Subject: REVIEW: THE FIFTH ELEMENT (1997)

From: [email-masked] (Matt Williams)
Date: 13 May 1997 23:59:33 GMT

THE FIFTH ELEMENT
                       A film review by Matt Williams
                        Copyright 1997 Matt Williams

RATING: * * * (on a scale of 0 to 4)

The best science fiction films manage to create a unique world,
populated with rich characters and coherent to its own logic.  The
Fifth Element only meets these goals part way.  It creates a visually
intriguing setting, but adds rudimentary characters and a fairly
standard action plot.

Three hundred years in the future, Earth faces a mysterious problem.
An unknown massive object has appeared in space, destroying all life it
touches.  When conventional weapons prove useless, one Father Cornelius
(Ian Holm) believes he may have the answer.  He has descended from an
order that has guarded a secret for 5000 years: a weapon of ultimate
good that can defeat the ultimate evil.  In order to use this weapon,
it is necessary to collect four stones (representing the four elements
of air, fire, earth and water), along with a mysterious "fifth
element".  However, gathering them may not be as easy as Father
Cornelius would hope, for there are other forces at work.

The industrialist Zorg (Gary Oldman) wants the stones for his own
nefarious purposes, and has the resources to get what he desires.

In the midst of this conflict is thrust Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis),
an ex-military man, now struggling as a hovercab driver.  Both fate and
his government draw him together with Leeluu (Milla Jovovich), a
strangely perfect humanoid alien who may hold the key to collecting and
using the elements.

The world that director Luc Besson has created is original and
breathtaking.  In fact, it is almost worth the admission for the
eye-candy alone.  Though cluttered, the sets makes firm strides away
from the gothic gloominess of Blade Runner, which has influenced nearly
every science fiction film in the last fifteen years.  The vibrant use
of color in the Fifth Element is refreshing (although you can't help
but compare Leeluu's bright orange hair with Korben's bright orange
tank top).  The costumes throughout are a bit over-the-top, but
interesting to look at, anyhow.  The film reaches its pinnacle with the
pure visual delight of its action pieces (the hovercar chase through
New York traffic is particularly spectacular).

However, once establishing so thrilling a setting, the remainder of the
film is somewhat of a letdown.  The Korben Dallas character is, well,
Bruce Willis.  Aside from the throwaway "my wife left me", there's not
much development there.  As Zorg, Gary Oldman gets to chew some
scenery, but he never really has much motive (other than just being
evil). Leeluu has some alluring enigma, but she remains shrouded in
mystery throughout the whole film, and is used more as a plot device
than a character.  And the characters used for comic relief
(particularly the shrill talk show host Rudy Rhod (Chris Tucker))
rarely have the effect desired.

As far as the movie's overall plot, you've got a MacGuffin to quest for
and some villains to provide obstacles, and a few throwaway morals
tacked onto the end.  Your basic action movie package...no insights
here.  Yet, as an action film, The Fifth Element is above normal,
owning many of the same stylistic touches that made Besson's earlier
works (La Femme Nikita and The Professional) such a treat to watch.
Sure, there are occasional inconsistencies, and the characters are
rather thin, but Luc Besson makes the best of the elements he has.

If you're hoping for a science fiction masterpiece, you won't get it in
the Fifth Element.  Go in expecting a decent action film with stunning
visuals, and you'll be sure to enjoy the ride.

Matt Williams ([email-masked])
Reviewer for Shreck's Cinema: http://www.shreck.com
Home of over 400 reviews, and information on over 500 upcoming releases