Film Review F; The Fifth Element (1997)

Rating: ★★★★

"This film is more than just a sci-fi flick, it is a beautiful representation of life.... with added spaceships."

Running Time: 2 hours 6 minutes
Rating: PG
Release Date: 9 May, 1997
Genre: Sci-fi
Starring: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker, Gary Oldman
Director: Luc Besson
Writers: Luc Besson
Yeah, that Luc Besson is the same guy that wrote and directed one of the most highly rated films of all time; Léon: The Professional.

Plot: Fast forward to the twenty third century; a bad ass taxi driver finds himself trying to save the world against an evil that comes to Earth every 5,000 years to destroy life.

Review: Surprisingly, I loved this film. It is never something I would usually watch as I HATE sci-fi. Almost as much as I hate rom-com. I mean, I can't really remember seeing any sci-fi I really enjoyed - I mean Star Trek, Star Wars and Doctor Who; all of them boring and somewhat annoying, at least in my opinion.

So what made it stand out against all the other sci-fi films? It has everything needed in order to enthral the audience. I like to watch a believable (or almost believable) films and despite the presence of weird aliens and odd species, the characters were real enough to believe their personalities (with a touch of imagination). I feel it is important to make the viewer feel like they're in the film, watching the events happen in front of them - rather just being sat in a cinema or lying in bed, and this film does it.

I also love the storyline. Luc Besson managed to combined action, comedy, sci-fi and romance all into one film so there is something for every viewer but in a structured way so it actually works.

The whole film is based around there being five elements; fire, water, Earth, wind and love. I think this is the perfect way to look at life. Luc was really clever in the character development, making each character embody a certain quality, or 'element'. Dallas represents strength, Leeloo represents love, Zorg is evil, Father Cornelius is religion...

This film is more than just a sci-fi flick, it is a beautiful representation of life.... with added spaceships.

BRUCE WILLIS A.K.A BAD ASS

As you may well know, Willis is well known as one of cinemas most beloved bad asses. Here are some of his most popular films.