Review of The Fifth Element (1997) by Jim P — 31 Mar 2015

The sci-fi genre is an incredibly versatile one as it could be taken to serious tone (Star Trek), to epic proportions story (Star Wars), to a spooky direction (Alien), an action route (Terminator), a touching and sentimental territory (E.T.), to be able to combine itself with a neo noir style (Blade Runner) or even go as far entering into the "infamous" camp territory with "The Fifth Element".

In the year 2263, a great evil that appears every 5000 years has arrived and threatens to annihilate Earth. The only weapon capable of stopping this evil is the four classical elements with an additional fifth one that is represented as a supreme and perfect being named Leelo thus a quest begins where a taxicab named Korben Dallas needs to fulfill Leelo´s destiny.

If you ask a number of people their opinion regarding "The Fifth Element" you will either get two answers: "I love it" or "I hate it", so I will try to explain why this film is known for polarizing both audiences and critics. "The Fifth Element" is a filmed that guarantees a fun time thanks to its fun to watch acting with the highlight being the masterful Gary Oldman in a role so silly that he seems to be having the time of his life, creative visuals, laughable dialog, hilarious setups, a irreverent directing, memorable moments, a straightforward narrative, a ridiculously goofy but fun art design, and a tricky camp factor that's executed with efficiency. But this film also counts with numerous elements that audiences will most find annoying: Chris Tucker´s character is one of the most annoying characters ever put to film, the story is filled with clichés, at times director Luc Besson crosses the line between camp and ridicule, the action scenes are laughable, and not in a good way; the running gags quickly got old, and more than a handful of scenes are stretch without any purpose whatsoever.

"The Fifth Element" is a memorable and unique film that is definitely not for everybody but if you enjoy comedies and just want to have a nice time, this is a film made for your demands but if you are a person that demands quality and high level filmmaking you should skip this film.