Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
In the 28th century, Valerian and Laureline are special operatives charged with keeping order throughout the human territories. On assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two undertake a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where species from across the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence, and cultures. At the center of Alpha is a mysterious dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.
What critics thought
Luc Besson's sci-fi epic splits critics almost perfectly down the middle: the world-building and visual invention are genuinely extraordinary, but the two leads and a formulaic second-half plot drag the film back to earth. The central argument is whether the spectacle is enough to carry you through a story that feels recycled, and for roughly half of critics, it isn't.
“the vividness of this place only underscores the lifelessness of the people leading us through it .... There are 394 million stories on the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian's might be the only one we've seen before. Still, any excuse to visit this place is one worth taking.”
David Ehrlich·IndieWire
“rare […] to see a film this extravagant that also feels, for better or worse, like the work of a single personality. The longer action scenes may not always rank with Besson's early '90s highlights [...] or the mania of the more recent Lucy, but there isn't a moment in this ludicrous, lushly self-indulgent movie that doesn't feel like its creator is having the time of his life.”
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky·The A.V. Club
“The Razzies don't need to wait until the end of the year to anoint a winner for 2017 ... Hollywood studio chiefs can breathe easy that, this time, at least, they'll escape blame for making a giant summer franchise picture that nobody wants to see, since this one's a French import.”
Todd McCarthy·The Hollywood Reporter
“feels as if it were made up on the spot, by someone so delighted by the gaudy genre packaging at his disposal that he lost track of what was supposed to be inside.”
A. O. Scott·The New York Times
Parents guide
- Violence
- mild
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- mild
- Substances
- none
- Intensity
- mild
Genres
Action, Adventure, Animation
Cast & Crew
Luc BessonDirector
Dane DeHaanValerian
Cara DelevingneLaureline
Clive OwenCommander Arün Filitt
RihannaBubble
Ethan HawkeJolly the Pimp
Herbie HancockDefence Minister
Kris WuSergeant Neza
Rutger HauerPresident of the World State Federation
John GoodmanIgon Siruss (voice)
Elizabeth DebickiEmperor Haban-Limaï (voice)
Sam SpruellGeneral Okto Bar
Ola RapaceMajor Gibson
Alexandre DesplatComposer
Thierry ArbogastCinematographyValerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
In the 28th century, Valerian and Laureline are special operatives charged with keeping order throughout the human territories. On assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two undertake a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where species from across the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence, and cultures. At the center of Alpha is a mysterious dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.
What critics thought
Luc Besson's sci-fi epic splits critics almost perfectly down the middle: the world-building and visual invention are genuinely extraordinary, but the two leads and a formulaic second-half plot drag the film back to earth. The central argument is whether the spectacle is enough to carry you through a story that feels recycled, and for roughly half of critics, it isn't.
“the vividness of this place only underscores the lifelessness of the people leading us through it .... There are 394 million stories on the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian's might be the only one we've seen before. Still, any excuse to visit this place is one worth taking.”
David Ehrlich·IndieWire
“rare […] to see a film this extravagant that also feels, for better or worse, like the work of a single personality. The longer action scenes may not always rank with Besson's early '90s highlights [...] or the mania of the more recent Lucy, but there isn't a moment in this ludicrous, lushly self-indulgent movie that doesn't feel like its creator is having the time of his life.”
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky·The A.V. Club
“The Razzies don't need to wait until the end of the year to anoint a winner for 2017 ... Hollywood studio chiefs can breathe easy that, this time, at least, they'll escape blame for making a giant summer franchise picture that nobody wants to see, since this one's a French import.”
Todd McCarthy·The Hollywood Reporter
“feels as if it were made up on the spot, by someone so delighted by the gaudy genre packaging at his disposal that he lost track of what was supposed to be inside.”
A. O. Scott·The New York Times
Parents guide
- Violence
- mild
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- mild
- Substances
- none
- Intensity
- mild
Genres
Action, Adventure, Animation
Cast & Crew
Luc BessonDirectorDane DeHaanValerianCara DelevingneLaurelineClive OwenCommander Arün FilittRihannaBubbleEthan HawkeJolly the PimpHerbie HancockDefence MinisterKris WuSergeant NezaRutger HauerPresident of the World State FederationJohn GoodmanIgon Siruss (voice)Elizabeth DebickiEmperor Haban-Limaï (voice)Sam SpruellGeneral Okto BarOla RapaceMajor GibsonAlexandre DesplatComposerThierry ArbogastCinematography