⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
“A great deal of comedic fun!”
Landing somewhere on the proverbial spectrum between Heavy Metal and Blade Runner, Luc Besson’s ”goofy” cult classic, The Fifth Element, is a delightful mixture of science-fiction tropes and madcap comedy!
Released in 1997 to widely polarized reviews, the film has garnered a significant following amongst the crowd of viewers that recognize that the film is not supposed to be taken all that seriously. While it doesn’t go so far as to be completely devoid of reason, a light-hearted campiness (think Demolition Man), permeates throughout the action-driven premise, which is cleverly stitched together in editing to highlight some well-timed comedic moments from the farcically focused characters.
The surprisingly simple, and borderline ”fantasy RPG” plot of saving the universe by bringing together physical representations of the four cosmic elements (earth, wind, fire, and water), alongside the supernatural humanoid embodiment of the mysterious “fifth element”, is effectively utilized as a relatively easy-to-follow narrative framework for highlighting said comedic moments. And, while there is an argument to be made that the various plot settings too heavily relied on now-outdated CGI, and that some of the wacky character costumes range to the point of pure design lunacy, the solid acting performances given by Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Ian Holm, Gary Oldman, and Chris Tucker manage to cement a solid sense of believability to the oddball world that they partake in, even in the most extreme of examples presented by the latter!
The only legitimate flaw worth noting is that the actual ending itself is VERY anticlimactic, and a solid contender for the very definition of cliche! But, by that particular point, the “wacky adventure” has mostly run its course, and the slow fizzle out is a forgivable “cinema sin”.
Though certainly not everyone’s particular cup of tea by any stretch of the imagination, fans of more lighthearted sci-fi adventures seeking a thrill ride full of a bunch of laughs will no doubt have a great deal of fun in discovering, or even rediscovering, The Fifth Element.
BONUS THOUGHTS
—November 15, 2020—
This film is so much better than I remember! I first watched it back in 2010 and thought it was a bit too outlandish to be believable. Now I can appreciate that this is kind of the point! And, CGI and costuming issues withstanding, it has aged remarkably well compared to other sci-fi films from the time period.
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