...and Barbarella begat Flash Gordon, who begat The Fifth Element

Rating: Null/10 (31 January 2003)

This is probably a lesson about expectations. When this film first came out, I was expecting something every bit as gripping and gritty as Leon, but with aliens and big spaceships and stuff. Imagine my disappointment. Technically, and from what I suspect is the mainstream perspective, this film might be thought rather... I hesitate to use the word 'silly', but it seems the best one.
And indeed, my first encounters with this film led me to hold all sorts of viciously negative views of it. From the irritating proto-Binks Rubi Rhod, to the sleepwalking self-parody committed by Bruce Willis, to the hungry-looking lady in the unflattering band-aids and Ian Holm's dodgy comedy moments. There is much to revile in this movie.
And yet... if viewed at precisely the right angle, or through precisely the right mental haze... it's actually rather wonderful - as much because of its flaws as in spite of them.
Chris Tucker IS annoying as Rubi Rhod. Seen as a joke at the expense of The Artist Formerly Known As Prince however, he's hilarious. Bruce Willis' performance does suggest that he's overcompensating for the ban on 'Bruce Willis-isms' Terry Gilliam imposed for his previous film, Twelve Monkeys. But then, he's playing a comic strip hero in a comic strip movie, and the character is certainly written as a parody of the action hero cliche, whether Willis knew to play him like that or not.
Milla Jovovich looks at times like she's entirely composed of straight lines, and does not therefore conform to my notion of physical perfection... but that's quickly forgotten because her ideosyncratic, charming performance is both interesting to watch and faintly bewitching (There can't be many actors who knowingly speak gibberish so beautifully).
It's true, as a science fiction adventure it's reminiscent of many other similar, sometimes better, films. The action scenes are merely run-of-the-mill; the action-heroine is underused in certain respects (I wish she didn't do quite so much wilting, and think she should have rescued Bruce Willis from danger just once rather than continually needing to be rescued herself); the comedy is often rather flat and obvious; the story progresses in a piecemeal and often illogical way.
What distinguishes this film, however, is its imagination. You really won't see many films quite like this. Even the familiar 'future city' panorama feels quite original, when it could have just resorted to directly aping Bladerunner's imagery (as the lazier Attack of the Clones does). If you've seen Leon or Nikita and want more of the same this film will disappoint; The Fifth Element is a far lighter exercise, with a more comedic mood to it - and while it won't slap you round the face and make you think it's the best film ever made, it may well charm a place into your affections, because (like its title character) at the end of the day it just wants to be loved.