Subject: REVIEW: THE FIFTH ELEMENT (1997)

From: [email-masked] (Bennett Nason)
Date: 14 May 1997 00:11:21 GMT

THE FIFTH ELEMENT
                       A film review by Bennett Nason
                        Copyright 1997 Bennett Nason

	Well, I've been lurking a bit here reading the posts on T5E,
and have only one thing to say...

	If you have time, *get out to see it!!*

	It seems that many people are analyzing/understanding the
movie incorrectly.  The movie, as many people state, isn't meant to be
serious (despite the message that love has extraordinary power at the
end, which I kinda' liked...)  It has a *ton* of humor in it, which is
one of the most decisive factors in favor of this movie.  I couldn't
help but laugh all the way through the scene with the Father and Zorg
(not to disclose too much here, but the funny looking alien thing with
the long nose and the little robots were too much, not to mention Ruby
and Zorg in general...)

	In addition, the special effects were simply dazzling...  the
visual artistry within this movie is deserving of much merit.  The
label of "eye candy" that is applied to it isn't in my mind fair.  To
call this film "eye candy" would be like calling the Mona Lisa "eye
candy", something I hope all reading this would understand to be too
simplistic.  The scenes of NY and the multi-layered traffic scenes are
absolutely breathtaking.  (As a disclaimer, I'm not comparing T5E to
the Mona Lisa... just drawing an analogy of sorts...)

	As far as the script and acting go, I'm more or less convinced
that it is so-so.  However, I enjoyed throughly the performances of
Oldman (Zorg), Ruby, and thought that Jovovich did a damned cool job
of playing Leeloo.  However, I don't go to movies to gaggle and drool
over good acting - if that's what I want, I go to stage performances.
The two mediums are meant for different things, and you'll find many
mroe talented **ACTORS**, in the purest sense, on stage, not on
screen.  Screen actors have to perform differently, and they more or
less didn't detract from this movie.

	So, in the end, I think that the movie is a success, in that
it delivers all it is meant to.  It isn't meant to be th most fabulous
movie of all time - it is meant to entertain and do so well.  In that
regard, I didn't get bored once, but stayed entertained and more all
the way through.  

-Bennett Nason