First Look at Luc Besson's "Valerian".

Chris here. With the events of this week, some cheesy intergalactic journey doesn't sound too bad if it means we get to escape our planet for a little while. Here for a quick distraction is next year's scifi saga from Luc Besson Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets:

Some quick thoughts:

• I can't quite decide if these visuals are exciting or ugly/boring. It's certainly energized, but still nothing we haven't seen before.
• Dane DeHaan is a strong young talent, but action movie material? Curious casting. But my goodness was he sultry in Kill Your Darlings, so maybe at best he won't be bland here.
• Speaking of casting, this romantic pairing is a bit icky considering they look like they could be siblings.
• This will come around the 20th anniversary of Besson's The Fifth Element. I'm not a fan, but Valerian might be a fun way to celebrate Element's milestone for the fanbase, especially as this appears to be chasing its vibe.
• ... but I do miss the Besson that gave us Leon: The Professional and La Femme Nikita.

Valerian opens on July 21. Thoughts?

Comments

[Steven]

This looks like a mess but a fun one. I might check it out.

[Anonny]

A fun mess is the definition of a good Luc Besson movie. Big Yes.

[Glenn Dunks]

Loved LUCY heaps and THE FIFTH ELEMENT still feels like sci-fi of a uniquely *genuine* pulpiness (not just paying it lip service for irony or nostalgia) that it could be a lot of fun.

[Craver]

No. I don't lien Dane as an actor and could they find a more pale skinny looking pair than this one?

[catbaskets]

The pairing is interesting in that both of them could still pass in teenager roles. This is a nice alternative to the icky age difference in 5th Element but it seems pretty strange for characters that seem to have some sort of expertise and leadership responsibilities. Will it be a pandering millennial fantasy?

Also, not sure about the visuals either. Stumbles close to video game/star wars episode one/Alice in wonderland territory with random flashes into a 2000s mcconaughey movie. I will say that I have been interested in both of the actors, so I'll see how the reviews are.

[Roark]

Huge Fifth Element and Lucy fan, and can't wait for this. Besson in gonzo sci-fi mode is one of my favorite cinematic joy spots. And I'm really hoping that this and A Cure for Wellness turn out well for Dane DeHaan.

[Volvagia]

Yes:

Luc Besson.

No:

Dane DeHaan. (I haven't seen Kill Your Darlings, but the little we see makes this seem like his Chronicle/Amazing Spider-Man 2 "norm" and, though he's not Miles Teller, I still don't buy that he's a star.)
Rihanna. (Her music ranges from great to nagging tooth ache, but her movies are not good, with the highlight so far probably being Dreamworks' Home, so that she's here isn't exactly the best indicator of quality.)

Maybe So:

Cara Delevigne, as a performer, has never been a problem in a movie yet, even if I'm not sure she's ever been great.
The rest of the cast looks good to great on paper.

Overall, I'm a maybe so but leaning no.

[ScottC]

Looks like a more bland, dull version of The Fifth Element, or even Jupiter Ascending. And while I like Dane DeHaan a lot, at least from this trailer, he appears miscast. That said, I love The Fifth Element - so maybe so.

[thefilmjunkie]

Looks fun. I'm in.