QZ qz thoughts
a blog from Eli the Bearded

The Fifth Element (1997)


The Fifth Element at IMDB

An older movie from Luc Besson, this is a light sci-fi piece with pushing the limits of pg-13 sexiness. Bruce Willis is the main action guy, doing Bruce Willis things. Milla Jovovich is title character, an orange-haired scantily-clad creature. (Although called "divine" several times, it's never fully revealed if she is a literal god or just a very sophisticated engineered lifeform.) Gary Oldman is the evil businessman. There's a terrible evil threatening Earth and the weapon to stop it requires four stones representing air, water, earth, and fire, plus the "fifth element".

Visually this has a lot going for it. Concept designs were done by two French comic book masters. The costumes were designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. Many bit parts are filled by professional models instead of actresses (probably Gaultier's influence). The characters who look like people in rubber suits are not the aliens but the main stars in Gaultier's clingy outfits.

There aren't any surprizing twists in the story but neither are there too many howlers or plot holes. Not an outright comedy, it is does definately have that "element" to it.

Four buttons out of five on an overly complicated gun.

Final thought: Luc Besson made "The Professional" (aka "Leon") to get funding for this