Spiffy sci-fi action pic, severely diminished by Chris Turner's degrading performance

Rating: 6/10 (24 July 2014)

Willis and Jovovich get a great start on a rousing sci-fi adventure (with excellent effects). Oldman's sufficiently over-the-top villain adds to the cliché-ridden suspense...
But then Chris Turner's overly limp-wristed, flamboyant performance pushes it over into cardboard silliness.
When Willis tries to "protect" Turner from the bad guys' weapon blasts it feels like Clint Eastwood is sheltering a cartoon - Missy Piggy, perhaps. A tragic conclusion (the last third of the film) to what might otherwise be a Grade A-minus sci-fi thriller/adventure classic. Unfortunately, Turner's interpretation plunges the film into the C-minus zone.
(What was Director Besson thinking? For a compassionate and enjoyable - even realistic - look at Male Effeminism, enjoy Nathan Lane in "The Birdcage", released the previous year.)