#145: The Fifth Element

Release Date: May 9th, 1997

Format: Streaming (Pluto TV)

Written by: Luc Besson and and Robert Mark Kamen

Directed by: Luc Besson

3 Stars

How does one regard a hugely ambitious and creative blockbuster movie that’s really not very good? That’s the dilemma when analyzing Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element.

The strengths of the film are immense, if a bit diminished since its premiere in 1997. But still today, almost 30 years later, it’s pretty jaw dropping the scope of the production design on this thing. The prosthetics and costuming and sets and effects are passionately rendered and impactful. 

It has become the legacy of this movie. If there’s not much consensus on the quality of the storytelling, there is a consensus on how affecting the visuals are. If you saw The Fifth Element in theaters when it came out, all those years ago, you could probably close your eyes and still conjure up some of the arresting images from it. 

But otherwise this movie is a mess. The plot is convoluted, the performances are confusing, and the themes are muddled. At 127 minutes, the movie seems long, when really it’s not. 

The effect of having these powerful images juxtaposed against bad storytelling is interesting, for better or worse. It makes for a memorable viewing experience. And you can tell that writer/director Luc Besson has his soul invested into this project, which is endearing.

Even if you can’t really figure out what he’s doing.