Fun

Rating: Null/10 (7 February 1999)

The Fifth Element is extremely patchy, but the good bits add up to make an ulitmately satisfying experience. It has an over-the-top cartoon like quality that makes the unrealistic nature of the film easy to take.
The plot is contrived and trite. It's B-grade to say the least. But this film isn't about plot, it's about presentation, and in that respect it's a great success. Visually the film is very bold and risky. Bright colors and skimpy costumes abound. Bruce Willis forsakes his white action vest for a bright orange one. Milla Jovovich parades around in nothing but carefully applied bandages. The film looks and sounds LOUD!
The film is also very very funny at times. It's constantly poking fun at itself.
The acting is mostly good. There is a fine line between great Bruce Willis and terrible Bruce Willis, and here he is great. He isn't really the dominating leading man like in most of his films, here there are many important characters. Gary Oldman is funny but barely used as the villain. The always reliable Ian Holm delivers yet again. Chris Tucker's radio show is appalling, but he is funny when running around screaming during the action segments.
The real star though is Milla Jovovich. She totally steals the movie. She is so completely perfect and so gorgeous that you can't help but fall for her. She shines above the material. She manages to inject her mostly jibberish dialogue with so much warmth, humour and irony. Her entire screen presence is captivating. If I had my way, she would have won a best supporting actress Oscar, but of course the academy would never be so daring.
I often read what a bad year for 'big summer' films 1997 was. But I disagree totally. With the action packed Face/Off and Con Air, the campy cartoon fun of The Fifth Element and Batman and Robin and the antics of the Men in Black, it was a great year for blockbusters. Certainly much better than 1998's dreary bunch.
8/10 - Loads of fun. The self parody makes up for a few dicey moments.