Unusual but great!

Rating: 9/10 (26 March 2001)

This is a very odd SF movie but I like it a lot, but I can see why some might not like it.
Some people might have expected Die Hard in space or Star Trek or Star Wars but this movie is not like them but this is not a bad thing.
First off, this is not a serious movie, it has many goofy and silly moments but they don't ruin the film. The second is that this movie is not American SF but French SF, the style, story and overall feel is quite different from most other SF-films. The closest resemblance is the Giraud comic "Valerian" and this is not so strange as Giraud himself was involved in this movie.
Overall this movie is great fun, with amazing sets and visuals along with some good acting from Oldman and Holm. There are also some great minor details, the cigarettes, the taxicabs etc. The Opera scene made my jaw drop the first time I saw it, it is truly unique.
Luc Besson deserves many thanks for doing a very special SF-film that is not like any other.
In closing, see this movie without expectations and you'll be royally entertained.