So goes the bizarre mythology behind The Fifth Element, in which all five elements are made into literal artifacts that were once kept in an ancient Egyptian ruin, but were whisked away by aliens for safe keeping. When the year 2263, a mysterious cosmic force manifests in deep space and seems to grow more powerful when attacked. Per the guidance of a priest named Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm), Earth has 48 hours to find the elements and reunite them, or else life will perish. A chain of events leads to the rebirth of the fifth element: a supreme being named Leeloo Dallas Multipass--no, wait, sorry, just Leeloo (Milla Jovovich). She inevitably crosses paths with cab driver and ex-space-fighter Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), and he embarks on an adventure to save the planet.
All of this craziness is the brainchild of Luc Besson, who penned his ideas and storylines while only sixteen years old. Twenty-two years later, the final product stands as one of the most unique sci-fi extravaganzas ever made. In terms of immersion, the sheer amount of detail, worldbuilding, and eccentric design gives Star Wars a run for its money. In terms of action and effects, the film dazzles with a calculated use of models, pyrotechnics, and eye-popping CGI. Viewing it today, you might see some creases showing in the older effects and some of the sets (seriously, there's one set where the wall is just tin foil, and Jovovich just runs right through it--I dunno, just roll with it). Regardless, most of it holds up handsomely, and the film leaves you with memorable sights of a futuristic New York full of flying cars, on top of fantastic spaceships, an exotic flying hotel, and a literal space opera.
The film flies by a mile a minute--not with explosions and action, even though both are in abundance (seriously, the last act feels like Die Hard in space--Willis' own charisma keeps it just as badass). The cast fills the gaps between the action with arousing levity. Even in the robes of a mystic priest, Ian Holm's deadpan reactions will elicit chuckles. The film's villain, Zorg (Gary Oldman), is a hammy, one-dimensional mustache-twirler you'll love to hate. In the last half, the obnoxious antics are cranked to overdrive thanks to Chris Tucker's hyperactive performance as an effeminate pop radio star who just can't shut up--this guy might actually make or break the film for many viewers. The whole cast is populated by zany, cartoony expressions and reactions--the sheer spunk of the cast and script makes the film snappy, even when narrative momentum dries up in the middle. All of it is accentuated by the stylish visual palette, the sumptuous production design, and Eric Serra's strangely clanky music score (some of these music choices are head-scratching, but hot dang, the Diva's Dance is hip!).
Judging the story is probably a futile task--it's a strange hodgepodge of vaguely-defined mysticism, ancient aliens, prophecies, and tropes that feel ripped from other sci-fi and action movies. It suddenly occurred to me that the premise of using the five elements--earth, fire, wind, water, and heart--to save the planet is literally the same as Captain Planet. I'm not sure if that's an intentional parallel. Besson did collaborate with Jean-Claude Mézières, who penned the Valérian comics, which in turn fed more inspiration into The Fifth Element (especially the decision to make Dallas a cab driver, although this was also something that 1981's Heavy Metal showed, itself based off of the French comic The Long Tomorrow--between all of this and Besson producing all those Taxi movies, I feel like the French love taxi drivers). The characters feel archetypal, especially Bruce Willis, who plays Dallas like a futuristic John McClane with less cursing. In the same vein as Besson's other films (especially Nikita and The Professional), the relationship between two characters from two completely different backgrounds (worlds even) becomes the through-line that makes the funny scenes funnier, the romance cuter, and the action weighty. Can't say that any of these characters have a firm arc, but Dallas' search for love seems to be good enough in a movie that's already packed. Few scenes are wedged in to give Leeloo doubt over the value of the human race, and it might feel like something ham-fisted in the last minute. But if there's any consistent point to the movie, it is the conflict between forces of life and forces of destruction. I'm certain the film wants to say more about it through exploring armed conflict, political corruption, industrial espionage, environmental damage, rampant consumerism--it's all shown in brief flashes, but never explored in explicit detail.
What I admire about the film is that the whole thing--all its eccentricities, its far-reaching ambitions, its twists and double-crosses, its bizarre premise--is perfectly digestible thanks to the steady and careful way it unveils the story. Exposition is delivered in short punchy bursts, which always keeps the audience informed, but also stays within character and never feels like a droll infodump--and that's the way it should be. Nothing is confusing because every important piece of the characters' journeys are shown to us. The film's strongest moments are the ones where the camera lingers with the characters as they explore the city, the ships, the planets, and through their eyes, we experience their adventure and become invested in the stakes. This is just good storytelling, plain and simple.
Understandably, the film will lose some people. Rudy Rhod is only slightly less annoying than Jar Jar Binks--frankly, Rudy's cartoony antics never made me cringe as much, but I know it bothers many viewers. The whole film has awkward tics, quirks, and neurotic reactions. You know what though? I love how snappy, spirited, and unique the experience is. It's never boring, even when it's obnoxious. Everything is just pop pop POP!
If you want to see a great sci-fi adventure unlike any other, this may be your ticket. It's cartoonish and not particularly deep, but it's well-crafted with a lot of zest and heart.
10/10
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