besson roams around the vast cite du cinema studio with a dazed look, appearing even more unkempt and bedraggled than usual. as he describes it, “i’m like a runner in the last 15 meters of a marathon. exhausted. deeply. physically. ”
all we needed was some 70s - style art - porn erotica and it could be walerian borowczyk and the city of a thousand planets. the movie keeps striving for a kind of artless modernity, and yet it keeps looking like something from 10 or 20 years ago .
the story for valerian and the city of a thousand planets is based upon the valerian and laureline comics by pierre christin and jean - claud mezleres taking a serialized approach to its story structure. major valerian (dane dehaan) and sergeant laureline (cara delevigne) are highly decorated special operatives in the 28th century who are on a top - secret mission to recover stolen government property. they need to return the property to alpha, the city of a thousand planets, into the hands of commander arun filitt (clive owen). once they arrive at alpha, the mystery deepens as a rogue group of aliens attack kidnapping commander filitt. valerian and laureline pursue the group into the red zone where their actions threaten to destroy alpha and all those who live in the city .
the return of western movies to chinese cinemas after a month of absence was an anticlimax. the top ten films earned a combined $ 76. 7 million, making it only the 20th best weekend of the year to date. “valerian and the city of a thousand planets” became the film to finally depose “wolf warriors ii” after [ … ]
to date, the cast for valerian and the city of a thousand planets includes dane dehaan, cara delavingne, ethan hawke, clive owen, and rihanna. hancock is repped by paradigm, redlight management and melinda murphy. europacorp’s red distribution label is releasing valerian on july 21, 2017. besson’s instagram is below .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets is the visually spectacular new adventure film from luc besson, the legendary director of the professional, the fifth element and lucy, based on the ground - breaking comic book series which inspired a generation of artists, writers and filmmakers. in the 28th century, valerian (dane dehaan) and laureline (cara delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. under assignment from the minister of defense, the two embark on a mission to the city of alpha—an ever - expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. there is a mystery at the center of alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the city of a thousand planets, and valerian and laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just alpha, but the future of the universe .
chinese authorities have given an aug. 25 release date to luc besson’s sci - fi epic “valerian and the city of a thousand planets. ” europacorp’s “valerian” will be one of the first imported films allowed into china following the usual summer blackout period. a rep for the company confirmed the date to variety. an official announcement is [ … ]
luc besson has taken to instagram to announce that he’s wrapped filming on valerian and the city of a thousand planets, the upcoming big screen adaptation of pierre christin and jean - claude mézières french comic series, which stars dane dehaan (the amazing spider - man 2) and cara delevingne (suicide squad) .
but let' s not get ahead of ourselves, here; for now let' s all get really excited about
valerian and the city of a thousand planets .
( between this and
guardians of the galaxy vol. 2 ,
summer 2017 is going to be full of really crazy space operas. )
justin chang reviews' valerian and the city of a thousand planets' directed by luc besson, starring dane dehaan, cara delevingne, clive owen, rihanna, ethan hawke, herbie hancock, kris wu, rutger hauer, and john goodman. video by jason h. neubert .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets (valérian et la cité des mille planètes), shortened to valerian, is a 2017 american / french space opera film produced, written and directed by luc besson (of the fifth element fame). it is based on the french science fiction comic book series valerian, and stars dane dehaan as valerian, cara delevingne as laureline, clive owen as commander arün filitt, and rihanna as bubble .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets ’ lack of dramatic interest amidst its visual splendor might have been less frustrating a decade or so ago. but the bar has been raised in recent years by the many special - effects blockbusters that have offered solid human grounding amidst the spectacle; the best comparison would be the guardians of the galaxy duo, which indulge in plenty of nuttiness while keeping us involved with its core protagonists. the city of a thousand planets has had plenty of attention lavished upon it, and it would have helped if besson had taken as much care with the hero who shares the titular billing .
it’s rare that a modern scifi movie shows you something you’ve truly never seen before, but that happens a lot in luc besson’s valerian and the city of a thousand planets. there’s innovative action, wondrous landscapes, creepy aliens, awesome weapons and technology, all of which combine to create a massive, magnificent universe. unfortunately, all the focus on the setting causes valerian ’s story to suffer .
ew can exclusively reveal that luc besson’s riotous 23rd - century caper will mark its 20th anniversary next month with a two - day theatrical re - release. presented by fathom events and sony pictures, the screenings will showcase a 4k restoration of the fifth element and an exclusive preview of besson’s new space opera valerian and the city of a thousand planets, which opens in july .
after its ill - fated release in north america and most foreign territories, “valerian and the city of a thousand planets” looked to china as its final hope. now, the middle kingdom’s summer blackout period has come to an end, and europacorp’s “valerian” has ended the weekend on top. luc besson’s $ 180 million sci - fi epic — considered [ … ]
so if you' re familiar with the tastes of todd mccarthy and typically agree with him, valerian and the city of a thousand planets may not be your cup of tea. that being said, there are still plenty of other professional voices who are singing praise for the blockbuster' s ambition and spirit, and your own personal tastes may line up more with theirs' .
after taking to instagram last weekend to announce that ethan hawke was joining the cast of the sci - fi epic valerian and the city of a thousand planets, director luc besson has posted an item that multi - grammy winning jazz musician herbie hancock will have a role in the feature adaptation of the french 1967 graphic novel series by pierre christin and jean - claude mézières .
it’s a cynical world in which we live, even within our fantasies, and that’s a big part of the reason why luc besson’s ambitious sci - fi spectacular valerian and the city of a thousand planets plays like a welcome reprieve from literally everything everywhere. it welcomes the audience into a future world full of dangers and conflict, certainly, but also of hope, sensitivity, acceptance and – perhaps most importantly – the most eye - popping imagery imaginable .
unfortunately, many of valerian ’s coolest designs — the underwater alien farmers, walking goldfish bowls, and peacock - human hybrids of alpha station — don’t get the time and attention they deserve. a city of a thousand planets is too big to show in its entirety, of course, but instead of weaving these wondrous elements into the film’s most important scenes, besson uses them as exposition and window dressing .
in the 28th century, valerian (dane dehaan) and laureline (cara delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. under assignment from the minister of defense, the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of alpha—an ever - expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. there is a mystery at the center of alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the city of a thousand planets, and valerian and laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just alpha, but the future of the universe .
“ valerian and the city of a thousand planets ” became the film to finally depose “wolf warriors ii” after an unprecedented run. “valerian” opened as the top film with a creditable $ 28. 8 million, according to data from ent group. that total was earned on close to 80, 000 screenings per day. and it included $ 3 million from 431 imax screens .
in the movie, special operatives valerian and laureline head to the sprawling intergalactic city of alpha of 17 million inhabitants to try and stop a threat that places the entire human race in great danger .
in the 28th century, valerian (dane dehaan) and laureline (cara delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. under assignment from the minister of defense, the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of alpha - - an ever - expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. there is a mystery at the center of alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the city of a thousand planets, and valerian and laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just alpha, but the future of the universe .
from that point on, valerian and the city of a thousand planets quickly evolves into a story of intrigue, with a core conspiracy that begs to be uncovered. of course, valerian and laureline are the only two that can solve the mystery. but any seasoned moviegoer will see the villain and the motivation coming a mile away - - the villain’s reasoning is far too poorly conceived and is based on so much crucial missing information that providing any early clues would venture too far into spoiler territory .
besson has secured the rights to nine of the comic books in the series and will have a script for the second film by the time
valerian and the city of a thousand planets
hits screens next summer (a trilogy has been fully mapped out, as of now), so if the movie turns out to be as awe - inspiring as the trailer suggests, there should be a lot more from the franchise coming your way very soon .
at the time of this article' s posting, only 23 reviews of valerian and the city of a thousand planets have been written and activated, which means that it' s score could still fluctuate a bit - - but given what we' ve seen so far, it seems as though the fifth element is a good field - guide to understanding how critics en masse will react to the blockbuster .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets opened this weekend with (as of this writing) a $ 17 million fri - sun frame. that' s relatively lousy and immediately puts it in the company of the likes of king arthur: legend of the sword, jupiter ascending, pan, john carter, battleship and 47 ronin as a very expensive movie ($ 150m after rebates) that couldn' t remotely pull its weight in north america .
they arrive at the titular city of a thousand planets, a space station citadel of thousands of different alien races all coexisting together in harmony. suddenly, the film stops to go through the different names, species, and environments shown later in the film. rarely have i ever seen a film crowbar its own trailer into the narrative. but, never say never. what’s even more awkward is that valerian and laureline are the ones that asked for the little lesson on the city’s demographics and population for no reason whatsoever .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets is a summer movie that leaves the block unbusted. in fact, it leaves the block pristine and box - fresh and, if you kept the receipt, in a fit condition to be returned to the block store. it is a cordial addition to that genre of films that in a bygone age would lurk in the discount bin in a thousand vanished video shops, but is now destined to occupy a tiny space on itunes, waiting for rihanna fans bored enough to want to stream it. dehaan and delevingne can do better – and so can the rest of us .
twenty years ago, writer / director luc besson brought a new sci - fi vision to the big screen, heavily inspired by the work of pierre christin and jean - claude mézières... and now he' s done it again. there are many connections to draw between the cult classic the fifth element and the upcoming valerian and the city of a thousand planets - - but it seems that a new thing the two movies have in common is the critical response .
at times bubble has to climb onto valerian' s shoulders in order to disguise them both, in scenes that sadly omit the punch line
you can stand under my umbrella .
there' s no denying that
valerian and the city of a thousand planets
is something to see, but even with rihanna and herbie hancock onboard, it' s nothing you want to listen to .
the wga west has reached a $ 1 million settlement with luc besson' s seaside productions to cover unpaid residuals on 23 films. guild records show that the company, which is owned and managed by the french filmmaker, had a
history of contract violations and noncompliance
and has been
inconsistent in paying residuals .
besson is perhaps best known as the writer - director of the fifth element, lucy and last year’s valerian and the city of a thousand planets, though it' s…
the fifth element had 188 special effects shots over the course of the movie, besson told us, and a lot of them were practical. valerian and the city of a thousand planets has 2, 734 special effects shots. there are so many, in fact, that besson decided to break them up into three types and send them out for bids. ultimately, weta digital, industrial light & magic and rodeo fx signed up to provide the effects .
after watching the trailer, we mingled with besson, who was on hand to answer any questions and also to have some wine and cheese with a small assortment of journalist (he' s french, after all !) the filmmaker said of
valerian and the city of a thousand planets ,
it' s my dream sci - fi movie .
and there' s a sense that he has been working towards this film his entire career - -
the fifth element ,
which will be 20 years old by the time
valerian and the city of a thousand planets
hits the big screen, felt like an initial stab at this kind of material. it, too, was inspired by french comic books (mézières was often cited) and had a similarly decadent, larger - than - life aesthetic (those jean paul gaultier costumes! )
based on the french graphic novel series' valérian and laureline' which enjoys cultural impact in europe some 40 years after its debut (despite little awareness elsewhere on the globe), valerian and the city of a thousand planets goes head to head against better - established properties from the likes of dc and marvel in a risky, but ballsy, move - the likes of which we don' t really see in an increasingly risk - averse hollywood .
the first reviews for luc besson' s valerian and the city of a thousand planets heap praise upon the movie' s cgi and spectacle, if not so much its human protagonists. valerian itself is an adaptation of the french sci - fi comic book series valérian and laureline (which turns 50 this year) and follows the misadventures of space / time - traversing crime fighters valerian and laureline, as played respectively by dane dehaan (chronicle, the amazing spider - man 2) and cara delevingne (paper towns, suicide squad) in besson' s big screen interpretation .
all of this comes into light not just on the world of valerian website, but when valerian hits theaters on july 21 .
this is mul. it’s the home of a very elegant race of beings who control some of the secrets of the universe. its fate and legacy are a huge part of what valerian is about .
i mostly enjoyed valerian and the city of a thousand planets and i sincerely hope that it kicks butt overseas (c' mon, china, pull another billy lynn and show you have better taste than we do). moreover, i hope that folks who would enjoy seeing it in theaters make time to do so. you' ll regret waiting for vod on this one .
which is not to say that
valerian and the city of a thousand planets ,
arriving 50 years after its source material was first published, is anything but a highly derivative pop bauble. besson, an industrial - strength entertainer and the reigning maximalist of the european film industry, isn' t selling originality so much as volume. he has made a madly overstuffed mos eisley cantina of a movie, one that surveys its diverse alien constituencies with the wide - eyed wonderment of a small child and the attention span to boot .
the dossiers were handed out to the actors to read over, especially the ones who play the cops of this mammoth city .
yes, valerian and the city of a thousand planets really is that bad, bad enough that you don' t know for the longest time that valerian is one of the lead characters and not a planet or a spaceship. sporting special effects and sets that smack of 50 - year - old barbarella - style tackiness, luc besson' s $ 200 - million eyesore will barely trigger a momentary blip on the american box - office radar screen, leaving besson with the lone hope that there are parts of the world where the entertainment tastes remain, ahem, less discriminating .
final update, writethru, 1: 16 pm: after a long six weeks during which the chinese market was cordoned off from imports, this was the frame that marked the return of foreign movies to proc screens. they include the session leader valerian and the city of a thousand planets ($ 28. 9m), as well as cars 3 ($ 10. 7m) and baby driver ($ 9. 6m) .
why won’t audiences embrace new space operas? john carter of mars, jupiter ascending and now valerian and the city of a thousand planets all met tepid to disastrous box office responses in most national markets, all but assuring an unlikely franchise future. meanwhile, any old star trek or star wars film will make at least $ 500m and the “good” ones will crack $ 1billion. franchise fever is self - perpetuating .
and yet, valerian and the city of a thousand planets still works, albeit in its own offbeat way. the visuals, especially in 3d, are some of the best you’ll see this summer. besson’s penchant for incredible action is there at all times. as a showcase for a new scifi universe, there’s rarely been better. it’s just the most important stuff—character, emotion, plot—is overshadowed by that universe. that’s what keeps valerian from being great... but damned if it isn’t a fun watch .
inevitably, valerian and the city of a thousand planets will be seen by naysayers as a knockoff of the iconic george lucas films, but i can only judge what is on the screen. wacky as the story is, and wooden as some of the acting is, including brooding lead dane dehaan, the pure visual technicolored visual wonder of besson’s view of the 28th century, along with some way - out - there supporting characters, won me over. it is a must in 3d, where this time that format actually makes a difference .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets may only be a month away from hitting theaters, but it' s just added a new cast member - - elizabeth debicki - - for some last - minute voice - over work. the project, based on a graphic novel, is an english - language french film set to hit theaters on july 21. the film is directed by luc besson (the fifth element), and stars cara delevingne and dane dehaan .
what were the selling points for valerian and the city of a thousand planets? it was from a noted visionary filmmaker. it offered something that audiences hadn' t seen before. it offered a unique cinematic experience explicitly served by seeing it on the biggest movie screen possible. it was a break from franchise reboots, revamps and sequels, offering a story that wasn' t necessarily original but was a new - to - cinema adventure. now, pop quiz hotshot, am i talking about valerian or am i talking about dunkirk ?
the gorgeous world of mul is a mystery that’s central to valerian. all images: europa
at the time of writing this, valerian and the city of a thousand planets is holding a 72% fresh rating on rotten tomatoes after 18 reviews, meaning the critical consensus could easily change (for better or worse) as more reactions are published ahead of the movie' s theatrical release next week. to find out more about what critics are saying thus far, read on for some spoiler - free valerian review excerpts (with links that you can click on for the full reviews) .
without a doubt, luc besson knows how to make a lavish, astonishing, cinematic big screen event films but continues to struggle to connect with the characters and hitting key emotional beats within the story being told. valerian and the city of a thousand planets excels at being visually striking and exciting, rousing eye candy full of imagination, color, and spectacle; but, it too is weakened by failing to connect its lead characters, valerian and laureline, to the story itself. by comparison to dazzling wonders to behold, valerian and laureline are flat and dull. it doesn’t help that dane dehaan as valerian and cara delevigne as laureline have very little chemistry which is a critical misstep for the film given how much of the film’s dialog between the two is centered around valerian proposing to laureline. surprisingly, the character of bubble played by rihanna is given a far more engaging arc than the lead characters. this cripples the overall appeal and effect of the film. while audiences will be amazed by the lush landscapes, astonished by the colorful special effects, and thrilled by the fast pacing, the film itself feels hollow without a strong enough character to connect to within its story. the film has plenty of opportunities but almost always opts to focus on the presentation instead of the ingredients. even with this tragic flaw, valerian and the city of a thousand planets nearly succeeds by pure spectacle alone .
that could easily come from a review of valerian and the city of a thousand planets, but it' s actually from roger ebert' s write - up of the fifth element when it first came out. like the many who now qualify themselves as fans, notable writers like ebert, gene siskel, and owen gleiberman gave luc besson' s bombastic sci - fi flick positive marks for its creativity and ingenuity - - even while recognizing that it still has significant problems .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets is sure to amaze and astonish audiences with its superb visual style and sci - fi elements. it collapses under the weight of those elements without a strong emotional core to keep the story itself compelling and engaging. it zips along like so much fluff without challenging its characters or its audience. it may be the best eye - candy of the year, however. for many, that will be enough. the biggest issue the film has is that its leads are miscast. dane dehaan fails to bring the charm and anti - hero shenanigans necessary to elevate valerian to the roguish appeal of a han solo type character. cara delevigne is a little more successful at bringing some cinematic lure and charisma to laureline but the weak dialog does her efforts in. besson seems to realize this perhaps by the amount of time and attention he gives to the aliens, their worlds, and the sci - fi aspects of the story. whenever he is able to do so without burying his film under exposition, the film shines as the opening sequence with the pearls exemplifies. regardless, for valerian fans and those who adore sci - fi fantasy spectacle, valerian and the city of a thousand planets is likely to fit the bill .
among the current slate of movie sequels, franchises, and cinematic universes, it’s hard to come by a film with both great imagination and creativity. fortunately, one such film is 2017’s valerian and the city of a thousand planets. based on a french graphic novel, one of the top five franco - belgian comics from publisher dargaud, it’s only appropriate that luc besson – director of the fifth element, lucy, and leon: the professional – would take it upon himself to deliver on the source material as both writer and director. and in the realm of visual effects and design, valerian knocks it out of the park consistently thanks to weta digital, ilm and rodeo fx – just to name three of the vfx studios that worked on film .
in some ways, “valerian and the city of a thousand planets” builds on a key aspect of “the fifth element, ” which revolved around a gun - wielding maverick with a surprising sentimental core, portrayed by bruce willis. the difference? “die hard, ” “the last boy scout, ” “pulp fiction” and “12 monkeys” had lent willis an unrestrainable machismo, maintained in “element. ” dehaan, less of a household name than willis was in 1997, has a more malleable reputation and a more gaunt countenance, as evidenced earlier this year in “a cure for wellness. ” put differently, willis was a brand; dehaan is not .
besson, a frenchman whose eye - popping aesthetics won him american success, had sought to adapt “valérian and laureline” ― the comics series he loved as a child ― since making the 1997 oddity “the fifth element. ” a futuristic space opera set in the outer reaches of the galaxy, “valerian and the city of a thousand planets” evolved throughout its development, getting an entire rewrite after besson saw “avatar” and decided his initial script “ wasn’t good enough. ” but one thing never changed: besson always wanted a leading man without typical leading - man attributes .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets shows flashes of the fun, excitement, and infatuating creativity you’d hope to see in a modern space opera. (without giving it away, the film’s first 5 - 10 minutes, which provide an abridged montage of alpha station’s origin, using the film’s interesting art and design to great effect .) despite these glimpses of compelling lore, most of valerian feels like a series of concepts, connected by an extremely bare - bones action tale. from afar, its best ideas look as if they’ve been drawn from an imagination running wild — but get closer and there’s no aspect of this movie that really stands out .
but it' s not just
the fifth element
that
valerian and the city of a thousand planets
calls to mind. there' s also echoes of the absurdist humor that ran through things like
angel - a
and
the family ,
and the kind of harmonious one - love message of his brilliant
lucy ,
which was sort of like terrence malick' s contemplative
tree of life
but remade as a late - night direct - to - cinemax action movie. and someone from besson' s europacorp told us that the original comic books that inspired
valerian and the city of a thousand planets
have largely informed besson' s entire career, from the way he writes rat - a - tat dialogue between actors to his fascination with a strong female central character. when i asked besson about alexandre desplat' s score for the film (which, honestly, seems like an odd tonal fit considering the composer' s rather somber proclivities), since it was announced that he would be handling the music shortly after leaving similar duties on
rogue one: a star wars story ,
besson said he hadn' t heard anything yet .
he starts this week ,
besson explained. so while things that he had been tinkering with for
star wars
could end up in the mix for
valerian and the city of a thousand planets
( and given how long desplat was a part of
rogue one ,
that seems likely), besson hasn' t heard a note .
“valerian and the city of a thousand planets” is an utter delight and one of the most gorgeous fantasies to hit the screen in recent memory—the kind of film that can take moviegoers logy from the usual array of craptaculars and render them giddy with its pure fun. the question, of course, is whether viewers will be willing to give its weirdo charms a chance. but if you want to come away from a film feeling dazzled instead of simply dazed, this is an absolute must. besides, it is almost certainly going to become a cult favorite in a few years, so why not get in on the ground floor while you can ?
, the two of them are suddenly standing in the surf of a painfully beautiful beach completely out of the blue. laureline is quick to remind valerian of his promise .
in his ludicrously entertaining 2014 science - fiction thriller ,
lucy ,
the french director luc besson gave us a chemically enhanced action heroine with the rare ability to harness 100% of her brainpower. besson' s latest futuristic whatsit ,
valerian and the city of a thousand planets ,
seems determined to induce the opposite effect in the viewer. when you enter the theater, you can pick up your 3 - d glasses with one hand and drop off your brain with the other .
the review embargo for valerian and the city of a thousand planets lifted yesterday evening, and the earliest write - ups suggest the movie is going to get a mostly positive, but mixed response. every critic thus far has commented on the intense visual spectacle the film, but some are more forgiving when it comes to the weaknesses in its narrative and its pacing. it seems that it' s a blockbuster you' re either on board with or not, and that' s practically identical to the responses that the fifth element received back in the late 1990s .
spaceship girl: valerian' s ship has a female a. i. called alex .
in the century xxviii, the space station alpha is a city where beings from different planets live together exchanging their knowledge and culture. peace is granted by a human force, including major valerian and his partner sergeant laureline. they are assigned by the defence minister to retrieve the last species of converter in a dangerous mission. they succeed and back to alpha, unknown humanoids abduct commander arun filitt expecting to steal the converter. they head to a forbidden area that is infected but valerian and laureline follow them and disclose a hidden secret about the race and the infected area .
when besson is working on a big canvas, as with 1997’s the fifth element, a film with the straight - faced audacity to posit that love truly is the fifth element, it becomes impossible to deny his auteur status. two decades after the fifth element was a worldwide box - office success and attained instant cult classic status, besson has made another magnum opus, another labor of love, another movie that is so personal that it’s essentially luc besson in cinematic form, in valerian and the city of a thousand planets .
seven centuries in the future, alien species from across the universe have converged to call the city of alpha home; a sprawling melting pot where planets share and coexist in harmony for the betterment of all. but during a mission which finds them called to hunt down a rare, and priceless prize, agents valerian (dane dehaan) and laureline (cara delevingne) become embroiled in a conspiracy which could spell doom for alpha and all that' s been built .
red shirt: the squad of soldiers who accompany valerian and laureline on their mission at the beginning of the movie. not one of them survive it .
the summer isn' t quite over, but valerian and the city of a thousand planets is certainly the frontrunner to be named the spectacle of the summer, and while many franchises have disappointed, this is a movie that ends with you wanting to see much more from the universe it introduces. it' s visually stunning, beautifully prescient in its humanist themes (alien - ist too, i suppose ?), and while its reach doesn' t match its grasp in some respects, you' re still left respecting the hell out of the reach alone .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets hopes you don’t focus too much on the script and characters, or lack thereof, while at the same time, it amazes you with incredible visuals and design. so much of the world of valerian looks applicable and reasonable to various alien species - - aliens that are robots manage the economy, floating up and down while collecting data; aliens that exist underwater need an apparatus to successfully farm their crops. the vfx does a fantastic job making you believe that this world exists. it even does an admirable job making all the real actors look like they belong in this universe too…most of the time. several times, valerian walked into a location where you can literally see the greenscreen, abruptly snapping you out of any suspension of disbelief you might have .
valerian and the city of a thousand planets is a jaw - droppingly beautiful and often delightfully exciting sci - fi adventure. taking place in the not - so - near future, it is (like the fifth element before it) an uncommonly optimistic portrait of the future... while the main selling point will be the 3d - friendly spectacle, besson remembers to root his story in character. okay, his heroic duo, valerian (dane dehaan) and laureline (cara delevinge) aren’t exactly classic cinematic creations. but they are a lot of fun to spend time with, which only adds to the razzle - dazzle .
it’s a shame that besson so brilliantly brought this universe to life, but wasn’t able to help the audience connect with the characters or the script. the humans act weird while certain weird aliens display more life and personality than any of the cast. the setting is beautiful and the action well - choreographed. but, there’s no tension in any of the scenes because dehaan and delevigne don’t act like real people in danger. as a result, there is no reason to care about what happens to either of them. valerian and the city of a thousand planets is a typical case of a big production that’s all sizzle and no steak, that never connects with an audience or gives them anything or anyone to root for .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice, telling a story of startling cruelty. what a space it opens…
now that' s not to say that valerian and the city of a thousand planets would have opened at $ 40 million had it debuted on aug. 4, 2017. it still may well have lost out on the imax screens and the plf theaters to a still relatively
new
dunkirk, and the whole
no movie stars
( rihanna fans didn' t show up the way harry styles fans did) and
obscure source material
thing still would have been a handicap. but opening away from the chris nolan war drama would have allowed valerian to stake its claim in terms of what it had to offer as the summer wound down .
based on pierre christin and jean - claude mézières’ valerian and laureline graphic novels that began in the ’60s—and inspired besson’s equally outré the fifth element —the movie plays as if the filmmaker desired to cram every odd element from the comics into one feature. you can’t accuse valerian and the city of a thousand planets of lacking ambition or visual imagination; there’s a new, sometimes eye - popping sight every few minutes. besson also continues his fifth element penchant for casting recognizable actors in oddball supporting roles; here, ethan hawke plays jolly, the gonzo owner of a club in this universe’s red - light district, where rihanna portrays bubble, an alien dancer with cgi - enhanced costume changes .
progressive era montage: an opening montage shows the evolution of a human space station into the eponymous city in space, and its role as a diplomatic nexus first for human races, then alien ones .
breaking: in a major move that redefines stx entertainment ’s place in the distribution landscape and decimates the distribution pipeline red, stx motion pictures group has made a three - year deal with europacorp films usa to release and market the upcoming films hatched by luc besson ’s production entity. that includes europacorp’s biggest gamble, the besson - directed valerian and the city of a thousand planets, the most fiscally and creatively ambitious film in that hit - making director’s career, at around a $ 180 million budget. the deal was announced by adam fogelson, chairman, motion picture group, stx entertainment, and marc shmuger, europacorp ceo .
dehaan and delevingne will play valerian and laureline in the adaptation of the original story, which centered on a pair of spatio - temporal agents who help defend a utopian 28th century earth and its neighboring planets from bad guys, with the pair’s adventures rooted in space opera and time travel themes not so much unlike fifth element, besson’s seminal 1997 pic .
and now, a few of the beings in the film. this is a kortan dahuk, one of the many races who contributes to the creation of alpha .
“the first woman i fell in love with was probably laureline, ” luc besson, the french director behind the forthcoming film valerian and the city of a thousand planets, said last year. “she was totally free and badass, and... was a very modern heroine at the time. ” besson was talking about one half of the duo at the center of valérian and laureline, the legendary sci - fi comic series his new movie is based on. written by pierre christin and illustrated by jean - claude mézières, the comics debuted in 1967 and follow the two eponymous “spatio - temporal agents” who work for an organization called galaxity, and, later, as mercenaries. valérian and laureline travel as partners—both professional and romantic—through space and time to resolve conflicts and foil villainous plots.
valerian and the city of a thousand planets ( french : valérian et la cité des mille planètes ) is a 2017 english-language french 3d science fiction action-adventure epic film , written and directed by luc besson , and co-produced by besson and his wife , virginie besson-silla . the film is based on the french science fiction comics series valérian and laureline , written by pierre christin and illustrated by jean-claude mézières . it stars dane dehaan as valerian and cara delevingne as laureline , with clive owen , rihanna , ethan hawke , herbie hancock , kris wu , and rutger hauer in supporting roles . besson independently crowd-sourced and personally funded valerian and , with a production budget between $ 177 – 210 million , it is both the most expensive european and independent film ever made . the film was released by stx entertainment on 21 july 2017 in the united states , and in france on 26 july , by europacorp . valerian received mixed reviews from critics , who criticized the writing and plot , but praised the visuals , and has grossed $ 88 million worldwide . 
valerian and the city of a thousand planets (french: valérian et la cité des mille planètes) is a 2017 english-language french 3d science fiction action-adventure epic film, written and directed by luc besson, and co-produced by besson and his wife, virginie besson-silla. the film is based on the french science fiction comics series valérian and laureline, written by pierre christin and illustrated by jean-claude mézières. it stars dane dehaan as valerian and cara delevingne as laureline, with clive owen, rihanna, ethan hawke, herbie hancock, kris wu, and rutger hauer in supporting roles. besson independently crowd-sourced and personally funded valerian and, with a production budget between $ 177 – 210 million, it is both the most expensive european and independent film ever made. the film was released by stx entertainment on 21 july 2017 in the united states, and in france on 26 july, by europacorp. valerian received mixed reviews from critics, who criticized the writing and plot, but praised the visuals, and has grossed $ 88 million worldwide.
valerian and the city of a thousand planets (french: valérian et la cité des mille planètes) is a 2017 english-language french 3d science fiction action-adventure epic film, written and directed by luc besson, and co-produced by besson and his wife, virginie besson-silla. the film is based on the french science fiction comics series valérian and laureline, written by pierre christin and illustrated by jean-claude mézières. it stars dane dehaan as valerian and cara delevingne as laureline, with clive owen, rihanna, ethan hawke, herbie hancock, kris wu, and rutger hauer in supporting roles. besson independently crowd-sourced and personally funded valerian and, with a production budget between $ 177 – 210 million, it is both the most expensive european and independent film ever made. the film was released by stx entertainment on 21 july 2017 in the united states, and in france on 26 july, by europacorp. valerian received mixed reviews from critics, who criticized the writing and plot, but praised the visuals, and has grossed $ 88 million worldwide.