"The Fifth Element" - Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, and FUN!

Rating: 9/10 (30 November 2007)

In "The Fifth Element," we learn that every 5000 years evil returns from the deepest reaches of outer space to try to wipe out all life in the universe. Only the Four Classic Greek Elements (Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind) plus a "fifth" element - the "supreme being" - can ward off this evil presence.
And so begins "The Fifth Element," French filmmaker Luc Besson's ("La Femme Nikita," "The Professional") lavish nod to the sci-fi genre. I contend that not a whole lot of science fiction is high on intelligence, but Besson's film is not only high on intelligence, but imagination. With plenty of beautiful special effects, sights, sounds, story, perfectly chosen actors and Eric Serra's fitting score, "The Fifth Element" is pure sci-fi fun at the movies, the likes of which haven't been seen in a long time.
"The Fifth Element" is simply an extravagant tale of good vs. evil in the realm of the science fiction genre. Besson began work on the screenplay while in high school, and the self-contained universe he creates is brought to life here flawlessly. Most filmmakers when trying to bring an outrageous fantasy to life on the screen tend to get lost in the fantasy, short-changing actors and story for special effects. For the most part, the actors chosen - Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, and others - are alive & kicking, and not cardboard cut-outs. I'm not saying that they're contenders for the Oscars, but you get my assertion that they are far better (and smarter) than most of the characters you typically find in most science fiction adventure fantasies, and are not stock or background to special effects and pulse-pounding action sequences.
As I stated earlier, in New York City 300 years into the future (the 23rd century, I believe), evil - a great, big fireball named (named!) "Mr. Shadow" - is on its way to wipe out all life in the universe. So it's up to his Earthbound lackey Zorg (Oldman, over-the-top, as usual) and his alien-warrior minions to track down and obtain four stones representing the elements (Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind). But before that happens, we learn that cab driver Korben Dallas (Willis) has obtained the fare of a lifetime - the perfectly beautiful and perfectly dangerous redhead Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) - who literally crash-lands in the back of his cab after she was first regenerated from a scratch of alien DNA in a laboratory. It's love at first sight, but their relationship troubles are hampered by the fact that she's wanted by the police after escaping from said lab and the fact that she speaks an unknown extraterrestrial language.
After eluding the cops, Dallas, a former soldier-of-fortune, takes Leeloo to Priest Cornelius (Holm), who realizes exactly who (and what) Leeloo is and what her role in saving the world is - she's the supreme being, the fifth element. So now Korben, under the guise of winning a contest to the outer-world Phloston Paradise, along with Cornelius and Leeloo, sets out to - what else is there to do? - save the world, with Zorg and his minions in hot pursuit.
"The Fifth Element," considering its production and the outrageousness of the story, should not be as good as it is. This is a beautiful-looking picture, eschewing the usual post-apocalyptic gloominess that's associated with futuristic science fiction movies for a marvelously shiny (and remarkably clean!) future-world New York. But Besson is a great storyteller, and knows what he wants on his picture. His script (co-authored with Robert Mark Kamen) is intelligently and expertly written, with strong, believable characters and perfectly composed dialogue that doesn't lose itself in meaningless diatribe and ludicrous explanations of trying to figure out what's going on. And it also contains enough action, humor (provided mostly in the second half by comedian Chris Tucker as flamboyant radio personality Ruby Rhod), intelligence, a performance by a blue-skinned alien opera singer named Diva Plavalaguna, and romance (yes, romance, and you thought it was just another brainless sci-fi picture) to ensure that it remains accessible even to those who don't care much for this science fiction/fantasy stuff.
The film flies through its plot, arriving at a climax that is action-packed and shows off the same European action-chic that made Besson a household name with his earlier "Nikita" and "Professional." In these action sequences on-board the Phloston Paradise cruise ship, there are explosions, gunfights with alien beasts, martial arts, and a special effects finale that has to be seen to be believed, but at the same time may be a little bit of a disappointment for those expecting a bigger payoff. And while the humor can draw in those uninterested in this sci-fi/fantasy stuff, it can at times be a little silly and inappropriate and take away from the adventure.
"The Fifth Element" is certainly one of the best and most imaginative pieces of original science fiction fanfare produced in a long time. That a sharp director such as Luc Besson was able to get behind the camera of his own little world and not lose himself in it shows that he's a capable filmmaker who's perfectly in control of his film-making elements.
9/10