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'Valerian' eye candy that lacks a storyline
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A still from 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.' (EuropaCorp/File)
F
rom the director of the 1997 movie The Fifth Element and the more recent 2014 box office success Lucy, comes the long anticipated science fiction action-adventure film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
Based on the French graphic novel series Valerian and Laureline, director Luc Besson presents breathtaking visuals of worlds that would make any science fiction fan melt. But the storyline is unfortunately a rather disappointing one.
Starring Dane DeHaan as Valerian and Cara DeLevingne as Laureline, the movie tells about a dark force that threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to various species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the problem and protect not just Alpha but also the future of the universe.
Like this description, vague marketing materials did little to explain what Valerian is actually about, as it seems as though they tried to sell the movie to audiences on the visual effects alone , showing viewers some of the movie’s best scenes in the trailer. The visuals proved to be impressive on the big screen, but the storyline is vague; even way into the movie itself.
Read also: 10 (ish) films to look forward to in 2017
Ambitious to deliver some of the most beautifully crafted CGI worlds and atmospheres to grace the big screen, Valerian seems to lack any real plot. Naturally, it is difficult to root for the main characters when you’re not exactly sure what it is that they’re fighting for to begin with.
Nonetheless, the large budget of reportedly €197 million (US$230 million), the largest budget ever of a European movie, let alone an independent movie, shows through the graphics seen throughout the movie, which were impressive and did not disappoint. Besson was able to create distinct personalities for the dozens of foreign planets and worlds that viewers will catch a glimpse of as our two heroes fight to protect the universe. These images were created with such detail and vivid imagery that it would be hard to not enjoy the movie at all. (tha/kes)
