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Valerian and the City of A Thousand Planets

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Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#26: Jul 26th 2017 at 2:24:34 PM

Saw it too. Probably my favorite Bessonerie since The Fifth Element − it doesn't quite reach the same level of fun, but it was still pretty enjoyable. And didn't have the problem that plagued Lucy, the absence of stakes.

The problem it did have was that it took several detours that had little to do with those stakes. As mentionned above, the whole sequence with Bubble felt more like Besson showing off his toys and Rihana needing to pay her rent than a meaningful story arc. I liked Bubble's character, mind you, but she doesn't really serve any purpose.

The other issue I have is the title… Why is Valérian the only title character even though Laureline is just as important in the story, if not more? Then again I may be biased by my impression of the characters themselves. I wanted to slap Valérian in the face every time he showed up, while Laureline stole the show in every scene. Props to Cara Delevingne (how do you pronounced that? >.>) for her delightful performance. And yeah, there's a romance, because of course there is…

So yeah, it definitely doesn't deserved to be so snubbed, but the unfocused second act and some annoyingly cheesy dialogue at times, clearly don't do it any favors.

edited 26th Jul '17 2:56:48 PM by Lyendith

Halberdier17 We Are With You Zack Snyder from Western Pennsylvania Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Dating Catwoman
We Are With You Zack Snyder
#27: Jul 26th 2017 at 2:36:02 PM

[up]I guess the only reason Valérian is the title character even though the work it is based on is titled: Valérian and Laureline is because with the subtitle it would be too long.

"Valérian and Laureline: And the City of a Thousand Planets" doesn't really roll off the tongue that well.

edited 26th Jul '17 2:36:19 PM by Halberdier17

Batman Ninja more like Batman's Bizarre Adventure
Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#28: Jul 26th 2017 at 2:49:04 PM

At worst you can remove the "and" in the subtitle. surprised Or maybe "Valérian and Laureline" sounds too "60's FB comic-ish" to be marketable…

…Also, I just realized that the pirate was played by Alain Chabat. I didn't recognize him at all. .−.

edited 26th Jul '17 2:50:25 PM by Lyendith

Sabertooth1000000000 Sabertooth from Land of the Livid Dead Since: Jul, 2010
Sabertooth
#29: Jul 26th 2017 at 8:57:53 PM

The title is already too long. Should've just been the names of the characters or City of a Thousand Planets.

3DS FC: 1719-3694-1541
ThriceCharming Since: Nov, 2013
#30: Jul 26th 2017 at 10:14:33 PM

Is it weird that I thought this was much better than The Fifth Element?

maus42 Since: Aug, 2016 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
#31: Jul 28th 2017 at 1:10:28 AM

[up][up][up] ([up])

The comic book series has been titled both "Valérian and Laureline" and "Valérian, agent spatio-temporel" and countless others if you include the translations. Apparently the "Valérian, the Space-Time Agent" title was used when the series was first published in the magazine Pilote. I am not exactly sure about the reasons; maybe the original concept was to have Valérian as the main protagonist, but Laureline is introduced already in the first story, and it's very soon clear that the series has two equally important main leads, i.e. it's not "Valérian and his sidekick".

Also, the reviews about the film I've seen have been mostly negative, but if some tropers liked it, maybe I'll give it a chance. AFAIK the character played by Rihanna is Besson's own creation.

edited 28th Jul '17 1:15:59 AM by maus42

NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#32: Jul 28th 2017 at 1:33:01 AM

I really liked the movie, so did my family.

It really seems this highlights critical dissonance - just because the critics don't like something doesn't mean the same holds true for the regular viewers.

googlebot Herald of Endless Research. from The misty Albion Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Herald of Endless Research.
#33: Jul 28th 2017 at 10:38:18 AM

I went to the premiere. 3d in movie theatres must die.

I liked the movie. As mentioned, not as fun as Fifth Element, but still good. Laureline was a highlight. I don't get the romance complaints. They left an impression of a couple that are together for a long time; chemistry turned into a routine. I liked that the movie didn't feel cliche. Also the military didn't feel stupid for once.

edited 28th Jul '17 10:38:37 AM by googlebot

“You can’t be an important and life-changing presence for some people without also being a joke and embarrassment to others.” -Mark Manson.
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#34: Jul 28th 2017 at 10:43:56 AM

I'm confused. Was debating whether to see this; my coworkers HATED it. Said the two leads' acting was really wooden and the CGI didn't look right. Which is the opposite of what most of you are saying; hence the confusion.

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#35: Jul 28th 2017 at 11:35:44 AM

I think Dane DeHaan was pretty miscast (I didn't buy the playboy thing or the "stick to the rules" thing), but Cara Delevingne did a pretty good job, keeping in mind that pretty much all the acting was kind of stilted.

edited 28th Jul '17 11:35:56 AM by Zendervai

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#36: Jul 28th 2017 at 5:36:28 PM

Just saw it. De Haan was miscast and to be honest I couldn't stand Valerian, but Laureline was great, if a bit wooden. I didn't buy the romance though. I loved the effects but at times it felt like they were showing them off to kinda distract from the story being a tad cliched. Like, I remember one awkward info dump as Valerian and Laureline went into the titular city that just showed off some of the races, and it was kind of annoying. The opening sequence up to when we first meet Valerian is fucking beautiful. Rihanna's character...well she deserved to be in there longer.

Gonna maybe give it a 6/10.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
C105 Too old for this from France Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Too old for this
#37: Aug 1st 2017 at 2:44:20 PM

I'm finding myself a bit torn on this part. I have read the comics and quite liked them, though it's been some time I have not read one, and I skipped the last books (which suffer some Seasonal Rot). The film does a good job of rendering the visual universe from the comics, and in an amazingly gorgeous way. The ship and many aliens come straight from them, thought most names were changed for some reason.
The story takes a lot from the comic story The Ambassador of the Shadows (including Laureline sticking her head into a medusa and disguising herself inside a shapeshifter, and the overall plot of a species hidden inside of the huge multi-cultural space station kidnapping an ambassador), although the universe was vastly changed: in the comics, the equivalent of station Alpha, Point Central, is not founded by humans at all, and human technology is somewhat more advanced since they are capable of time travel.
Valerian and Laureline, on the other hand, have very little in common with the comic book characters. Valerian is definitely not a womaniser and does not spend half his free time wooing Laureline - they are some thing of a lose couple (tightening as the comics go on). Their relationship to authority is somewhat similar to that of the film, though, with Valerian trying to do things by the book while Laureline is more prone to listen to her heart. On a different note, I really had a hard time with the actors' performances, who seem to know only one or two facial expressions and tones of voice.
Finally, I don't remember the Pearls from the comics, though they do have some kind of counterpart in The Ambassador of the Shadows, but they were uncomfortably close to the Na'vi for me to find them interesting.

All in all, a visually gorgeous film, but not near close to the books it's based on in terms of story and characters. And ignoring the source material, the story still suffers from a lot of problems in my view. Too bad - Besson seemed to really like the comic from what I had read in interviews, but apparently for him rendering the visuals was more important than keeping the spirit of the comic.

edited 1st Aug '17 2:46:06 PM by C105

Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#38: Aug 2nd 2017 at 12:24:30 AM

I definitely liked Laureline, but Valerian was one of the dumbest characters I have ever seen in leads. It's not just that they had no chemistry, it's that Laureline was clearly spending most of the movie wondering why she doesn't ask for a transfer away from this horny, useless teenager. The climax clinches it - I mean, not only does he pick the worst possible time to suddenly pull out a concern for protocol and regulations, but he drops it because Laureline told him that he wouldn't get her if he didn't let her hand over the Collector.

As for the butterfishing scene and the followup, while it's a Wacky Wayside Tribe irrelevant to the main plot, I liked it because Bubble was in it, and as usual, Rihanna completely stole the show, and because it was an opportunity for some comical mindless blasting and swordfighting.

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#39: Aug 2nd 2017 at 7:21:29 PM

I really love the backstory for Alpha. The ISS (I think) becoming the core of a vast, constantly growing space colony is such a phenomenal idea, and it's one that's completely possible, albeit unlikely.

Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#40: Aug 3rd 2017 at 5:52:37 AM

That's also why I hope there's a sequel. One problem I had with this film is that Alpha is the setting of the film but isn't really at the center of it. We've barely scratched the surface of that world (that's also why the "Wikipedia recap" scene was a bit awkward).

Izeinsummer Since: Jun, 2013
#41: Aug 3rd 2017 at 2:41:18 PM

Such a gorgeous movie. Cara is also good. Dehan worked while Laureline was still rolling her eyes at him, because as long as she was doing that, the movie seemed to be saying we should take him exactly as seriously as she was: IE. "Not".

But then that ran straight into the romance plot, and that was really hard on my suspense of disbelief. Uhm. Maybe something could have been done with the fact that he was Sort of possessed for most of the movie? I mean, "Kind of immature partner suddenly much more sensitive" just when he gets a passenger: Most likely direct cause and effect there. But the script did not do that right.

The Pearls are pretty obviously the descendants of some ancient hyper-advanced species, because their entire eco-system is set up to create an idyllic paradise for them to lounge about in, There is no way "pearls with nuclear energy densities" and "Living cornucopia machine" are things that evolved. Someone built those organisms. Heck, the Pearls themselves are obviously engineered to the limit. Going from "Polynesian non-industrial" to mastery of space age tech and computer systems written in a language they have never even encountered before - That just screams "Products of aeons of genetic engineering". Rihannas appearance is, in retrospect, silly, but it was also just too much fun for me to mind that it brought the plot to a halt. Her apparently dying, however was just an error - look at her character, and her place in the plot. Shes a shapeshifting dramatist! Who is there mostly as comedic relief. It would have fit the tone and who she was just so much better if her "death-scene" had been her just trying to ditch the hyper-violent agents of the state while living out her fantasies of doing the great works on the stage.

edited 3rd Aug '17 2:52:53 PM by Izeinsummer

C105 Too old for this from France Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Too old for this
#42: Aug 3rd 2017 at 11:47:57 PM

[up] Yeah, I was expecting her to suddenly stand up and ask "so, did you like my dying performance?". Apart from the fact that she had a Story-Breaker Power, I saw little point in killing her off at this stage.

edited 3rd Aug '17 11:48:07 PM by C105

Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
willyolio Since: Jan, 2001
#43: Dec 10th 2017 at 11:07:07 PM

A little late to the party, but I finally saw this movie.

I was willing to forgive the mediocre reviews because I'm generally a sucker for sci-fi movies, especially those with an expansive universe. I'm willing to overlook a weak plot if it presents interesting ideas. And then I found out that the critics were probably being generous.

holy nuts is it bad.

This movie is pure spectacle. There's almost no thought about actual worldbuilding. Cramming in more and more 'stuff' simply creates a pile of crap, not a structure. And this movie has no structure. You can make up your own rules for your universe, but at least learn to follow your own rules. For example, near the beginning of the movie, the Big Market supposedly exists on an alternate dimension, and Valerian has to stick his hand (and gun) through a special box to be able to threaten a dealer. And then immediately... he picks up a pearl with his other hand. And it just floats through the air. What's the point of the box then? Later in the movie, Valerian is shown running through metal bulkheads with his power-suit. Then a little while later, Laureline, while wearing her power-suit... is trapped in a bamboo cage. Seriously, WTF.

If this movie isn't being inconsistent, it's being inconsequential. So much happens, but none of it matters. Valerian's gone missing! Better go have a submarine chase and random exposition on another alien species (which still doesn't make much sense) and a new character, none of which appear in the film ever again. Need to save Laureline? Better spend 20 minutes at a strip club before you realize you "don't have time for this" blah blah blah.

Then there's the cringe-worthy infodumps. Valerian gets back to his base of operations and has the computer tell him everything he already knows about the space station he's about to land on because obviously a government agent really needs to hear the tourism spiel about his own workplace... It was so blatant that it was anti-immersive, the one thing I am generally willing to overlook plot for in unique sci-fi films.

Nothing in the film matters, and everything is so clumsily put together. It's like a giant pile of Lego, but completely unassembled. So much stuff, so little substance.

C105 Too old for this from France Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Too old for this
#44: Dec 11th 2017 at 12:31:11 AM

At least this made me go and reread my Valerian comic books. Still quite enjoyable (at least the first half of the series, I don't have the last one).
Though after reading them I noticed that Laureline in the film is not that far from the character from the comic books, even physically. Film!Valerian, on the other hand, has nothing to do with his comic book counterpart, even at his worst.

edited 11th Dec '17 12:31:29 AM by C105

Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
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