1 Interesting movie
I'm not going to write what the movie was about but certainly this is a very interesting way to sort of visualize the future. I enjoyed seeing a different version of Chris Tucker in this movie, Bruce Willis looks handsome & is charming as always, and Milla Jovovich is prettier than ever! Why can't we all have a nice lean body like she does? I love it how they made a little grain transform to a whole meal/bird. Voila! Pop the seed in the "microwave" and there comes out your lunch/dinner. Cool!
2 Awesome Sci-fi comedy adventure!
Set in the distant future, a cab driver named Korben Dallas ( Bruce Willis) has a tough life until one day he meets a unusual fare that fell into his cab. It's a lovely alien beauty named "Leeloo" ( Milla Jovovich) whom was really a secret experiement as she is known as the ultimate weapon against evil, she with Korben Dallas must save the world from a destructive force as there must be five important elements to destroy it, along his way he meets a cast of colorful characters such as Ruby Rod ( Chris Tucker), Cornelius ( Ian Holm) and the dastardly Zorg ( Gary Oldman).
From Luc Besson ( director of "Leon The Professional" and " Le Femme Nikita) comes a totally dazzling, colorful and wonderful Sci-fi fantasy comedy adventure epic which is now a cult favorite among Sci-fi fans. Luc Besson has always dreamed of doing this movie since he was a teen, it finally came true as this movie is a stunning flick with great performances, a witty sense of humor, non-stop action, impressive visual effects, cool aliens, and this movie is totally one of my all time favorite movies.
The new 2-Disc Ultimate Edition is a big time improvement over the previous bareboned DVDs in both regular and Superbit forms, but this one has nice extras. It's got a handful of featurettes such as how they designed the movie, a scene that never made it into the final cut, optional full length trivia track, and it has Superbit digital picture with perfect sound quality.
This is a must see and must have for Sci-fi DVD collectors everywhere! it's a good time of a movie and one of my choices for best movies of 1997.
Also recommended: " Total Recall", " The Running Man", "Blade Runner", "Dark City", " The Dark Crystal", "The Wizard of Oz", " Akira", "Ghost in The Shell", " Metropolis ( 2001 and 1927 versions)", " Armageddon", "Con Air", " Stargate", "Independence Day", "Titanic", " Starship Troopers", " The Terminator 1 & 2", " 6th Day", " Heavy Metal", " Big Trouble in Little China", " Sky Captain and the World of Tommorow", "Star Wars Trilogy", " Star Trek movies", " Ghost in The Shell 2: Innocence", " Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai", " Barberella", " Flash Gordon", " Dune" ( both versions), " Indiana Jones Trilogy", " The Mummy ( 1999)", " Transformers: The Movie".
3 A Gem
Between Chris Tucker's hilarious he/she hysterics, and Bruce Willis' witty underdog snideness, this movie was perfect. Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining. You don't have to be a big sci-fi fan (which I am not) to understand the plot, which is a basic good (earthlings) v. evil (piggish aliens) story.
A truly great film!
4 Bruce Willis in a science-fiction comedy/adventure.
The name "Bruce Willis" usually means it is going to be an excellent film. This time Bruce Willis tries a CGI-effects science fiction film. This is his 30th film.
In "Languages", you must press on "English 5.1" to get sound for the film.
You may choose "Fact Track" to receive facts about the film in English or Spanish while film is playing. It will replace subtitles.
Bruce Willis plays "Korben Dallas", your typical alpha-male who wakes up with a cigarette, stereo playing and television on. He also owns a white pussycat that keeps coming back home.
It's the year 2214. Willis drives a mid-air taxi-cab (remember the Jetson's airship?) where on this day he picks up Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil [2002], Resident Evil: Apocalypse [2004]). It guess orange hair is still in style. She was just re-created and talks in babbling.
McDonald's Restaurant is still around on the 25th floor with a whole new meaning to "drive-in".
Disc 2 includes the "Special Features". Too many to list, but some highlights are:
The Star Element: Interviews with Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich.
The Diva featurette includes interview with Maiwenn who played the Diva Plavalaguna. This will also include the entire performance of Maiwenn against green screen.
Note: Maiwenn played the Diva Plavalaguna, but was lip-syncing the opera. It is soprano, Inva Mula's voice doing the aria.
5 The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element is an overall superbly done film, well-acted as it is hilariously entertaining. Not the best actor around, Chris Tucker gives a hilarious performance as a near psychotic radio host, and Bruce Willis is the hero as he is in much of every film he plays in. The music for The Diva (who is brutally murdered) is performed superbly and is gorgeously sung.
6 This is not a movie for dummies
After having read all the negative reviews to this movie (1-2 stars), it became clear to me that the most frequent complaints (e.g. the "loudness" of some characters, the "vagueness" of the plot) could result from a clash of cultures.
North Americans don't laugh at the same things Europeans do.
And North American don't appreciate subtleties either: they refuse to use their wits and "zoom-out" to see the big picture, no matter how obvious it may be; instead, they crave for Star Wars-like dialogs, by means of which everything is spelled-out to them ("Luke..." -- pause for unsuccessful dramatic effect, during what is probably the only 2 seconds without any shower of soldering sparks or any electronic video-game sound, er, special effects, in the whole movie -- "I am your father...")
In European-style movies like The Fifth Element, viewers aren't treated like dummies who have to be told which way is up, instead they are shown a complete, working, verisimilar scenario of a society -- where every bit of info counts.
For example, we are shown -- even if by such hints as background music, names of characters, diversity of accents, architectural design style -- that in the future the dominant culture is no longer Western. It doesn't take us viewers a long time to realize that names such as John are no longer in fashion, as isn't Rock & Roll, or Sunday picnics at the park.
Unlike North Americans and their unhealthy obsession with their own navels, Europeans stand midway between Eastern and Western cultures, and therefore see this "fusion future society" as a likely possibility.
So, I would dare saying that "show vs tell" is not the main reason North Americans don't like this movie: it is perhaps the loss of dominance of American culture that they find subconsciously the most repelling. That, and of course the ridiculing of the Western mass-media/entertainment industry, by the Ruby Rod character...
Me, I find it difficult to accept that the very same reviewers who dislike this movie (a typical "mythical hero" storyline, with the inevitable stereotyped characters and the unavoidable "good vs evil" plot) still praise Star Wars...
As a kid, I used to liked Star Wars movies, but now I find them boring to watch a second time, even the new ones -- no, especially the new ones!
On the other hand, I find The Fifth Element intelligently satirical and refreshing, by any standards -- and it only gets better each time I see it.
But even if you don't like the movie itself, listen to the soundtrack, by Eric Serra. He has made the soundtracks for all of Luc Besson's movies, up to and including The Fifth Element.
7 "It Mu5t Be Found"
What an exhilarating, visual feast Luc Besson's 1997 sci-fi extravaganza "The Fifth Element" is. And what a mess.
This tumultuous cinematic experience, starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich, combines unapologetically hokey science fiction (often blatantly ripping-off "Brazil" and "Blade Runner") with quasi-religious undertones, and garish French New Age visuals courtesy of legendary couturier Jean-Paul Gaultier. This mind-boggling film veers from being impertinent to silly to exciting to downright stupid. Perhaps this can be explained by the fact that writer and director Besson originally wrote twenty-two years ago when he was sixteen. And I sincerely doubt that he changed a word of the script since then.
Although this movie is literally dripping with eye-popping special effects, they're all hung on a scatterbrained plot that is literally incomprehensible. The plot, what there is of one, is your basic "cab driver saves the world from a big flying ball of evil using magic rocks" story, with Willis as the cabbie in question and a sorely out of place Gary Oldman as the business tycoon who wants the rocks for himself. And while lots of things blow up, most of the film is just plain boring and idiotic, especially Chris Tucker's performance as Ruby, an indecipherable, somewhat disturbing intergalactic Dennis Rodman-esque talk show host. Yes, you read that correctly.
8 FINALLY! A DVD of "Fifth Element" with extras!!!!
Was severely disappointed when "The Fifth Element" was first released on DVD -- no extras! Nothing! Zilch, zap, zippo! Nothing but the movie. And it is a GREAT movie...so great that its fans really deserve all of those "behind the scenes" extras that make DVDs so much better than video tapes. Thank goodness for the new Ultimate Edition release! The added extras are very informative and a lot of fun to watch. I especially enjoy the "fact track" trivia that can be viewed along with the movie. Some of the trivia is kind of inane, but there are some interesting tidbits to be learned there!
Most people fall into two camps concerning "The Fifth Element." They either love it or hate it. I love it...I think it's one of the most original, quirky, fun sci-fi movies ever to hit the silver screen. I'm glad that it has finally landed on DVD with the extras it should have had in the first place!
9 Doesn't matter . . .
and it really doesn't matter to me. From the first time I saw this movie until the last time, I just love it. I love the humor. Yes, it's a cult movie. You either love it or not.
10 3 1/2 Stars....but still one HOT element!!
This review is for the new "The Fifth Element:Ultimate Edition".
This new two disc set includes a wonderfully crisp transfer and an extra disc full of extras aimed to please.
I recall viewing this movie on VHS when it first came out and I am amazed at the difference in picture and especialy sound quality.I recall on the tape having a devil of a time understanding what the shape shifting alien marauders-for-hire were saying,but in this edition I understand every syllable quite clearly.
This is a movie I never tire of even after repeated viewings.It's one of those films that the best thing you can do is just sit back and let IT do the driving.It's a wild space/earth/alien/armageddon/pure evil vs pure good high adrenaine romp that never lets up when it gets going.
Cab driver Dallas(Willis) is an ex special forces member who is suddenly thrust into becoming the ersatz guardian of Leeloo(Jovovich) the pictures' title.It's a race against time to make sure she accomplishes her mission.....to save earth.The back story and the colourful characters that we meet along the way propel the movie along without stopping for a breath.
The main drawback of this set,and it isn't exactly a minor one,is its' issuance ONLY in DTS.There is NO Dolby 5:1 surround or any other sound options available at all in the menu which is highly unusual, as opposed to any DVD I've encountered so far which usually has mulitple options thereof.So please be warned to make sure your DVD player is able to play DTS encoded audio,as some older models may not be able to.This is something I have to manually adjust to everytime I play it,which can be annoying.
In concluding if the only-in-DTS sound is a problem then you will want to give this set a by-pass,which is why I have given this set a three and half star rating when it should have been higher.
But if the sound is no obstacle I recommend you pick up this highly entertaining two disk set which is the only way to own this movie.
11 Slick, if not for the sappy ending
I finally figured out what those dog-like creatures remind me of, those dudes from the grisoft (AVG antivirus)logo. This film is a visual and aural treat, and is at its best when its funny, which makes you wonder if its not actually a spoof. The most nauseating part was towards the end, with all that 'love can save the world' talk. Otherwise, I quite liked it. My favourite scene, perhaps, is the Diva concert which is followed by the scene in which Leeloo kicks the guts out of those dog-like guys with a techno-remix Diva in the background. I sometimes wonder, what yardsticks do science fiction directors, or writers, for that matter, follow when creating futuristic sets? Here, rush hour is airborne and you have all sorts of gadgets that make life easier for you, but bruce willis still has to use a matchstick to light a cigarette...surely, even today we use lighters. But whatever, a fun film.
12 Sound problem
Can someone help me? It's weird because I can only hear sound when my surround sound is on. In other words, the DVD doesn't play sound through my TV when the surround sound if off! Something is definitely wrong here! Could someone help me fix this problem?
Oh, by the way.....THIS MOVIE ROCKS!
13 An extra disc for a couple bucks more
As with most films that reach a cult status, you either hate it or you love it. The Fifth Element provides the basic good vs. evil storyline with great performances by hero, Bruce Willis(still in Die Hard mode), comedic relief, Chris Tucker(break out roll), over the top bad guy, Gary Oldman(has he ever played the same bad guy twice?), Ian Holm (I first saw him in Tarzan) as the ne'er do well and the perfect weapon, played with depth by the young Mila Jovovich(multi talent- model, actress, singer, no need for a multi pass). Like Blade Runner, the sets and styles create a completely different world than our time/place but it's the action and comedy that make this movie so enjoyable.
I believe the character of Korben Dallas originally was in a series in the 70's Heavy Metal magazine. The film starts off slow, but picks up speed. A fun ride for the price.
14 ** WEIRD, BUT GOOD **
This was such a strange movie... there are colors and things and strange happenings all over the place. The first time I saw it I actually did not like it. Then I took a second look and was blown away. Everything just pops out at you. Chris Tucker's performance is hilarious and Milla Jovovich was awesome. This is a strange one -- may take some of us slower folks to see the brilliance in it, but what a wild ride!
15 Please! Let's Stop With All These Editions...
OK people, please. Can we stop with making people buy a freaki' film 2, 3, 4 times. Lets get it right the first time boys and girls. This edition has over two hours of previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage. Normally, I don't care about such things, but these are pretty awesome. The repackaging is gold and shiny! Oooo SHINY! The film itself is the same, but has been remastered into the SUPERBIT format and clearer picture and sound. Sell your other copy(ies) and keep this one. This is for the truly die hard fans as well as lovers of great science fiction/action genre.
16 what a bizzare, truly magnificent dvd.........
wow, what a crazy, funny, exciting, action packed classic! i thought my 1st dvd years ago was awesome,but wait until you experience this ultimate edition. the superbit high transfer quality is almost blinding, it's so crystal clear and really a thing of beauty to behold. and the dts audio track will really make you hold on to your chair-guaranteed! the entire cast, even motor mouth chris tucker, is superlative. no matter how often you think you saw the fifth element, you ain't seen nothing yet! this is a true showpiece for your home theatre system and it is marvelous and unforgettable.
17 Fantastic Extras
I found the extras on this disc to be really well organized and super interesting. Granted, I was a bit disappointed that Besson is nowhere to be seen - but it's pretty well known that he doesn't do DVD EVER. He's one of those director's who prefers to let the work speak for itself. (Although he does have some very cool books on his movies - hard to find though.) But without him, I found the stuff here really great. I really liked the Digital Element featurette with all the people from Digital Domain (they also did Titanic and Dante's Peak)which showed how most of the New York action was shot in London but then composited against a giant New York city model in California. The Alien Element had so much material that it was divided into four separated featurettes - Mangalores, Mondoshawans, Picasso, Strikers -- and showed each of the creature being tested, built and so on. It's really cool to see the Mondos actually getting in and out of those suits before shooting. (The Strikers by the way were cut from the movie, but we get some rare footage of them on the set - the airport.) I guess the featurette I loved the most was The Diva - starring the French actress Maiwenn - she is totally gorgeous and shares lots of very intimate stories about the making of the film. The Fashion Element has a pretty fun interview with Jean Paul Gaultier about the costumes. And if you're into production design, then The Visual Element goes to Paris to meet the two comic book artists Moebius and Mezieres who kind of got the whole stylistic thing rolling in Besson's head. I really liked the way the features were divided up into categories and how there were additional menus of extra screen tests available behind each one. This movie was produced well before the advent of DVD, so I know it's hard to dig some of this stuff up. All in all, if you love this movie, you'll really like the docs about how it was made.
18 One of the best Sci-Fi movies ever made!
This movie is fantastic! Visually stunning. I must have for any Sci-Fi collection.
19 Flawed, But Still Worth It
Luc Besson's The Fifth Element is one of those films that so dazzles the eye that it prevents the rest of your brain from discovering how essentially convoluted it is. But for a big, special-effects film it delivers what it promises even if your eyes roll around from time to time.
Bruce Willis is Corbin Dallas, former Mr. Military Uber-Man now New York cab driver who, of course, finds himself saving the world. Willis doesn't plumb any new territories with his portrayal (not quite as funny as John McClain, not as serious as Harry Stamper) but does a solid job reacting to the myriad of green screens that must have been on set. Willis is paired with Milla Jovovich as LeeLoo, the alien-bred supreme being who must destroy the ultimate evil...but we'll get to that in a sec. Jovovich turns in her best performance to date, somehow naturally delivering the gobbledygook language Besson created just for this film while seeing the world as a child and using some martial arts to kick ass all at the same time.
But this is a film about style and it doesn't dissapoint. New York of the year 2300 is a dazzling cityscape miles high and bustling with the flying cars we all hope we see one day. Style invades every aspect of the film, from using supermodels as aliens to Jean-Paul Gaultier designing police uniforms. Besson and crew did a marvelous job of creating a feast for the eyes and that alone makes the film a must-see. From aliens and divas and spaceships to floating boat-hotels and a remote-controlled cockroach, the movie shines with its inginuity.
With all the style stuffing every corner, you may wonder about plot and perhaps its best that you don't. Like the Heavy Metal magazines that inspired it, art is tatamount to story...but I'll give it a go: Every 5,000 years Ultimate Evil returns to attempt to destroy all life in the universe. It looks like a big, firely meatball in space. To combat this, some alien race built a temple (now ancient Egypt, making the third or fourth sci-fi use of ancient Egypt) to hold the only weapon to defeat it: the Fifth Element. What is the ultimate evil? Where does it come from? Why does it need Gary Oldman to do its bidding? These are questions best left unconsidered for too long, else you reach some wierd conclusions (if the Evil comes back every 5,000 years, and the universe is 11.5 billion years old...does that mean its been defeated 230,000 times?). Again, best not to dwell.
Chris Tucker comes along for the ride as radio talk-show host Ruby Rod and delivers the most memorable performance in the film despite wearing skin-tight bathrobes. Ian Holm provides some stability as the monk Cornelius and the aforementioned Gary Oldman is the villanous Zorg. Oldman, eerily effective using his southern-american dialect, isn't on the screen enough for my taste but again proves that no one does the bad guy so well. Those fashionistas among you who remember who the best supermodels were in 1997 will also no doubt see your favorites popping up all over the place. Apparently, there are no women in the year 2300 who wear more than a size 2.
The Ultimate-Edition DVD replaces the no-thrills disk first issued and the later Superbit release. In fact, the movie on disk 1 is the superbit edition. The video is flawless with no edging or halos as would be expected. The digital effects hold up remarkably well, I'd put them alongside anything produced today which is saying a lot for a film eight years old. I don't have a widescreen TV, but this makes me wish I did. I do have a surround-sound system and this movie nearly shook the speakers off the shelf. The 5.1 DTS is awesomely aggressive in its use of all speakers and I swear my subwoofer began rocking around like an old washing machine during some of the action scenes. Disk 1 also has a fact track that runs under the picture with some pretty cool factoids. No commentaries (in fact, no Besson at all anywhere...I still don't know what he looks like), but that leaves more bitspace for audio and video.
Disk 2 is a bit of a letdown with featurettes on style, digital work, the cast and aliens. But each featurette is quite short (none more than 15 minutes) and all have the same voice-over by Mr. Professional Voice Annoucner Guy who got on my nerves by the third one. The Star Element features interviews with Willis, Jovovich and Tucker (again not in depth) and a look at the extras who populated the various alien costumes. But given the amount of work that went into this film, you'd think that there would be more conceptular art to paruse or behind-the-scenes stuff, but, alas, there is not. This is probably due to the fact that Besson is nowhere to be found and considering that everything we see popped out of his head, that is dissapointing.
Nevertheless, given the terrific video and audio presentation and just enough extras to let you in on some of the secrets of making the movie, this is a great DVD to pick up.
20 Where's the justice?????
Fifth Element is a brilliant piece of cinematic work. The cast, the script, the direction, the gorgeous visuals, the great score... these elements come together to make TFE a truly great film. Too bad that the folks making this DVD didn't treat it that way. It appears that a company named "Mirage Productions" was responsible for the content on the DVD - appropriate, considering that anything perceived to be "Ultimate" here is just that - a mirage.
First off, there are dozens of submenus - most of them unnecessary. For example, instead of presenting a featurette on the creation of the alien characters, there is an individual featurette for each "race". Each featurette ends with a full credit sequence, which, after about the third time (they appear at the end of every featurette on the disc) make one want to do some remote + screen target practice.
In many areas of the disc, there are "screen tests" - silent location / character / lighting tests ranging from around 20 seconds to a minute or so - boring to all but the most diehard fans (of which this author is one). These tests each have their own menu selection, adding to the unnecessary menus. My advice to the Mirage folks: Memorize the following phrase - PLAY ALL. Jeez.
On the bright side, there is a decent amount of footage on the initial design phase, and on the special effects, both visual and in character creation. On the dark side, the narration ranges from cheesy to outright sappy. (The "Diva" section is particularly garish, featuring an opening narration that raves about this being the first time the actress has ceded to an interview about the film. In her last interview segment, she reveals that this is the first time anyone has asked! Sigh.)
Further criminal activity on this disc includes:
NO material on Ian Holm, a fine british actor who brilliantly played a crucial role in the film. (The man was KNIGHTED, for crying out loud...)
NO material on Gary Oldman, whose portrayal of Zorg is priceless. (Actually, Oldman DOES show up, however briefly - in a biography of an animatronic creature. Sad that a latex-covered robot gets more coverage than legendary actors. Sigh again.
NO information on the score at all. Music plays a huge role in this film (particularly in poignant moments like the Leeloo "birth" scene), but it's not addressed at ALL.
NO (and I mean NO) information on Luc Besson (Director) at ALL. Other than mention of him in interviews, there's no footage OF him, nor commentary BY him. This film was his dream project from age 16, and judging from what others have said about him, it's a crime that he's left out here.
NO commentary track accompanies the film at all. In place of commentary, we're treated to a cheesy "Fact track", which uses a subtitle track to show trivia about the film. (Sometimes - didja know that camels don't store water in their humps? Double Sigh.)
Bright spots: The Milla Jovovich interview provides some good background info on the film and her involvement in it. The aforementioned footage on the design phases and technical stuff is good, despite the tacky narration script and overreading.
Dark spots: The Bruce Willis inteview barely touches on the film at all, and is very short.
Darker spots: The Chris Tucker interview ranges from embarassing to flat-out why-the-heck-did-you-even-bother-to-put-this-on-the-disc moments.
I had pre-ordered this DVD... as a fan of the film, I was anxious to see more information about the production. I needn't have bothered. The "Over 2 hours" of content label doesn't tell you that you'll spend 8 or so minutes watching multiple credit scrolls, or multiple silent screen tests.
If the people at Mirage (or Columbia/Tristar, for that matter) want a good example of how to do it right, they should get ahold of the Hellboy 3-disc set. In the meantime, longtime Fifth Element fans deserve something better - so does this masterpiece of a film.
If you don't own TFE, then you should. But I can't recommend the "Ultimate" (HA!) edition.
21 Amazing features and documentaries!
I couldn't wait for this Special Edition DVD to come out -- and I'm just blown away by the special features. I won't waste a lot of space here writing about the movie, because I'm assuming that if you're reading this, you know the movie already. But the featurettes on this DVD are really cool. The Diva presents the French actress Maiwenn, who has never talked about the movie before, in a rare interview - she's incredibly beautiful and she reveals that she was engaged to Besson when the movie started. (Totally amazing at the end of this piece is an entirely UNEDITED version of the Diva's magnificent aria - performed in one take!) The Alien Element shows some really extraordinary behind the scenes footage of all the creatures being built and tested by creature effects guru Nick Dudman in London - amazing to see how they found and tested the shape for the Mondoshawans and the Mangalores testing their masks. The Digital Element tells the full story of Digital Domains work on the Visual Effects - and contains some really remarkable green screen footage. What's also really cool about this DVD is that each featurette also contains a whole menu of rare screen tests relating to the theme of the specific documentary that you're watching. I'd say there's easily more than two hours of really cool extras here. Milla Jovovich's screen tests and make-up experiments are also included. And for anyone who's interested in where the visual inspiration for the movie came from, you get to meet the two french comic book artists who first inspired the director to make the movie and see all their terrific art work. For any fan of this movie, this DVD really delivers!!
22 Okay
The Fifth Element was good, but a little overdone and weird. The black guy kind of creeps me out, but the whole idea for it is very creative and the colors are bright and wonderful. It does have flaws, but it does have a bunch of good moments.
23 Made me scream with excitement
An amazing sci-fi journey with a surprising and rewarding conclusion. People were literally screaming with surprise in the theatre when I saw it and the DVD brings back those memories. Like my buddy JB says, it'll keep you spellbound for two hours and make you howl at the end!
The Fifth Element---a gift that keeps on giving.
24 Great, great sci fi movie...just amazing...
The guy below me...well all I can say is he liked Battlefield Earth...enough said. That's like Rodger and Ebert saying they liked Barney more then Jonny Depp as an actor. Just don't go by his review.
25 A MUST SEE
Now, I've never seen THIS version of the movie, but when I saw the ad for it last night, I nearly soiled myself. To review the actual movie, I'll say this: It has nearly something for everyone. For the action lover:well, you surely won't be dissapointed. For the drama person: has an excellent storyline and plenty of dramatic twists and turns. For the comedy man/woman: Chris Tucker will be sure to please. Let's not forget unfogettable performances by: Bruce Willis, Sir Ian Holm, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker, and last but DEFINATELY not least, Gary Oldman. Wrap all this together, mix in excellent score by Eric Serra,(I have the soundtrack) and you have one of the best films of 1997. And to go overboard a little, I'd say one of the top films of the decade. Now, the original DVD was okay. Sound and picture were awesome! But in the way of bonus features, it HAD NOTHING! Not even film/cast bios or a theatrical trailer. Well, from what I saw, and from the technical mumbo-jumbo above, this will be the best special edition release Big Trouble in Little China.
26 Eye-poppingly good!
The Fifth Element is one of my favorite sci-fi movies. It's filled with spectacular images, vibrant colors, outlandish characters and loads of humor. Bruce Willis is top-notch as the jaded New York City cab driver and reluctant hero who must help save Earth hundreds of years in our future. In fact, this movie is so eye-poppingly good I'm glad I first experienced it on the big screen.
The film opens with a 20th century archeological expedition in Egypt which is interrupted by the arrival of huge, lumbering alien beings who have created the one weapon that can stop a powerful evil force that is prophesied to threaten the universe. Fast forward to the New York of the future, where flying cars zip between the skyscrapers, McDonalds still rules, and Korban Dallas (Willis) struggles to make a living as a cabbie. A mysterious, gibberish-speaking girl (Milla Jovovich) on the run from the authorities rudely enters Korban's world and pleads for his help in saving Earth. Together, they must retrieve the elements that will stop the galactic death-bringer. The evil force meanwhile has an ally in the form of human traitor Gary Oldman, who it seems has been typecast for this kind of villain (see Lost in Space). Oldman's character follows Willis and Jovovich to a kind of Space Vegas, where the opera Diva (Alice Krige) holds the key. Throw into the mix a bunch of shape-changing alien mercenaries and Earth's own bewildered security forces and you have a huge action-adventure and lots of laughs.
Gary Oldman is perfect in his weasely, over-the-top performance. Ian Holm turns in a nice appearance as a morally ambiguous priest and we even get a campy Luke Perry cameo right at the beginning of the movie. Jovovich works well as the naive innocent who also holds great power in her hands. Jovovich worked with director Luc Besson again on The Messenger, which is my favorite Joan of Arc movie.
27 Chris Tucker Steals The Show!
What a great rollercoaster ride! This is a great movie and a total escape. Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman both do a great job with their roles. Milla, however was outstanding. The rest of the actors all good jobs with the material but, Chris Tucker's over the top D.J. stole the show from the rest of them. I would love to see a sequel to this one if it's at all possible! The widescreen edition or the standard edition, makes no difference. We got kinda queezy motion sickness from the taxi cab sequence on our 32 inch T.V. so, the special effects do well. My favorite scene is when the Diva sings. In addition to the fact that the selection she sings is GREAT. The sequencing is superb in keeping the plot moving. The costuming, while skimpy at times was right on the money. This film has a great story line and the plot moves right along. The writer had a great imagination. When we got DVD home, eight of us watched it in awe and as soon as it finished, we watched it again! Like I said...one great roller coaster ride! Way to go, Bruce and company!
28 One of the worst movies ever made.
Nothing positive can be said about this movie. Senseless plot, terrible acting, ridiculous story. I can't believe I wasted 2 hours of my life watching this. This has to be one of the most cheesy, shallow, banal, pathetic pieces of trash to hit the big screen. Anyone who likes Bruce Willis will be baffled as to why he chose to associate himself with this fairy tale wallowing in gender confusion.
There is clearly only one reason why this movie was made: it's a showecase for costume designers and hairsylists to display their "fabulous" flamboyant creations.
This movie is only going to be enjoyed by people who like to THINK they have an appreciation for "artistic flair," "creativity," and "imagination." Truthfully, even Battlefield Earth was by far a better movie. To this day I cringe every time I hear this movie's name.
29 Finally !
After several years they finally plan to release a fully loaded Fifth Element DVD. The fans have been waiting. The standard DVD is nearly void of any interesting or useful info. This special edition is supposed to have several featurettes and other good stuff to support Luc Besson's excellent sci-fi classic. Sign me up!
30 A NEW ULTIMATE EDITION??
As one of the biggest fans of this movie (ask anybody that knows me)I am hoping that there is some undiscovered footage, deleted scenes, Superbit Version, or some fresh stuff. I have the special 2 disc British Edition from last year and am hoping this New Ultimate Edition is not a carbon copy of that. ?Is Mr. Shadow returning soon?
31 Favorite movie of all time
My favorite actor is Bruce Willis and this movie is his best. It's also my favorite movie period.
32 The Fifth Element: Ultimate Edition (2 discs)
The Fifth Element: Ultimate Edition (2 discs) for 1/11/05 at SRP $24.96
-will include anamorphic widescreen, DD and DTS 5.1 audio, a factoid trivia track, 4 behind-the-scenes featurettes (The Star Element, The Visual Element, The Alien Element and The Digital Element), film galleries, camera, costume and set tests and more.
33 Ultimate Edition on it's way
An "Ultimate Edition" of this title is due to be released January 11, 2005. Ditto for Besson's "Leon." No details have been announced yet.
34 Funniest SF in a long time
First, the basics: Bruce Willis pretty much ensures a good action flick, so this is really a SF-action-comedy. Effects are good, even judging a `97 film by `04 standards. Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) has babe appeal, which the film uses nicely without overusing it. And, in case anyone was wondering, the Earth is saved. As usual.
After that, the movie offers a few unique points of visual styling. The most remarkable one was that white stripey thing Leeloo wears for the first part of her role. It keeps us in suspense, eagerly awaiting a Janet Jackson event that never occurs. That's ordinary enough - what's remarkable is that the outfit is a friendly knock-off of one used in a 1970s performance-art video, Rebecca Horn's "Einhorn." Well, if you're going to swipe an idea, swipe the best.
There are two wonderful action sequences, fast cuts back and forth between two concurrent but unrelated scenes. One alternates between a spaceship takeoff and a Ru-Paul-eque Ruby Dee giving a toe-curling moment to a stewardess. The other switches between Leeloo punching up some bad guys and an abstract dance performance. Both cases give some heavy handed but enjoyable visual puns connecting the parallel scenes.
So where does the comedy come in? Everywhere. It starts with benificent aliens - they look like buzzard beaked jukeboxes with glow-in-the-dark codpieces. Goofy bits continue to the last scene, where the president would congratulate our hero and heroine, except that they're already rewarding each other with - well, with each other.
This is just fun. There's no big lesson, there's no social or scientific plausibility. There is good visual presentation, good action, and a few chuckles. Lord knows I've seen worse.
//wiredweird
35 I Hated this movie...
I remember seeing this video in the theaters and I was really disappointed when I walked out. I picked up the movie for some odd reason when it came out on video and to my surprise it turned out to be a great movie. I do not know what changed my mind, maybe I just had to see it more than once and now it is one of my favorite movies of all time. So maybe see it two times if you did not like it when you saw it. Some of the cinematic shots were what made the movie a delight to see, and make the movie that much more worth while. There is character and plot depth which is getting harder and harder for sci-fi directors to create without taking away from the special effects/ vice versa. I own the Dvd and am looking forward to buying the Superbit version to complement my Samsung Dlp and Dts Surround Setup. Bruce Willis is expressionless at times and is the perfect man for the role of the almost jobless cabbie who is destined to save the world with supermodel Mila jovavich. Almost more comedic than sci-fi it has equal depth in categories of characters/screen shots and angles/ plot and the variance of speed of the scenes; Slows down, but picks right up with some action. Go rent or buy it soon.
36 Better without Chris Tucker...
Visionary, well-realised, interesting story, great to see Tricky in a movie looking so good. One Question. On the set, did M. Besson tell Chris Tucker to be as shrill as possible? Or did he tell him to behave like a hysterical drag queen? Or keep doing what you're doing..only louder? Or all three? Unfortunately the outcome is a performance(for want of a better word)that ruins every scene he's in. What a shame he's in many..........
37 Good sci-fi flick
Fast moving sci-fi flick with a good balance of humor and action. Milla Jovovich is great as Leeloo and Chris Tucker will have you rolling off the couch laughing. A definite space classic!
38 The thoroughly amusing classic...
The Fifth Element is an entirely silly romp. With tongue firmly planted in cheek it skewers pompous, self-indulgent, overly serious action flicks of all types. The plot is disposable and the acting is w-a-a-a-y-y-y over the top. But in this case it all adds to the entertainment.
From first to last scene there is hardly a serious frame of the film. Fresh from "Die Hard", Bruce Willis delivers his lines with the now trademark smirk. His delivery here is wry and you can see the tongue wiggling in the cheek. Chris Rock is his totally annoying self---but for some reason it is perfect here.
There are scenes of beauty and poignancy--not too many, just enough--to balance the unrestrained hilarity of the rest of the goings on.
Some folks don't like the movie. The script is fairly bad. The sight gags are hokey. Okay, there is a bit much in the way of violence. Aspects descend into schtick and many of the scenes are just "the scene after the previous one". But I guess what always gets me is that everyone looks like they're having fun doing this.
I mean: how can you utterly dislike a movie in which a blue alien sings opera? Forget if it makes sense. Just enjoy it.
If you love Sci-Fi flicks, this is oddly enough probably the biggest classic of the 90s. Maybe Blade Runner is more fondly remembered, but this is such as a side splitter that I think it irresistable. Multiple viewings don't diminish the quirky charm of it and you'll find it endlessly on cable for that reason. Owning it is a great thing.
39 An Original and Comedic Sci-Fi Adventure
Luc Besson's (The Professional; The Messenger) movie is a humor-laden sience fiction adventure film with motifs borrowed and cleverly adapted from virtually every other science fiction film that preceded it. The main plot seems to be a cohesive compilation of all of the individual short stories in the animated film "Heavy Metal" (i.e. the Lok-nar: the evil orb seking to destroy huamnity, the flying cab driver, Taarna the flying protectress who's brought in to save humanity, etc.) A lot of the futuristic stage design seems to be borrowed from Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner."
Bruce Willis was o.k. in the film but seems to be just another version of his "Die Hard" character: "This is how you negotiate!" Although some reviewers found Chris Tucker to be annoying, that's exactly the character he was asked to play in this movie, an annoying, wimpy, effeminate, and talkative DJ. Mila Jojovich's role as Milou was irritating with the nonsensical baby da-da talk. The best performance was by Gary Oldman as the evil industrialist, Zorg.
Overall, the movie is a great action comedy sci-fi. The special effects along with the acting are pretty good to make one want to see this film more than once.
40 one of my favorite action movies of all time
This is like, one of the bestest action movies EVER!!! There's a hot(and briefly naked) chick, a VERY interesting(although kinda shallow)plot, cool characters(although Corben comes off kind of like he was born without a personality), and AWESOME special effects. Effects in this movie are SOOOO cool. They look so real! This puts the COMPLETELY FAKE computer animation sequences of today to the shame they deserve. Anyways, this movie is about a troubled, lonely cab driver who runs into this girl who's a clone of a perfect being meant to stop the ultimate evil from destroying the earth by using the four stones that represent the elements. Unfortunately, the stones are hidden and Bruce Willis(Corben Dallas) and co. are in a race against the evil Zorg(under command from the big fireball) to find the stones. What Zorg plans to do with the stones is(unfortunately)never fully revealed. Anyways, anyone looking for a high octane, hilarious action packed romp doesn't need to look any farther than this movie. It's awesome, trust me.
41 QUITE A TRIP
It's entirely possible that Luc Besson was on some kind of drugs when he scripted this way-out, wacky, but extremely entertaining scifi thriller. His vision of the future is both impeccably original and wildly humorous. Cars spinning through space; police cars that still squeal tires when there's nothing to squeal them on! Like a wild video game, the vision of this future is great.
Bruce Willis is fine as Corbin Dallas; he evinces his usual cool macho, with that underlying bit of sensitivity. Milla Jovovich, red hair and all, does a good job in conveying the enthusiasm, innocence and naivete of the newly born. Notice the sadness in her eyes as she views the word "War"; her reactions are poignant. Gary Oldman as Zorg is all out ham and he pulls it off, showing what a versatile actor he is. The usually stoic Ian Holm has never been livelier than in his role as Father Cornelius. He looks like he's having the time of his life and after all the stuffy, laconic roles he's played, he cuts loose and is wonderful. And Chris Tucker---what a character. Tucker is manic, frantic and annoying---but he is also very very funny. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Note too the capable performances of Tiny Lister (usually a mindless body bag) and Brion James (also a lot looser than in his usually villainous roles).
THE FIFTH ELEMENT is a strange movie indeed, but I found it to be one of the most unusual scifi films in some time.
42 Silly.
If only they had another director (perhaps Ridley Scott, using a little "Blade Runner" flair), this movie could have had the potential to be very good. Instead, director Luc Besson ("Leon," aka: "The Professional") chose to formulate this sophomoric piece of sour eye-candy that even the geekiest science fiction aficionado would despise. Aside from the poor direction, Hudson Hawk paired with an androgynous (and extraordinarily annoying) Chris Tucker sidekick, is enough to drive anyone to mercilessly strangle a kitten.
43 All time classic - true top 10 Scfi-Fi movie of 20th century
Whether or not you are a fan of Sci-Fi you can't help but love this film. I will admit it is a guys movie, but ladies don't despair, apart from the high tech, space ships, gun battles, aliens and explosions, there is an honest to goodness love story.
44 Sci-Fi, Action, Comedy and . . .
Chris Tucker dressing like a girl or something, better than average special effects, cool aliens, and a techno-opera. Those are just a few things that describe this movie. It definitely isn't the best movie in the world, but for what it is it's perfect.
45 The Fifth Element: Sci Fi Classic Of 1997
The 90's will be remembered fondly for its many special effects masterpieces of action/adventure such as this highly entertaining film starring Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Milla Jovovitch and Chris Tucker. About a year earlier, in 1996, the blockbuster Independence Day took the world by storm and made it big at the box office. This over-the-top sci-fi fantasy is at times bordering on comic book style or reminiscent of the hit Sci Fi channel cable show FarScape. It's composed of a lot of stunning visuals, special effects and a tongue-in-cheek script. Bruce Willis stars as Corbin Dallas, a taxi-cab driver in a futuristic New York City whose flying cars are still causing an immense amount of traffic. He happens to be caught in a great battle- the perfect woman, a god (Milla Jovovitch)must save Earth from destruction by the collision of another planet and from the devilish Zorg (Gary Oldman). Bruce Willis pairs up with the comedic Chris Tucker who plays a wild, comedic radio host who dresses mostly in drag but is a ladies' man. A lot of good scenes and comic writing. Corbin's mother seems to be constantly annoying him and nagging him. The scene in the space cruise in which an alien soprano diva entertains the audiences in the theatre is also superb. The diva sings the aria of the Mad Scene in Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor and later begins to sing a pop/techno alien sort of remix. She was dubbed by the soprano Inva Mulla. This movie is becoming a sort of campy classic of science fiction from the 90's, and is not as serious-minded as Independence Day. But it's enjoyable cinema. On DVD, and particularily on this Superbit Collection, the sound is incredibly restored and the bonus features are worth viewing.
46 Awesome Creativity!
For fans of futuristic action, humour and style, this is a great film.
47 My favorite DVD for many reasons
This is a story about good verses evil. Milla Jovovich and Bruce Willis have great chemistry which really surprised me. This movie will appeal to many types of audiences. It is silly and predictable but that actually works for this movie. Chris Tucker is so original and funny he is a great asset to the movie. I only wish I had been fortunate enough to have seen this movie at the theater. The special effects are a bit cheesy and the outfits are a little out there but it really helps make the movie what it is MEMORABLE! This movie will always be at the top of my list.
48 A big futuristic Fashion Show
I wish the DVD had some extras as well. I have seen on HBO a behind-the-scenes sepecial on this movie, and it would be a great addition to the DVD. A lot of emphasis was put into the design of the set and the costumes which were the creations of Jean Paul gautier. His wild creaions truly set the stage for the type of look that was put in this film. It's like one big fashion show.
I haven't seen the DVD in a long time, but the colors are vivid and the sound quality surprisingly good. It was probably one of the first movies to encounter dolby digital. The plot is a bit cooky, but a great collage of all of Luc Besson's favorite sci-fi movies. He definitely has good taste albeit an exotic one. It's kind of nice to see something a little different than the usual sci-fi fare: same types of costumes, same type of weapons, same type of creatures. This is one is stylish, action packed and completely funny, a hard combination to weave together and keep tight.
Extremely entertaining in all aspects.
49 A Hodgepodge of Brilliance
Why Luc Besson decided to use an eccentric approach to this film, I don't know, but it's certainly vivid and sensually appealing.
Quick synopsis of the story: 4 ancient stones have been entrusted to a special sect of priests on Earth for thousands of years. The stones act as part of a device, with the aid of a fifth element, that can destroy evil. Out of the blue, the original stone guardians from another world, the Mandochiwan, come to relocate the stones to a safer location. Nearly 400 years later, a dark planet brimmed with evil suddenly appears, threatening to destroy the Earth and all in its path. A Mandochiwan returns to aid the Earthlings, but unfortunately is shot down upon entry. Fearing the worst, a search party looks for the victim and manages to find what's left of the remains, whose DNA is remarkably similar, if not more perfect, than a human being's. With a little sci-fi trickery, they manage to resurrect the creature who turns out to be a beautiful woman with remarkable abilities. No one can figure out what to do with her except two bumbling Priests who are decendents of the Sect of Stone Keepers. They know she is the Fifth element and the key to their survival. Through a series of mishaps, accidents, chases and fixed encounters, the priests and the fifth element join Bruce Willis and an ego-centric radio host on their most dangerous mission: Saving the World.
What I like about this film is that there's nothing scientific about it at all. It doesn't have that dry 2010: Space Odessy feel to it where things are a too disciplined and too technical for enjoyment. This took a more spiritual tone to this movie, vibed it up with some (...), cooky characters and threw them together into an unlikely team with the fate of the Earth resting in their hands. It makes for a very oddball, sci-fi action comedy that somehow gels and works quite well.
It's a hysterical yet unique spin on an old Save-the-World concept. Luc Besson places just the right balance of seriousness and eccentricity in this movie to make it a brilliant piece of work.
50 pretentious and contrived
Being a huge fan of the science fiction genre, I was delighted to learn of a sci fi movie whose theatrical release I somehow missed. And Bruce Willis playing the hero being means it must be a sure fire hit, right ?
Wrong ! This was truly the most contrived and unimaginitive piece of drivel I have seen in a long time. And no, I'm not "slow" or unsophisticated. I just didn't see any ideas here which had not been done, significantly better, by Star Trek, Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark. The only character I found modestly intriguing was the opera singer alien. And she got wasted rather quickly, leaving only the highly stereotypical characters. The above average visuals were not enough to redeem the tired plot.
My advice is rent it if you are really curious. It was certainly not worthy of being added to my fine sci fi DVD collection.
51 I was disappointed
Gary Oldman is such an amazing actor, but his talents are wasted on this silly movie. Visually, this is quite a spectacle. But the plot is boring and uninteresting. I like Willis and Tucker, too, but both of their characters are just plain annoying. I can see how some people would like this movie, but it just didn,t work for me. Maybe I'll watch it again sometime and like it. Stranger things have happened.
52 Not for the slow of mind
The problem with the fifth element is that it is not for the slow minded or unimaginative.
It is fast and layered with second and third level visual imagery that takes several viewings to find and assimilate.
And did I say it was fast???
If you did not get it the first or second viewing, then find someone who is very quick and have them explain it to you. It is well worth the trouble, and it will give you dreams that will haunt you for a lifetime.
53 Underated Treat
I love this film, and the fact that it collected so much plaque is puzzling to me. Tucker especially makes the movie which is filled with fun, wacky characters from the "far reaches of the galaxy." The plot was far-fetched, but it's a Science-Fiction picture for crying out loud!! I laughed and cried (not literally but you get the idea). A must see, but according to other reviews, not one you're likely too.
54 This movie has great replay value
To tell the truth, I didn't think much of this movie the first time I saw it. I saw it again about six months later and liked it a little better. In fact, I like this movie more and more every time I see it. It is silly and has great lines. Also starring Gary Oldman who makes a great villain. It is hard to believe that he is the same actor that plays the villain in "The Professional." If you did not like this movie the first time, give it another try.
55 A very cool movie
I LOVE this movie. A definite must-see. I watched this movie for the first time with an ex-boyfriend and I just loved the feeling it gave me. We were watching this movie about the meaning of love and happiness and why Earth should continue to exist...which is for love. It was recently on TV (3 years after I saw it with my boyfriend) and I was so excited that it was on I couldn't do anything else. This movie just always makes me feel so good about life and love...and myself. Definitely a movie that I could watch 100 times in a row and still want to watch again.
56 Absolutely great!
This is one of my favourite movies! This is an excellent parody of all "serious" and "lofty" american s-f movies, it's absolutely funny and done with great imagination. I fully recommend this film!
57 Great until the last 5-10 minutes
I really love the energy of this movie. It's fast paced and vibrant. Gotta love the Gauthier costumes and futuro-dada sets. I love the Ruby Rod character; he's over the top and outrageous. You just have to put aside your own inhibitions and watch him go. Think drag queen gone wild - faaabulous! The entire film has a heightened, frenetic, ultra-vivid feel to it.
Until the very end. Unfortunately, the ending is too sappy for my taste. I felt let down by the filmaker; he seemed to be going for cheap sentimentality, rather than finishing the film at the high level of energy of the rest of the film. I tend to stop the movie as the yatch pulls away from Floston Paradise and heads back to Earth. For this reason, 4 stars rather than 5.
That said, don't let this keep you from getting this DVD; the rest of the film more than makes up for the ending.
58 This Really Deserves NO STARS
This film is one of the worst movies I have had the misfortune of seeing. The story is horrible. Better acting has been seen in B-movies. The directing is...where is the directing? My mind was so fuzzy after watching this film that I could barely focus my eyes. I'm not even sure WHAT the plot was, and, guess what? I don't care either.
Now I didn't expect that much out of Mila Jovovich. I did expect a little more from Bruce; his movies are usually a little more interesting than this. I expected light years more from Gary Oldman. Maybe he realized that actually trying to turn out a good performance in this thing was impossible.
If I didn't know better, I would have sworn that Luc Besson was a 5 year old that liked to shout, "Action" and little else. People often cite "good imagery" when there's little else to praise in a movie. I can't recall being impressed with the imagery, but, then again, I had trouble focusing my eyes through more than half of it.
59 How could you not love it
I just saw this movie yesterday and I plan to buy it. The actors are great, and brilliantly display the characters that the portray. Bruce Willis, as always, is loveable, yet kicka**. I would also like to point out that most girls can't look hot with reddish orange hair anf white straps around them, yet Milla Jovovich does it. She portrays a very innocent chracter who is just seeing the the immense changes in the planet, and she does a great job pretending to know nothing about the planet and has some cute, convincing little smirks. Chris Tucker is also annoying and hilarious at the same time, as always. Sure the costumes are dorky, the plot a bit cheesy, but it is supposed to be a fun movie, so who cares? Really, you have to love this movie.
60 My Favorite
This movie is my favorite. I'm not exactly sure why. It just is. I love the way the scene cuts switch back and forth during a conversation so that you're hearing a conversation between 4 people when there's actually only 2 sets of 2 people talking to each other. This is really hard to explain to someone who has never seen the movie.
It's got a great story, and the comedic elements are just my style. (like the scene cuts mentioned above).
61 Not as bad as they say.
'The Fifth Element' is not as bad as the critics or movie fans say. It is actually quite fun to watch and the graphics are ahead of its time. Cris Tucker plays role that is funny as hell.
62 Great movie!!!
This movie is great for all the reasons already mentioned. It's also great for the reasons others have said it's BAD!!
First of all, Ruby Rod. You bet he's annoying. Who wants to see and hear a grown man in a dress screaming like a six year old girl on a roller coaster? He is supposed to be annoying. The viewer is supposed to want to wring his neck as bad as Corbin Dallas does. Also, an actor's hair is the most physically, instantly telling thing about him. Rod's hair is as stupid as Rod. Besson got his character right on the mark. I love to be annoyed by Ruby Rod.
Second, The Fifth Element is like Heavy Metal? Absolutely! And that's not a bad thing. Harry Canyon and Corbin Dallas are cool but Dallas has a bit of a heart. Both movies have evil orbs and periodic protectors but there are, however, plenty of differences between the two movies--more than enough to make them very distinct.
There are no holes in the plot. The ugly aliens turn on Zorg because he withheld their rifles. He withheld them because the aliens delivered the trunk but without the stones.
Zorg fights for the evil planet because he envisions his corporation(s) cleaning up after the destruction created thereby making huge bucks.
Leeloo goes to the cruise ship to get the stones from the diva. Zorg goes to the ship because his henchmen screwed up the robbery so he has to do it himself. The bad aliens go there to get the stones to give them to Zorg at a new higher extorted price. Leeloo didn't know about the aliens or Zorg until after she was on the ship. This is high space opera folks! Worlds colliding! Dark plans twisting and turning! The fate of the universe is crashing down all around and the future lies with an outnumbered hero/protector and a gorgeous, delicate goddess on a far away planet!
And why is Earth worth saving? The stones are in place, Leeloo is in place but the weapon is not working. Why? Because she doesn't have the heart anymore. Why should she care? Why should the Earth be saved? Answer: Love.
I love it!
63 Favorite movie -- first DVD I bought
I knew ten minutes into seeing the film in the theater that I HAD to own a copy. I first bought it on VHS and then when I got a DVD player, upgraded to the DVD version. After 100+ times of seeing it, it still doesn't disappoint. It's fun, well made, well told, with great music and special effects that hold up well to this day.
64 Over-the-top Sci-fi.
This film is a cross between "Blade Runner" and "Flash Gordon." It has the slick special effects and subtley smart script of the first mixed with the over-the-top look and complete campiness of the second. But what makes this fun to watch more times are the ridiculous antics of all the characters with their overacting, brilliantly stupid costumes, and really bad haircuts. Bruce Willis reprises his "Die Hard" role this time in an expensive sci-fi setting and he pulls off the action hero well. What's great about Bruce Willis is that he is the underrated "every-guy" caught in an amazing situation; and unlike most hero-types who never get hurt during the course of their adventure, Mr. Willis once again takes some bloody shots. But he emerges smiling in the end, albeit covered with grit, draped in torn clothing stained in his enemy's blood. This is also a perfect fit for Milla Jovovich. Unlike the appalling "The Messenger" in which her overacting was so bad as to be laughable, here it melds well with the overall campy feel of the movie. Gary Oldman is very nearly too much even for this extravaganza, but eventually can be forgiven for trying too hard. While Chris Tucker steals every scene he is in. Whether that is a good thing or not depends on the viewer. The first time I saw this, in the theater, I was rolling my eyes at his painful performance. But every time since I've laughed at his work here repeatedly. What was a personally nice surprise here was Ian Holm who plays Priest Cornelius. It's truly a rare film to find him using his comic talents. Most times he is playing Shakespearean types or other pompous British characters. Here, however, he is very funny. This film cost $60 million to make, and the special effects were worth every penny. Just remember that this is, in essence, a comical sci-fi adventure story, and really shouldn't be taken seriously. Later.
65 Magnificent movie plus excellent background music too!
"The Fifth Element" is an astonishing achievement in science Fiction moviemaking that at least in my opinion, hasn't been seen in many years. 1997 wasn't the greatest year for movies in my opinion. There was the awful "Batman & Robin" and other forgettable films but "The Fifth Element" was and still is a groundbreaking movie that still succeeds in entertaining yet also meaningful. Perhaps there are more than four elements, even if the fifth isn't what the movie says it is.
The movie begins in Egypt in the year 1914. An English archaeologist is examining the mysteries behind the prophecy of a force of evil that converges every 5000 years and the key to defeating this evil is forgotten by almost all except for an elderly Egyptian priest. During the confrontation between the elderly Egyptian priest and the English archaeologist, a huge spacecraft lands right at the entrance to the pyramids to take four stones representing the four elements air, earth, fire and water to keep safe from the force of evil that is gaining strength. The extraterrestrial beings depart Earth with the stones and the priest has made his promise to fulfill his destiny and pass down his knowledge to his descendants. 345 years later, the priest himself has long since passed away but his descendant Vito Cornelius knows of the fifth element and where it is. The aliens who left Earth 345 years earlier return to the earth to bring the Fifth Element but the ship is attacked and crashes onto earth, killing all but one of the alien species.
On another note, a disgruntled cab driver named Korbin Dallas who drives a Taxi in New City in the year 2259 is having another miserable day after a really bad dream he had. Things though just get more and more aggravating until it culminates with a `being' crashing through the roof of his cab. It turns out that the `passenger' who crashed through the roof of his cab is the `Divine Being', the one who can stop evil from destroying all forms of life on Earth. However, a traitorous arts designer named Jean Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg is also after the four stones of the elements in order to gain more power. The evil is now approaching earth and time is running out for Korbin, Leeloo and crew to save Earth from total annihilation.
"The Fifth Element" ranks as among one of my favorite science-fiction movies of all time. The various shots of a futuristic New York City are just utterly amazing. It almost makes me wish that I could live for 400 more years just to tryout life in that time period. The special effects are also stunningly well done and not excessive.
Bruce Willis, who I remember the most through the "Die Hard" movie trilogy, is in fact at his best outside of the trilogy movies I just mentioned in "The Fifth Element". His character Korban Dallas comes off as being dramatic, disgruntled, and totally grumpy yet also funny and warm-hearted at the same time. Chris Tucker cuts both ways in my opinion. For years I thought that his character Rudy Rhod just simply ruined parts of the film with the annoying whining and scaredy-cat but today, I can appreciate him a lot more and is in fact, quite funny and great comic relief. I have no hard feelings against Rhod anymore. In fact, I think he's a riot. Ian Holm was really excellent playing the priest Vito Cornelius who is helping Leeloo, the `Divine Being' destroy evil for good. Milla Jovovich is really good as the `Fifth Element' humanoid Leeloo who speaks an ancient language and has the power to destroy this evil force. Then you got all of the horrifyingly ugly menacing alien goons assisting Zorg in his quest to steal the stones for his own will. The comedy, science-fiction, action, drama, all gel together incredibly well on this movie. Gary Oldman is just a riot playing the twisted and eccentric villain Zorg. Zorg is one of the funniest sci-fi bad guys that I've ever seen in movies. Even if Oldman doesn't necessarily play villains, he is great playing downright goofy menaces.
Of the many films that have come out during the latter half of the 1990s, "The Fifth Element" ranks as one of the best films of this time period and even ranks above "Independence Day". Some may compare this to Star Wars but as I watch this movie, I think that TFE is more related to "Stargate" because of it's darker and mix of ancient and futuristic sceneries. I could very well describe it as "Die Hard in intergalactic space". "The Fifth Element" may have been more aimed at audiences that are looking for just plain fun and while it does well at that, it also succeeds incredibly well as being an intelligent and stunning theatrical work of art that hasn't been rivaled since its release year in the sci-fi area. Apart from "Die Hard", "The Fifth Element" is Bruce Willis' best movie so far and I doubt it will be surpassed for many years to come. While some may question it is being overdone, I feel that this is among the greatest movies that uses tons and tons of special effects to an efficient degree. The DTS edition has absolutely AMAZING sound quality and is a vast improvement over the VHS edition from years ago and now almost sounds like as if you were in fact seeing it on the big screen again with its 5.1 surround audio quality. I've heard about some having problems with playing the "Superbit" edition on some DVD players but I've had no problems with playing it on my DVD player. Which ever way you look at it, "The Fifth Element" is one of the great movies that has ever been made and I highly recommend that one gets a hand on a copy of this movie especially the DTS edition. It is worth every penny!
66 Truly Superb Sci-fi!!!
When the greatest evil the world has ever known (a pulsating planet thingy) threatens the Earth (and the rest of the universe) the government must call on a very unlikely and unwilling hero...a cab driver. Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) is an ex-military man whose wife died because of his job. He always thought he'd never find anyone who was "perfect" for him until...a really "big fare" literally fell into his cab...Leeloo (Mila Jovovich)is a "perfect being" who was made to protect Earth. With the help of Father Corneilus (Ian Holm), Rudy Rhod (Chris Tucker) and young David (Charlie Creed-Miles) Korben and Leeloo must find the four elements (stones) and unite them with the Fifth Element before Jean-Baptsite Emanuel Zorg (Gary Oldeman) can get his hands on the ultimate power!
67 Weird
This movie is very weird. Bruce Willis shouldn't have acted in such a stupid movie. It has to much of a sci-fi feel to it. It think this hurt my idea of him as a good actor. It has a pointless plot with a girl with crazy hair. Also their is pointless fighting. The guns are enormous and unrealistic. There were some good parts though, like the future feel to the movie and the way the girl talks is funny.
68 lots of fun
Sure this movie isn't the best movie in the world and it won't win any awards but its still fun to watch. It's imaginative, funny, filled with great acting, and has an interesting plot. Well worth a buy, or at least a rent.
69 Utter Garbage
This movie is utter garbage. I was writing better stories than this in 5th grade. It's a crude regurgitation of a thousand cliches into a shameful vomitous pile. There is no inspiration at all in this story. It astounds me that a movie studio could approve a script like this. It's one of the top ten worst movies I've ever seen.
70 Another of the films I'd take with me to a deserted island
This movie has it all.. Action, music, escape.
The quality of the DVD is ok - I agree with others that suggest getting the superbit version, but if you're like me and have an older DVD player, you might want to get this version to ensure compatibility.
Watchable over and over again, my greatest regret is that I missed this movie on the big screen.
71 Kewl Flick
Take the time to find the SuperBit edition you will not regret it. Double the A/V encoding rates of standard DVD.
72 This is how patheic Colombia/Tri-Star Have become.....
They must have the all time record for making incredibly bad movies, and this was one. As was Starship Troopers, Battlefield Earth, and the list goes on and on. Take a bad script, spend a ton of money on it, and you have a movie ripe to win hundreds of razzle awards. I really can't stand it anymore. I don't care for the studio or it's movies. They make bad DVDs with zero bonus features. Enough is enough. I am not buying or watching anything that Sony TV and Movies ever does again. They are the worst entertainment company in Hollywood.
73 Wild, Giddy Space Opera...
The story goes that director Luc Besson began writing THE FIFTH ELEMENT in his teens, incorporating all the Sci-Fi elements he loved into one over-the-top, grand space opera...sort of an "E.E. 'Doc' Smith 'Skylark' Meets Flash Gordon and Barbarella" hybrid with sex, intergalactic action, and even some pseudo-religious overtones tossed in...in other words, a teenage daydream come true! Critics panned the end result for this very reason, sneering at Bruce Willis' Earth-saving (yet again!) Korben Dallas, and Besson's then-girlfriend, clothing-optional Milla Jovovich, as the innocent demigod, Leeloo.
The critics were wrong!
THE FIFTH ELEMENT is, in the best sense of the word, a classic 'B' movie, a space opera where a prologue vaguely similar to STARGATE leads to a future Earth where traffic jams occur thirty stories above the ground, humanity is ruled by beefy 'Tiny' Lister Jr., and where the Ultimate Evil is served by everyone's favorite villain, Gary Oldman, sporting a Southern accent! If this DOESN'T convince you that this is a 'popcorn' flick, not to be taken too seriously, there is Chris Tucker, sporting a blond hairdo, as the Galaxy's favorite media personality, promoting himself as he hits on his adoring female fans; Ian Holm, as the monk who knows 'the Secret', forced, despite himself, to become an active participant in the adventure; and some of the most ... ugly alien mercenaries you'll ever see, terrorizing a space resort, until they meet their match in Bruce Willis' 'DIE HARD in Space' protagonist! Yippee-Ki-Yay, indeed!
The FX are astonishing, the comedy, broad and sly, the heroics, macho, and as Leeloo, sent to save Earth, Jovovich manages to be both naive and sexy, with broken English and a gymnast's grace.
Bruce Willis is a joy, as always, to watch, and he carries the film with charm and self-depreciating humor, whether dealing with endless phone calls from his mother, driving his sky taxi recklessly (cabbies change very little in the future!), taking on terrorists single-handed, or falling for the exotic Leeloo. When he blows away a roomful of hostage-holding aliens, then asks, "Does anyone else want to negotiate?", you KNOW Besson picked the right guy for the lead!
If you want Profound Science Fiction, watch 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY again...but if you want to kick back and just have fun, look no further...THE FIFTH ELEMENT delivers!
74 In 300 years, when evil returns, so shall we.
Absolutely fabulous. Dazzling scenery and effects. Amazing vision of the future. Stellar casting. Brilliant soundtrack. Wonderful story (when isn't love wonderful). Unless you look for the GErman release of this which has a number of documentaries on it and an English 5.1 track, you will not find ant extras whatsoever on the DVD's released in North America. For this reason you may as well get the Superbit version - especially if you have a home theatre. The DTS 5.1 track is stunningly brilliant!
75 A bit too silly at times
Don't take this film too serious, because obviously the producer/director didn't. This movie can't make up its mind if it wants to be a comedy or adventure. Maybe a cross between both is the best way to describe it. A comic bookish sci-fi that starts out pretty good with plot and decent special effects, but then it becomes funny...then excessively humorous...and ends up being just too darn silly. Someone must have brought laughing gas onto the set, and everyone involved overdosed. If you'd rather giggle than eat popcorn, then you might enjoy it.
76 Five Elements, Five Stars!
This is one of the coolest movies I have ever seen, and one of my favorite that I own! The story is set in a futuristic world with high-tech flying cars, tall buildings, crazy weapons, revealing outfits for.... NO! not for Bruce Willis, but for Milla Jovovich, who plays "Leeloo"! I really don't want to give away much of the story, because it's really interesting and I don't want to ruin it for you (if you haven't seen it). But I can tell you that this movie is very very cool! It keeps you interested from start to finish. The high-tech gizmos are also very cool and imaginative. The monsters aren't too scary, but they are abnormal enough to be convincing bad guys! This is a great science-fiction movie, highly recommended! Be prepared for a fun ride through a very creative futuristic world with lots of action and cool aliens! Again, I highly recommend this film! ENJOY!!!!!
77 super green
Ok, yea its odd, but i think its supposed to be wierd. First of all, its Bruce Willis, who is just damn sexy, then there is Mila who is also damn sexy. Oldman is a bit over hte top, with te accent and all, but it works in this movie. Chris Tucker was hilarious. Anyway, you either love this one or hate it and I love it.
78 Sci Fi Laughs!
Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) is a retired Space Marine who's chosen the sedentary field of cab driver as his post-military lifestyle. The trouble is, is that the military needs him. Again.
Zork (Gary Oldman) wants darkness and evil to take over the Earth . . . and he's helping it out. And Evil/Darkness has a form; it's a big ball of energy speeding on a collison course toward Earth after millenia wandering the galaxies and looking for the Fifth Element: the only thing that can destroy Evil.
Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) is a resurrected woman found in a destroyed transport ship (she's reconstructed on Earth after they find only a piece of an arm left). But something is odd about this woman. She's got superhuman strength, speaks the 'divine' language, and can kick some bad-boy butt!
Ruby Rock (Chris Tucker) is a DJ with some serious attitude. He's rich, women fawn over him . . . he's the equivalant of a futuristic Wolfman Jack, only with less facial hair.
Come to find out, Leeloo IS the Fifth Element and she's the only one who can stop Evil. But can she? Or WILL she? With the help of a washed up Marine (Willis) and a panzy-boy DJ (Tucker) she's got a pretty good shot at it, wouldn't you say?
This SF flick has it all: action, romance, laugh-out-loud antics, and futuristic perspectives. A very, very, very fun film to watch. I've seen it at least six times and it always makes me laugh. Tucker and Willis work like comedic geniuses together whenever they're in the same scene.
A++++ funny film!
79 Outstanding SciFi I loved it....
It has decent action, memorable characters, visuals that are outstanding, one of a kind music, real and "simulated sets" feel at home in the movie storyline and it's solidly sci-fi. The special effects don't take away from the movie they draw you in.
Ok so most of it is predictable but I don't need any more bad ending movies this is a "bad guys crash the party" and "reluctant good guy kicks butt", Bruce Willis excels at this.
There is a story but not too deep, just right in my opinion. Even the obnoxious characters such as Chris Carter's "screamin DJ" is annoying but he fits oddly into the movie. Also the story doesn't take itself too serious. Its probably appealing if you like "a little off center" movies.
I give it a thumbs up for story, action, humor, romance, visual art and music. This movie is so well done, even people who say they don't like the movie will watch it again and again. Ok so the "professional reviewers" didn't like tooo badd for them, this is going in my personal collection absolutely.
80 Captivating, for some reason I cannot fathom
Have ya ever done a little late-night channel surfing and landed on a movie that was really annoying and obnoxious, yet for some reason you couldn't bring yourself to change the channel? No? Well perhaps YOU have not, but that's exactly what happened to me when, during a caffeine-laden midnight channel-clicking frenzy, I suddenly stopped and watched the second half of `The Fifth Element'. It was loud, dumb, annoying, and preposterous-- yet I found myself unable to touch the `Channel-Up' button on my remote until the closing credits started rolling.
What was it about this movie that made it so compelling in spite of itself? Well, to find out for sure, I decided to give this flick a rent, so I could watch it all the way through. And you know something, it it actually wasn't half-bad... until I got to the part I'd seen before, that is. Then I found my senses brutally assaulted by the pestilent spiel of Chris "I'm-a-Chris-Rock-wannabe-except-a-lot-more-obnoxious-if-such-a-thing-is-possible" Tucker as an intergalactic quasi-transvestite DJ. Basically, he's doin' the exact same routine here that you've seen in just about every other flick he's done, especially those Rush Hour movies with Jackie Chan.
Speaking of playing the same or very similar roles: I wasn't exactly wowed by Bruce Willis' performance here as he reverts back to his John McClane character from the `Die Hard' series for the umpteenth time. Heck, I was half-expectin' him to yell out "Yippi-Ki-Yay, (MoFo)!" as he laid waste to his alien adversaries during the big Phloston Paradise battle sequence!
I was also kinda irked by Gary Oldman's cheesily over-the-top portrayal of Zorg (Zorg? Methinks the screenwriter of this tale is a `Calvin and Hobbes' fan...), an evil industrialist weapons manufacturer hell-bent on acquiring the elemental stones for his own nefarious purposes. I couldn't stand his character's accent; listening to him talk is like listening to those gawd-awful InPhone radio ads that James Carville did. On the upside, at least Carville has the good fashion sense to not wear a TupperWare? bowl as a hat...
I gotta admit, however, that most of the visual effects were top-notch, or at worst very close to top-notch. Which is always a good thing for a space-opera maven such as myself of course. Sadly, I didn't take a fancy the look of the main alien creatures: the robot-like Mondashawan, and the Mangalore mercenaries. They all looked looked just a bit too silly and cartoonish, even for such a tongue-in-cheek production as this film. If they were in `GalaxyQuest', however, they'd have been right at home! The only alien being who looked right was the blue diva-a little overdone, just not to nearly as ridiculous a degree as her fellow ETs. And don't get me started on that sherbet-colored elephant-looking thing that lives in Zorg's office desk, or those ridiculous landing-gear parasites...
I must also admit that, like many others have stated, `The Fifth Element' is visually stunning. As previously stated, the effects were pretty high-quality, and it's glaringly obvious that little expense was spared in making the sets as colorful and detailed as possible. It's just a shame the movie's script didn't achieve the same lofty plateaus the visuals did...
'Late
81 "A perfect replica of the old opera house! But who cares?"
In 1997, French director Luc Besson (who directed "La Femme Nikita" in 1990) wrote and directed an unusual sci-fi film entitled "The Fifth Element". (Also known as "Le Cinqui¸me ˇlˇment" in French.) The film begins with a scene that takes place around 1900 in Egypt, when an archeologist, Professor Pacoli (John Bluthal), and his assistant, Billy (Luke Perry), are studying pictograms and hieroglyphics in an ancient pyramid. Suddenly, an assortment of strange beings, the Mondoshawans, arrive to remove the contents of the pyramid (the five elements), but tell a priest (John Bennett) who guards the pyramid that they will one day return when the five elements are needed. The film then moves several hundred years into the future when the Earth is somewhat overpopulated and humanity is space-faring and technologically advanced. A lowly cab driver, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), who is a retired army major, begins his day in his tiny studio apartment; but deep in space, a strange planet appears and is headed for Earth. The Mondoshawans announce their return with the five elements to the delight of the current priest, Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm), but their ship is attacked. The Earth's President Lindberg (Tom 'Tiny' Lister Jr.) tells Vito that it's now a military matter, then finds out that there is one survivor from the Mondoshawan ship. From a few living cells, the survivor is clones back into existence and turns out to be a very strong, but beautiful woman (Milla Jovovich) that speaks a strange language. She escapes and ends up crashing into the cab driven by Korben Dallas. She is able to give Korben a name, Vito Cornelius, and he takes her to him. Korben is then able to get her name: Leeloo Minai Lekarariba-Laminai-Tchai Ekbat De Sebat, or Leeloo for short. Korben leaves Leeloo with Vito Cornelius and his assistant David (Charlie Creed-Miles), but is later enlisted to help find four missing stones that are four of the five elements.
"The Fifth Element" received a mixed response from American audiences when it opened in 1997 because many thought that it would be a typical Bruce Willis action film. Hence, it received no Oscar nominations, but it won three Cˇsar Awards in France for Best Cinematography, Best Director (Luc Besson) and Best Production Design. The film's very colorful set and costume designs, techno music and unusual characters were not what many Americans expected; but its story, which is often humorous, is both engaging and compelling. One of the more unusual, but very funny characters in the film is the outrageous and famous D.J. Ruby Rod (Chris Tucker), who entertains millions with a wild radio show and gets to escort Korben during a cruise to the planet Flostin. There, Korben meets the famous alien Diva Plavalaguna (Ma•wenn Le Besco). Other memorable characters from the huge cast include Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman), General Munro (Brion James) and Mr. Kim (Kim Chan).
Overall, I personally rate "The Fifth Element" with 5 out of 5 stars. Clearly, the film is not for everyone, but if you enjoy French cinema and sci-fi, then chances are very good that you will enjoy the film very much.
82 I love this movie!
It's great! I love these future movies. The plot is simple. The world is going to be destoryed and bruce Willis along with a supreme being, a funny tv host, and a preist must stop it. You have to see it, I know I don't make it sound like much but the movie is actually really good. Watch it and see for yourself.
83 Its strength is in its cliche
"Irreverant" only begins to describe The Fifth Element. And this time, it actually totals out to something good.
A long while back, Eastman and Laird created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a parody of how dark and overserious comics of the time had become. Of course, few know this, since the franchise was very soon sold out, and from there turned into a cartoon, a comic, and from there into a seriously-intended movie that lacked the same sense of tongue-in-cheek that the original TMNT graphic novels had while still telling an interesting story.
Now, while it may seem as if I've done a different review entirely just now, I do have a point. The Fifth Element is indeed full of cliches about the sci-fi genre, but it is intentionally so. Bruce Willis is here kicking kitty litter in the face of not only the sci-fi that becomes so serious as to drag ("Event Horizon", anyone?), but part of his own genre of beat-'em-up as well, with Corbin Dallas being as much a parody of the lone hero rising from obscurity to display great tenacity and save the day. (I can't help but think that "the cab driver saving the world" is a subtle mockery of Seagal's cook character in Under Siege.)
The Fifth Element was never intended to be taken seriously. Comedy is in place in almost every scene, and it's rare that someone ISN'T doing something that's either overtly or more subtly a joke. The whining about cliches and lack of plot seems to indicate that the joke went over some peoples' heads.
Bruce Willis is here displaying the fact that he never takes himself too seriously, most ESPECIALLY when playing his "beaten-up off-the-streets tough guy" role to the hilt.
84 Fun Adventure
This is a great movie. Bruce and Milla do a great job acting as a hero and 'goddess'. Chris Tucker adds the humor and the special effects are stunning. A classic.
85 Good Movie, but no extras
The movie is fun to watch, but there are no extras included with this DVD. A "Making of" would of made this a better DVD or even something about the FX, but neither was included on the DVD and that was a great disappointment.
86 A very silly movie.
The movie seems to have a promising premise, with the dramatic scene at the beginning but suddenly it turns into a pile of cliches and nonsense...i mean come on, futuristic cab drivers? ...
Whats appealing about this movie is how talented Ian Holm is, and how little acting talent Bruce Willis has. The costuming and scenery is great...only a frenchman like Besson could come up with such outlandish themes. Chris Tucker is as annoying as ever though hilarious, and the whole movie is moderately enjoyable if you can simply sit back and revel in the silliness of it all.
The violence is a bit disconcerting and a tad pointless but it fills in the gaps, though they could have been cut out of the flick and it would have been a bit shorter and easier to tolerate.
87 A guilty pleasure...
Alot of people don't like this movie. I can understand that. It is a very irreverant look at Sci Fi movies. However, I think it is a very funny movie and has some good action sequences. Especially the cab chase at the beginning and the gun fight at the end. The gun fight at the end reminded me of some of the Shadow Run games we used to play. Gary Oldman was perfect as Zorg and Bruce Willis was perfect as Corbin Dallas.
Not one of the best movies out there, but certainly better than many others.
88 What a stupid movie
This is perhaps the worst sci fi movie I have ever seen. The plot is filled with holes and nonsense. The movie tries to be cute in the most stupid and insulting ways.
89 The Fifth Element - An outstanding Sci-Fi/Comedy!
The Fifth Element starring Bruce Willis and the ever beautiful and alluring Milla Jovovich is definitely among my most favorite films of all time. This is one of those rare films that I can watch over and over again, despite a good majority of it being based in comedy where you'd think it would get old but it doesn't. Bruce Willis's performance is up to par with his "hero" persona and right on with his comedic tendencies. Milla Jovovich, wow! She is incredibly beautiful and was extraordinarily well matched for this particular role. Gary Oldman also does an outstanding job as the "quasi" villain of the film as he's set as the comedic pawn of evil. Visually, director Luc Besson puts to screen an interesting futuristic earth.
The premise:
Set approximately three hundred years in the future, this outstanding film begins with a look into the past setting up the need for the "fifth" element. Cutting back to the future we meet Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) who is a retired Major from Earth's military! He's down on his luck and working as cab driver. We then have the privilege of seeing Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) being reconstructed! Through chance and circumstance Leeloo literally flings herself into Korben's cab. What follows from this point is nothing short of one of the most hilarious and intriguing Sci-Fi/comedy films to grace the silver screen and the home theater!
Special Features:
If you're into DVD's jam packed with all kinds of special features, "The Fifth Element" isn't for you! Normally, this is something I do not mind as the main reason I purchase DVD's is for the film itself, in this case though it would've been nice to at least thrown in a theatrical trailer or something, but alas there are no special features on this DVD.
I highly recommend this film to any and all fans of the genre or the stars that perform so admirably in this film! {ssintrepid}
90 Dumb but entertaining...
"The Fifth Element" has so many illogical plot holes that eventually your brain stops noticing them. It'sd a dumb scifi epic that knows how dumb it is, and as a result it doesn't take itself seriously. With some good acting, bad acting, and a lot of bright colors, this is an entertaining way to spend a weekend evening.
In 1914, in anticipation of war the alien Mondoshawi took four mystical stones from Earth. The four stones represent the four elements, and when centered around the perfect being (the Fifth Element) they become a weapon against the forces of darkness and evil, who show up every five thousand years. (No, don't ask why!) Their contact is always a priest of indeterminate religion, who has been given the "knowledge" from his predecessors. Three hundred years later, a dark planetoid is zooming toward Earth, increasing in size and swallowing warships. When the Mondoshawi attempt to return the stones to Earth, they're blown up by the thugs of Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman). Isn't that a great name?
All that's left is the hand of the Fifth Element, which the president's scientists clone into a beautiful young woman (Milla Jovovich) who speaks the "Divine Language" only. But the Fifth Element -- nicknamed Leeloo -- escapes and falls into the cab of a bitter-with-a-heart-of-gold ex-military cabbie, Corbin Dallas (Bruce Willis). He takes her to the priest who is supposed to help her, Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm). The problem is, the Evil will be there in a few days, and the stones are missing. With the help of Cornelius, Leeloo, and the unspeakably annoying Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker), Dallas must stop the powers of darkness from destroying the universe. (I can't believe I just wrote that)
You can tell this is an unusual film just by the colors -- French director Luc Besson revels in bright blues and reds and yellows. And what other movie would have opera singing during a martial-arts sequence? It's a quirky vision of the future, with New York much as it is now (noisy, crowded, full of bad drivers in aircars), McDonald's, otherwordly resorts, annoying radio talk show hosts, and a little box that applies your makeup for you. (I want one of those)
Bruce Willis is okay as Corbin Dallas. Not great, not bad, just okay. He does have some really sparkling moments, such as when Corbin is at the opera, or when he describes Leeloo to a friend, but most of the time he seems very "Die Hard." Milla Jovovich uses her expressive face, eyes and body to best effect, especially since Leeloo speaks gibberish most of the time. (Her wild flailing when Leeloo is in the cloning tube is amazing, like a trapped animal) And she seems a lot like a baby in an adult body sometimes, repeating "autowash" and "multipass" and giggling with delight over chicken dinners. Ian Holm is, as always, wonderful as the kindly little priest, who manages to remain semi-dignified under very circumstances. He's cute. Gary Oldman revels weirdly in his role as the ultra-evil-for-no-reason Zorg. And Chris Tucker wins the prize for most annoying supporting character: An effeminate, loud, obnoxious, pointless-in-the-plot radio talk show host who will drive many viewers up the wall. (At least the hero despises him)
The dialogue ranges from very funny ("Too bad it's not loaded") to very, very corny ("We are lost!"); the soundtrack is very good as well, ranging from opera to pop. There's some sexual content (very weird and not at all sexy) and some nudity (brief and vague), nd not a lot of cursing. And in the age of CGI, it's nice to see that there are still movies that are unafraid to stick rather silly rubber masks on the actors. (The masks do, admittedly, fit the movie -- the special effects are less prominent than you'd expect)
Basically, "Fifth Element" is a good movie for when you don't want to use your brain. With the good (Holm and Jovovich) the bad (Tucker) and the REALLY ugly (all of Rhod's clothes, and the Mangalore thugs), it's entertaining if flawed brain fluff.
91 Good Stuff!!!
I thought that this movie pretty good. The combination of cast members that were chosen was definitely one of the high points of the movie. First of all you have Bruce Willis is one of the best roles he has ever played in. Secondly, there is Milla Jovovich playing the "perfect being," which I would have to say was pretty good casting there. Then there is Chris Tucker, who just steals every scene he is in. The best part about this movie is that it doesn't take itself seriously. The Fifth Element is a blatantly ridiculous sci-fi movie, and yet it has a well written story to it as well. It is a definite good buy for anyone looking for a sci-fi, an action, or a comedy, because in the end, it really is all three.
92 Its better then decent
I think this movie is decent. I don't think it was a waste of my money or time. Neither was it the best movie I've ever seen. I thought it had a clever plot. It was different and the special effects were pretty cool. The acting is good too. Overall I really think this movie is worth your while. Don't go into the movie expecting anything and you'll leave happy!
93 Unpretentious Scifi/action fun
OK - so the 5th Element isn't 2001, or even Aliens. As noted in other reviews, there's certainly a lot in this movie that seems to be superfluous or never adequately explained. This is a fantastic ride, despite these minor flaws (if, unlike me, you see these things as flaws).
If you hate Bruce Willis, then take a pass on this one. "Corbin Dallas" is a mix of his roles in Die Hard & The Last Boyscout, but much, much lighter in mood. Think "Hudson Hawk suffering from depression."
Gary Oldman does his usual bang-up job as villain, and Milla-whatshernameovich's Leelo stands out from her initial introduction until the final minutes of the film. Their strong performances more than compensate for the bizarre and fortunately brief appearance of Luke Perry.
There's a bit of a forced moment when Leelo "realizes the horror of human war" by speed-viewing Time-Life magazine photographs, but this is fortunately over fairly quickly. Despite this attempt to inject some sort of meaning or conscience into the movie, the fun soon resumes.
The visual effects are quirky but excellent, ranging from the cheesy "Taxis of the Future" to the ethereal "Cruise Ship of the Future." The opera scenes also carry a heavy visual impact. I must admit, however, that I may feel this way due to my affinity for the color blue, and the fact that this scene arrived just as the majority of the Christian Brother's kicked in.
The soundtrack has to be mentioned. I would despise much of the music on its own, but it is so cleverly intertwined with the visual aspects that it lends an enormous weight to the film. Of course, the aria is unforgettable, but in a strange way, so is the weird dance/house/acid/funk thing during the "robbery attempt".
The one, truly unfortunate aspect of the film is the Chris Tucker character. In fact, I have to consider the Fifth Element to be a masterpiece simply because I didn't kick it out of the DVD as soon as he appeared. However, to punish (in a small way) the powers-that-be for encouraging him in any way, I'm deducting one star from the total.
In summary, if you have to have meaning & depth in your motion pictures, go watch Das Boot, or better yet, read a book. The Fifth Element may not be Clarke&Kubrick, but it's a great deal more entertaining.
94 Seriously UNDERATED!!!!
This movie is incredible, Bruce is awesome as usual, Chris is funny as usual, and of course Milla is HOT!!! This movie is hillarious and is action packed! This is a must see for sci-fi fans, so I recommend you buying this now!!!!
95 Bravo Luc Besson Imaginary and Exotic Director of our time
The Fith Element is a true classic in the cinema world. The story line is so amazing with the correct music put to great scenery. This film is similar to Blade runner but the only thing that comes closes to blad runner is the flying cars in the futuristic city of New York but thats it, and i must say that the effects look much better than Blade Runner pluse it's well put together even for a movie that was made in a time that certain technologies weren't available which I mean that this movie did open the doors for new technics to use in movies the effects are awsome.The scene that I loved most was when Inva Mulla Tchako an Opera singer makes a cameo apperance in the film this is one of the most coolest scenes and if your thinking that theres Opera music in this movie think again as the movie has an awsome and avant-gard score by Eric Serra/Mallory Wayte the composers and conductors turned the song that she performed into a techno rock song it's so very well married into each other. It starts off soft original Opera then dies down and starts turning into trance techno music so trust me it's a pretty cool scene and I aswell recomend the soundtrack to because it includes this song and it will take you into a futuristic world. Bruce Willis is so cool in this movie he just brings a good charector to life (corban Dallas)which he portrays and the beautiful actress/model Milla Jovovich (Resedent Evil) brings to life an amazing charector to life (Liloo) as she is called in the movie she portrays and exotic and futuristic girl who try's to find the Fith Element so it is an awsome adventure full of fun and excitment. I give this film 100 stars and 5 thumps up it is a true classic especially in the SCIFI world. I also recomend The Messenger: the story of Joan of Arc and Deep Blue two other beautiful achivments from Director Luc Besson.
96 Good performances
Not something special but the environment works greatly in creating a good mood along with the plenty of colours and a nice little fantastic tale. A historical link to ancient Egypt and an early 20th century archeology team create an interesting plot which cannot be forseen. Bruce Willis is quite the best, ideal man for the role as all he is the one who must save the world. Gary Oldman is also a very good performer. Although american, this film has clearly a French contribution! Very good imagery, as mentioned before, cool costumes, fantastic huge sets, and dynamic characters. The soundtrack and the miniatures in some scenes are also impressive. . In terms of acting every one worked well and Milla Jovovich is as beautiful and cute as never before. If you are a die hard Willis fan, you'll be glad to own it and watch it with your company!
97 Great to look at, not as great to listen to.
The Fifth Element may very well be the most elaborate, visually magnificent film I've ever seen. Everything, from the spaceships to the flying cars to the city, is an example of eye-popping special effects. For that alone, I would recommend it. There are several other things going for it, too, though I can't forget the fact that the story is a mess and many individual scenes are annoying and headache-inducing. Hey, everything comes with a price, and these visuals are no different.
In terms of plot, let's just say the film takes place a few hundred years in the future, and Bruce Willis is the hero who must save the Earth before a huge ball of evil will destroy it. To do so, Willis needs the help of the fifth element, turns out its Milla Jovovich. Impeding the good guys are a band of ugly aliens and an over-the-top Gary Oldman as a nasty businessman named Zorg.
There are a lot of little things about The Fifth Element that bug me. First is Zorg's motivations. Apparently, he's been chosen by that big ball of evil to hinder Willis and Jovovich, and he cooperates seemingly because he believes in a big financial pay-off. Exactly what he can do with any riches after the Earth is destroyed raises more than a few questions. Basically, Oldman's just here to chew the scenery and give us a human villain, even though in the end, he isn't particularly menacing and never even comes face-to-face with Willis.
Rather, the villains who participate in the physical action are a group of really ugly aliens (whose names I can't think of at the moment) that have the ability to shapeshift. These aliens look really silly, but I'll give director Luc Besson the benefit of the doubt and assume the effect was entirely intentional. Even then, they don't make for very imposing antagonists, they're almost as easy to kill as storm troopers, and they're only slightly more competent.
But such flaws are made up for by not only the movie's great look, but its sense of fun. At its heart, The Fifth Element is not science fiction but a comical action/adventure with mismatched heroes, a "damsel in distress", and bad guys who threaten the world itself. Bruce Willis makes for a great deadpan hero, and as usual, excels during the action sequences. Jovovich isn't quite my idea of the perfect being, but she's acceptable in her role. Almost taking me out of the movie is an annoying Chris Tucker as an androgynous DJ. He's here as comic relief, and while he gets off a few good laughs, he's more of a detriment than anything else.
Surprisingly enough, even though The Fifth Element moves at a fast pace, there are only a few all-out action scenes. Aside from a flying car chase (which Star Wars Episode II obviously took inspiration from) and a big climactic gun battle, there's not a whole lot of physical violence going on here, at least not when compared to some of the other sci-fi action films released around the same time (Star Trek: First Contact, Alien Resurrection, Starship Troopers).
Keeping the film consistently enjoyable is Besson's sense of humor. He knows well enough not to take such a story seriously, so don't be surprised by how much the movie acknowledges its own silliness. I've not seen a whole lot from Besson that I liked (I always found The Professional overrated and The Messenger a bloated, though not entirely unenjoyable, mess), but The Fifth Element comes the closest to a movie of his that I genuinely liked. There's much from this movie I enjoyed and I do recommend it, but cut off the chaff, and we could've had a sci-fi/action classic on our hands and not just a good timewaster.
98 Good SF flick
Visually, THE FIFTH ELEMENT is a stunner. Anyone who ever doubted that a French writer/director couldn't handle a big budget Bruce Willis extravaganza will have to manger his chapeau. And for those of us who like our Sci-Fi mixed with a little mysticism, Luc Besson's film does it better than say THE BLACK HOLE or EVENT HORIZON. And who could deny that Milla Jovovich isn't perfectly cast as the embodiment of the divine? The film is quite entertaining, and a cut above the usual Willis fare. His bleach job alone should tell you that they were going after something a little different here. Still fans of the wise-cracking adventure hero should still love it, and those who just like an oddball futuristic yarn with great visuals and a sense of humor should go for this as well. Not deep space nor deep thinking but still good intelligent fun.
99 Audio/Visual Extravaganza
This movie is quite frankly a feast for the eyes and ears. The story is fun and interesting, the acting never takes itself too seriously and it contains one of the most unusually beautiful scenes in recent memory - the singing of the Diva Plavalaguna. By itself, this scene makes the DVD worthwhile.
100 Sci-Fi Action!!
If your a fan of sci-fi, SEE THIS MOVIE, If your a fan of Action films, SEE THIS MOVIE. Bruce Willis Stars as Corbin Dallas, a former Pilot turned Cabby fighting to save the earth from a evil force only known as "Mr. Shadow". Milla Jovovich is Leeloo, the perfect Being as one of the 5 Elements to stop this dark force. If you also liked any of Bruce Willis' Previous Action movies, this is a must see! I recommend it to any sci-fi or action film fan.
