Viewed in
2003, 2010
Formats
DVD, HD TV
Premise
Bruce Willis stars in Luc Besson's futuristic epic as a taxi driver who stumbles upon a mysterious lady who is key to saving Earth from doom.
Loved
The kinetic visual style, Chris Tucker's scene-stealing performance.
Liked
The cast, the goofy comedy.
Thoughts
An interesting, colorful film with a very entertaining second hour.
Director Luc Besson usually makes intriguing films, and his stab at space opera was pretty strong. His visuals for the future were fantastic, from floating noodle ships, to outlandish costume designs, to pronounced backgrounds and sets. I loved his unique take on making the future so colorful, like a mad painter splashing life into every corner of this universe.
Unlike most science fiction flicks, it did not take itself too seriously. There was constant flow of goofy visuals, bumbling caretakers and henchmen, silly one-liners and even some campy comedy. The film truly kicked into high gear with Chris Tucker's insertion halfway through. His memorably hilarious role as the flamboyant TV personality upped the comedy and energy into the stratosphere.
The rest of the cast was excellent. Bruce Willis was in top form as the grumpy, wise-cracking badass. The sexy Milla Jovovich played the charming, childlike alien. I also greatly enjoyed the offbeat performances of Sir Ian Holm and Gary Oldman. Oldman's scene of diffusing his own bomb was a great example of the entire film's sense of humor and creativity.
As great as the second half of the film was, I discovered while watching it again that the first half was a bit lacking in entertainment. Part of this had to do with the fact that there was no Tucker. But I also think it also had to do with the sometimes confusing plot, in which there were more than one set of bad guys, leading to an overload of characters to keep track of. Also, I am not sure if the opening sequence explaining the legend was necessary for story-telling.
While there was some diminishing returns upon multiple viewings, the second half was so hilarious and unique that it will always be one of my favorite science fiction films.
What I would change
Nothing.
