Now "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" is a wonderful film. It does NOT stink, despite what professional critics may say. Luc Besson has kept much of the charm of the graphic novels "Valérian and Laureline" by writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières in his vast sci-fi presentation. The various races and critters hew closely to Mézières' vision: The Mül Converter is identical to the comic version, save that it is more lovable in the movie (The graphic novel refers to them as "grumpy converters")
The Shingouz are the mercenary trio of info-sellers:
The Bagoulin are not as buff as in the comics.
The movie's open is a quick history of the accretion of the City of a Thousand Planets, from the first Soviet-American handshake in space, through the growing space station being the ground for international amity (even the Red Chinese!) through First Contact, and our introduction to many alien races, whose ships are added to the bulk of the station. Finally its mass serves to be a threat to Earth, so it is sent on its way by Rutger Hauer wishing it Godspeed.
The movie's Present has the station of planetoid size, and serving as the center of inter-species diplomacy.
I will not discuss the plot...there is a page for that. I will speak of The Horror. The movie debuted 21 July. The Dread Dormomoo went tonight (4 August) and our Collectable Tickets were 113 and 114 out of 1000. Two weeks, and 114 tickets at one theater. That is a Horror.
Besson has a well-proven track record. "The Fifth Element" sold well. I wonder if choosing a (comparatively) obscure French graphic novel series to do a $180 million indie film of may have been a bad move, as far as American audiences are concerned. I mean, Captain America is a Hydra agent, Thor is/has been a woman, and for all I know, Black Panther is Laotian. What do Americans know about their own classic comics, let alone a French sci-fi epic series?
The movie is family-friendly enough. It is, as they say, a visual feast. It LOOKS like a European film in all its richness, because, well, Luc Besson ain't from Queens. It sticks shockingly close to source material, unlike, say, the "Thunderbirds" movie of aught-four. This is a good movie, and deserves far better than it is receiving.
It is a good movie, again. I encourage you to go see it, as well as reading the original graphic novels. They have been translated.
My biggest problem with the movie is that Valérian (Dane DeHaan) looks fifteen. None too rugged.
Anyone up for a Retief movie?
1 comment:
You mean there's someone other than me who's read the Laumer Retief stories/novels?
I may faint.
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