Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

[Bruce Banner]

This got pretty much savaged by the critics, but I thought it was a lot of fun. Based on the French sci-fi comics series Valérian and Laureline, written by Pierre Christin and illustrated by Jean-Claude Mézières.

[Hector]

I like Luc Besson, León the Professional, Nikita...Fifth Elementh...so I'll check it out...been going to the movie theater a lot this Summer...Logan, Kong Island, Guardians of the Galaxy, Wonder Woman, Spidey Homecoming, War of the Apes, Dunkirk, etc...but gotta see Baby Driver first before it's gone...then I'll check out Valerian...

[enyawd72]

I thought it looked cool...very Guardians of the Galaxy-ish.

[Goblin19]

It didn't get savaged. It got what I would call mixed reviews. I want to see it. Not sure if I'll make it, though.

[palitoy]

Most of what I've read has slammed the lead actors.

[MRP]

I haven't seen it yet, but I did get the first volume of The Complete Valerian for my birthday a few weeks ago and have read 2 of the 3 albums collected in it (the movie adapts the 6th volume I believe). One of the more interesting articles in the collection was an article on how much Star Wars borrowed from Valerian...



which led Valerian's artist to do this homage cartoon at one point....



The comics are great fun, and worth checking out. I want to see the movie, but I am three months behind on my movie going because of the surgery I had, so there's other stuff I need to see first before it leaves the theatres.

-M

[Goblin19]

Dane Dehaan should not be the lead in an action movie. He's best at playing sullen.

[Hedji]

I really, really enjoyed this. The 3D was spectacular!!! I am so saddened to see that this is not doing well, and that IMAX is dropping 3D from their screens.

As for the film itself, I can understand why this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you want to see something different, told with an unconventional voice, and you have an open mind about how narrative and style mesh together for entertainment, then I would highly recommend getting to the theater to see this in 3D before it's gone, which will likely be soon.

If I'm being honest, I will say the story gets a little lost in itself, and could benefit from tighter editing. But this is eye candy like you've never seen before. Besson's visuals are astounding, giving the Avatar and Star Wars franchises a real run for their money in realizing world building and creature design.

You'll likely read cynical reviews on the internet citing that oft-used (and tiresome) phrase "cringe-worthy dialogue". (Can't stand that complaint... or perhaps I lack the radar for 'bad' dialogue). Anyway, I find Besson's films and their characters to have a refreshing innocence about them. There's an unashamed... dorkiness about them that just appeals to me. I don't know if it is because I am just used to American filmmakers, but I love the earnest vulnerability infused in Luc Besson's work. It's like the films are low hanging fruit that would be easy to make fun of, but why would you when they clearly just aim to be delightful? And that's what this film is. Delightful This is definitely a comic book movie, but those looking for the Marvel template need not apply. It's frustrating to hear complaints that Hollywood can't come up with anything different, and that they have comic book fatigue, and along comes something prepared in a very different kitchen, and audiences and critics reject it.

Not for everybody, and not perfect, but gosh I had a swell time with it.