Review of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) by Jess_Hill — 10 Aug 2017
The opening sequence of this film is a delight, with a montage that instills a heightened sense of curiosity about a rich and cosmopolitan universe. From such promise, however, Besson provides a film which falls so spectacularly short of expectations as to induce an incandescent rage at having to endure the inexorable torment of futile hope that something, anything, might redeem the experience and justify your time.
The pacing is lethargic and the editing lacks coherence, the script is utterly woeful, and the chemistry between the lead couple is more akin to siblings than lovers (decidedly not of the Lannister variety!) making for some excruciating moments.
Performances are wooden and without charm, and the desired social and political commentary languishes in unsophisticated banality, devoid of any emotional resonance. The storyline had some brief moments of promise, but the plot is a sieve, and whilst there is some excellent creature design and moments of cinematic grandeur, these are few and far between and fail to redeem the film from the inconsistent abyss of boring mediocrity in which it wallows.
3.
This review of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) was written by Jess_Hill on 10 Aug 2017.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets has generally received mixed reviews.
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