Highly entertaining junk food

Rating: 9/10 (19 February 1999)

Dumb doesn't always have to be just dumb, you know. There is such a thing as good dumb fun, and this movie provides it in spades. The prologue was somewhat misconceived, though I guess it was necessary for plot purposes, but once things kicked in with the future, it was entertaining. Luc Besson knows how to make entertaining junk food, as he did with "Nikita" and "The Professional", and he does it again here. For one thing, he takes the time to create a dazzling world that also makes sense. It's colorful, eye-popping, and visionary. For another, while the story is pretty standard, it's told with style, wit, and verve.
Except for one or two over-the-top performances per film, it seems Besson favors deadpan acting as a form of humor, and the actors here are well-suited to it. Willis can be monotonous in films like "The Last Boy Scout", but here, he's got something to react to, and he does it well. Ian Holm lends a touch of gravity to the film, as always. Milla Jovovich is just fine as Leeloo, playing as if things were just occuring to her. The two over-the-top performances, of course, come from Chris Tucker and Gary Oldman. I can see why some thought Tucker annoying, but I thought he was funny. But, of course, he was no match for Oldman, who, as he proved in "The Professional", is an entertaining villain. His voice (which he claimed was a cross between Ross Perot and Bugs Bunny) was even funny. All in all, check your brain at the door and have a good time.