The Fifth Element

Starring:  Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman

Also Starring: Ian Holm, Chris Tucker

Director:  Luc Besson

Box Office Gross:  $63.54m (USA)

DVD release date:  12/9/1997

Special Extras:  None

Options: Subtitles in English, Spanish. Soundtracks in English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), wide screen or full.

Summary:  Two hundred and fifty years in the future, life as we know it is threatened by the arrival of Evil. Only the fifth element can stop the Evil from extinguishing life.

 

Review:

Luc Besson’s odd and sometimes baffling sci fi thriller provides one of the best DVD experiences on the market.

Set in 2263, Bruce Willis plays a grizzled taxi driver retired from the military who is reinstated to recover what is known only as "The Fifth Element."

Filmed beautifully in Besson’s visions of the future and featuring terrific sound and visuals, the 5th Element succeeds in bringing us into the future and marveling us with technology. With strange costuming and vibrant colors we are taken out of a drab sci fi world and out into one of strange beauty and even stranger aliens.

 

In the far future, a great evil has returned to destroy Earth, as prophesized it would every 5000 years. Four elements (stones) are needed to defeat this power, four elements gathered around a fifth all supreme being. What the 5th element turns out to be is a movie surprise as well, and Bruce Willis, as Korben Dallas, has it fall right into his lap. Along with this evil of course there comes those that learned of the stones and plan to get them for personal gain. Enter Gary Oldman as Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg, ruler of a corporation that owns most of Earth’s resources and companies. Zorg is looking to get all four stones to harness their power and become a supreme being with infinite power. Add to this a priest in charge of protecting the Fifth Element, a flamboyant talk show host on a paradise cruise and inept military personnel and you can see how the Fifth Element takes one on a crazy ride across the universe.

While Besson shines in the movie direction, as usual, it is the vision and look of the film that makes it such an experience. Filled with special effects and great visuals, the film never slows down and manages to showcase humor and drama in a way that won’t offend. Granted, Chris Tucker’s Ruby Rhod character can be quite annoying and over the top, but after a while one realizes it was played to a tee. If you can overcome Tucker’s performance (not bad but very loud) this movie has very few flaws save a couple of questionable casting decisions. Bruce Willis is a perfect fit for his role which is very close to his Die Hard character. Milla Jovovich makes her debut with Luc Besson (The Messenger, The Professional) and stands out as a great savior of the world. Not even knowing the English language and having been asleep for 5000 years, Leeloo learns all she needs to know and slowly becomes responsive to Korben Dallas.

The priest Vito Cornelius, played by Ian Holm, provides a steady head and some good comic relief as the movie proceeds towards its flurried ending. With a huge climatic battle taking place on a pleasure cruise ship, the movie winds down with all the main players being together for one last attempt to gain control of everything.

 

Though at times the Fifth Element is too quirky the movie manages to restore itself at the right times. Chris Tucker, while annoying, adds some funny moments but his role was best left toned down. Vibrant and weird, the movie can hold your attention but its constant flip flopping plot may turn some off. Others may not agree with the vision of the future either. This movie likes to put style first and that was Luc Besson’s intention. It’s almost as if he was saying "Hey the technology is there, deal with it" as he allows just about anything to happen.

The DVD of the Fifth Element was the movie I saw that first convinced me I had to get a DVD player. About two years ago a friend of mine showed it off to me (the taxi cab scene) and I was hooked. I had to get a player. The movie has two standout scenes done so well and with such directorial focus they can’t be missed. One is for sure the fantastic opera scene, which is one of the best DVD showcases. The other…well…I will leave that up to you. Boasting no extra features but allowing for wide or full screen view, the DVD is bland and basic but the movie is well worth it. Do I hear special edition??

DVD Rating:

Look: 5/5

Sound: 4/5

Extras: 0/5

Total:  3/5