He's not wrong.

Allstar wrote:He's not wrong.

Get over it.

Fuck you all, this film is really good and DeHaan is good.

M4, we talked about the trailers having no discernible hook...because telling it like it is would be a spoiler. Appreciate Besson doing what he did with the marketing.

More thoughts shortly. But enjoyed the hell.out of.it and just gorgeous.

ArmandFancypants wrote:

Allstar wrote:He's not wrong.

Get over it.

Get over what?

ArmandFancypants wrote:

Allstar wrote:He's not wrong.

Get over it.

You can't be more predictable tbh.

Allstar wrote:He's not wrong.

It's one thing to have a few bad moments in a critically and commercially acclaimed career, it's another to openly bad mouth other filmmakers to make yourself look better when you haven't had half the success.

It's childish and rude. Supporting that is, also, childish and rude.


-Vader

Enjoyed this so so much. It's funny, the source material predates everything but Besson here almost shamelessly cribs from Star Trek and Wars, main title cards from Transformers, his own The Fifth Element, with a whole dollop of Fantastic Beasts/Avatar-esque worldbuilding where it's not Valerian & Laureline you care most about - it's the WORLD. It's the Pearls, the different species introduced, the city itself, the conceits (the evolution of VR/AR that Besson plays with in an early set piece is genius) and so on. The fact that you get invested into all this within two hours just shows Besson's skill.

This is no Fifth Element (but in similar wheelhouse) - but honestly feels like Luc's love letter to modern sci-fi, flaws and all (yes, I see why some people had a problem with some parts of it). Derivative? Yes. Problem? Not at all when the experience (biggest screen, 3D, Atmos, those visuals) and the whole journey works and draws you in.

If I had to pick weak links - the humans: they sure set up Valerian and Laureline to be this brash too-cool-for-school-jock who doesn't really look like one (DeHaan nailed that demeanor tbh) and I'm-so-sick-of-his-crap sidekick (Delevingne is surprisingly good) but that doesn't really get paid off the way it could have - just so much potential. But the non-humans? Amazingly done. Even Rihanna. You can tell how much care both script and visuals wise was put into it. And speaking of - sure the story's a bit weak, but so was The Fifth Element's by the same coin.

Can't wait for the moment this gets rediscovered on home media. I wonder how differently it'll play there because it really was something on the big screen. I can even forgive Besson for the human casting, but his utter stubbornness when it came to WB/Nolan/Dunkirk just did not help matters, it became the narrative and coupled with the trailers which Besson tried to keep as teaser-y as possible - there's a reason it was ONLY visuals/atmosphere (there isn't really a twist or anything but going in not knowing the *actual* set-up premise of the story is great) - it screwed things up. Real shame. Let's hope this film gets its due.

8/10

Vader182 wrote:

Allstar wrote:He's not wrong.

It's one thing to have a few bad moments in a critically and commercially acclaimed career, it's another to openly bad mouth other filmmakers to make yourself look better when you haven't had half the success.

It's childish and rude. Supporting that is, also, childish and rude.


-Vader

This. I didn't expect such a reaction from Besson, very unprofessional too.

Vader182 wrote:

Allstar wrote:He's not wrong.

It's one thing to have a few bad moments in a critically and commercially acclaimed career, it's another to openly bad mouth other filmmakers to make yourself look better when you haven't had half the success.

It's childish and rude. Supporting that is, also, childish and rude.


-Vader

I'm not supporting it, I just said he's not wrong.

Allstar wrote:

Vader182 wrote:

Allstar wrote:He's not wrong.

It's one thing to have a few bad moments in a critically and commercially acclaimed career, it's another to openly bad mouth other filmmakers to make yourself look better when you haven't had half the success.

It's childish and rude. Supporting that is, also, childish and rude.


-Vader

I'm not supporting it, I just said he's not wrong.

By agreeing with him without including a broader context, you're validating his comment and therefore promoting it.

EDIT: Ant, I'm probably not catching this until home media since theaters are so saturated but I'm still looking forward to it.

-Vader