Summary
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a space science fiction film Luc Besson directed, wrote and co-produced on March 17, 2017. The film is based on a French comic series Valérian and Laureline that Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières created. It is an ambitious space opera that features complex futuristic world building, action, romance, and interstellar conflict. Besson, who worked on The Fifth Element and Lucy, had the vision of Valerian as a stunning cinematic interpretation of the comics that inspired Star Wars and other sci-fi classics.
In the 28th century, the movie follows the story of Major Valerian, played by Dane DeHaan, and Sergeant Laureline, played by Cara Delevingne, who are special operatives for the human police force in the Mül space. They are responsible for preserving order in the universe for the United Human Federation. The movie begins with a prologue that shows the destruction of an alien planet called Mül that is unique for its pearlescent beauty, where a species known as Pearls—an alien humanoid race—live in perpetual harmony with nature. Mül is beautiful; however, it is engulfed in a mysterious war and only a handful of its residents manage to survive.
Shifting focus to the mission of Valerian and Laureline, the pair’s task is to capture the last remaining converter from the planet Mül. It has been stolen. The converter is an adorable, alien creature that can reproduce anything it consumes. Valerian and Laureline procure it from a black market vendor at interdimensional bazaar called Big Market, one of the film’s most imaginative sequences.
The converter is taken to Alpha, or the City of a Thousand Planets, is a colossal space station originally constructed as Earth’s International Space Station. It, over centuries, incorporates thousands of alien species and cultures, forming a microcosm of the galaxy. Alpha is now the centerpiece of knowledge, innovation, and intergalactic diplomacy.
But, hidden beneath the astonishing glory of Alpha, is a dangerous mystery. An unexplained, inaccessible radioactive zone has emerged at the core of the station. Valerian and Laureline get drawn into a deeper conspiracy when they discover links between the converter, the Pearls, and the decimation of their homeworld.
As they delve deeper, it becomes clear that the station’s commander, Arun Filitt (Clive Owen), might be concealing a catastrophic secret about a genocidal conflict and the subsequent war crimes inflicted upon the Pearls. To uncover the truth and deliver justice, Custodian of the Galaxy Valerian & Laureline face multiple challenges. They are not only required to deal with alien races, mercenaries, and mutants, but also deal with their own military command structures.
The violence in the film is balanced by a tender-ish love story between Valerian and Laureline. Valerian is very much a self-assured womanizer while Laureline is described as ‘smart, tough,’ which means she’d hardly fall for his charms. The chemistry between them provides some light relief but, at least to some observers, their romantic exchanges may not be as memorable as one would expect.
The resolution offers both redemption and some truth. Humanity’s long past has given deeply hurt Pearls some freedom, compensation, and reparations which soften the long-standing humanitarian scars brought on by so-called civilized cultures. Valerian learns humility but only with the aid of Laureline’s sense of justice, which subsequently sets the stage for growing optimism about a future where peace and justice truly exist.
Cast & Crew
Main Cast:
Dane DeHaan as Major Valerian
DeHaan takes the role of a headstrong and gifted agent who tends to break the rules. DeHaan’s performance drew mixed feedback; many felt that he skillfully played the part but lacked the domineering presence deemed essential for a Hollywood blockbuster film hero.
Cara Delevingne as Sergeant Laureline
Delevingne infuses having a dry wit along with steely intelligence into Laureline. She serves as the film’s moral backbone, tempering Valerian’s more reckless tendencies. DeHaan’s performance was panned, but the general reception towards Delevingne was much warmer, particularly regarding her commanding presence throughout the film.
Clive Owen as Commander Arun Filitt
Owen plays a decorated officer with an unsettling background, portraying the film’s main villain. He brings a certain level of conflict-driven drama and adds military-political depth to the story’s theme of wartime corruption and questionable military ethics.
Rihanna as Bubble
The performer plays an alien actress who transforms into multiple shapes and assists Valerian with crucial endeavors. Although Rihanna’s performance is minimal in duration, it is striking in its imagery and emotional depth, shifting the direction of the story in an unanticipated way.
Ethan Hawke as Jolly the Pimp
Hawke plays a rather small part but characterizes himself as the outlandish pimp Bubble. He gives a performance that is entirely relatable to the film’s odd and genre-mixing identity.
Crew:
Director/Writer/Producer: Luc Besson
Besson’s long-time project Valerian further extends the imagination inspired by the Valérian and Laureline comic series. He is known for his remarkable visual style, and this film is not short of his creativity in world-building and special effects.
Cinematography: Thierry Arbogast
Arboagst has tracked and maintained the stunning view of the landscapes, and for this reason Besson’s frequent partner, Arboagst, is the primary cinematorgrapher of Valerian considering it as one of the most striking Sci-Fi films of the decade.
Music: Alexandre Desplat
The film’s score by contemporary Oscar awarded composer Alexandre Desplat bestows nobility on the epic space adventure and adds emotional enhancemenet whether in action-packed scenes or quieter moments.
Visual Effects: Weta Digital, ILM, Rodeo FX
The teams who worked on special effects offered some of the most imaginative sequences in modern sci-fi considering the alien landscapes, surreal cityscapes and inter-dimensional chases.
IMDb Rating and Reception
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets has an IMDb rating of 6.4/10 which suggests that audiences received it fairly positively overall. The film was appreciated by both critics and viewers for its stunning visual effects, elaborate world-building, and ambitious narrative scope. The imagination showcased in the design of Alpha, the space city, and the multitude of alien species was particularly acclaimed as being a magnificent feat of imagination.
Nevertheless, some critics disapproved of the film’s inconsistent tone, lackluster dialogue, and the absence of on-screen chemistry between the leading actors. It was also noted that the story structure was too complex and turbulent with some plot aspects feeling rushed, while others felt extremely complicated. The romantic subplot centered around Valerian and Laureline was considered illogical by some because it overshadowed the political and ethical narrative elements of the film.
In commercial terms, Valerian underperformed at the U.S. box office, grossing approximately 41 million USD domestically against a reported budget of 180 million USD. Internationally, however, the film did better, increasing its total revenue to 225 million USD. In any case, the film is considered a financial failure and a dismal expectation for sequels, regardless of Besson’s plans for a trilogy, due to diminished hopes for sequels emanating from this financial setback.
Takeaways
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a film that attempts to achieve the impossible – sometimes managing to do so, but certainly providing visual pleasure at a minimum. The film visually attempts to impress with groundbreaking sharp imagery, stunning universe design, and spellbinding aesthetics and fashion. While the story is incoherent, and the character development lacks depth, the boundaries of science fiction cinema are, however, effectively expanded.
Where some may see art as miscalculation or failure, others may see it as embracing the essence of visionary wonder. With a clearly discernable heart emblem insignia branded at the back, Valerian offers bold imaginative storytelling which is further enhanced with complex intricate sci-fi realms. Unmistakably Valerian is poetry purposefully crafted for visionary hands, whether to be remembered as a cult classic or an ambitious failure. From whichever lens it is viewed through makes Valerian an undoubtably distinctive work of art crafted in the 21st century.
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