Skip to main content

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)


Director: Luc Besson
Producers: Virginie Besson-Silla
Screenplay: Luc Besson

Starring:
Dane DeHaan as Valerian
Cara Delevingne as Laureline
Clive Owen as Commander ArΓΌn Filitt
Rihanna as Bubble
Ethan Hawke as Jolly the Pimp
Herbie Hancock as Defence Minister
Kris Wu as Sergeant Neza

Music: Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography: Thierry Arbogast
Editing: Julien Rey
Release Date: July 21, 2017 (USA)
Running Time: 137 minutes
Language: English
 Freddy's Movie Review
***SPOILER ALERT***

Overloaded and Underwhelming

And we’re back in the shit! I’m starting to get in a hurry to finish Luc Besson’s movies. "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" is boring, boring, boring, because there are too many aliens, too many gadgets, too many costumes, too much imagination! I reached a point of exhaustion one hour into the movie. The universe is kind of stupid. For example, how can such a primitive tribal culture be part of the great city of a thousand boring things? Why would there be a diplomatic problem with them? So stupid.


Lackluster Leads and Annoying Performances

Now to the main issue: the actors. What an uncharismatic couple we have here! Especially the guy who sounds like a younger, weaker, uglier, and skinnier Keanu Reeves. The kid doesn’t have any charisma and is just damn annoying. This seems like a fad today with male action heroes—I’m thinking Tom Holland, that guy from Dune. They just look like total skinny ****. Sorry for being harsh, but I bet his mamma would rebuke everything I’ve just said. And then you get Rihanna, who I detest as well. I can only think about umbrellas when I hear her name. The only good actor with something interesting to say is Ethan Hawke, but unfortunately, he's a minor character. The movie hasn’t ended and I’m already writing my review on my phone because I just don’t care about what’s going to happen. It’s just too predictable.


Visuals Can't Save the Snooze Fest

The graphics are good to look at, but as a gamer, nothing in this movie can impress me when I’ve already been immersed in beautifully alien worlds. I just paused to come back to the Major’s explanation for his attack on Mui... The economy and sanctions! Total shit story. Get a writer Luc!!! The music is just average orchestral music, boring as the pictures. The pace is not as bad as in Arthur and AdΓ¨le Blanc-"Que Saco", but still feels off. Here I am writing this review and the movie on my TV isn’t over yet... What a long boring mess. Now they’re just shooting at each other... Again. Probably if you are 10 and never seen a sci-fi action/adventure movie, this will be a good watch. But why do that when you can just watch Firefly series and end with the beautiful movie Serenity!


πŸŽ₯ Cinematography (3/10):

Visually stunning, but overloaded with too much detail.

πŸ“– Story (1/10):

Unoriginal and predictable, with a nonsensical universe and plot.

🎬 Direction (2/10):

Exhausting and over the top.

πŸ‘₯ Characters (1/10):

Uncharismatic leads, with only minor characters providing any interest.

πŸ’₯ Visual Effects (5/10):

Impressive graphics, but nothing groundbreaking for gamers or seasoned sci-fi fans.

🎭 Acting (2/10):

Weak performances, especially from the leads, with only Ethan Hawke standing out.

πŸ’¬ Dialogue (1/10):

Mediocre and uninspiring, and I can't believe Laureline says the word "Bingo!"

🌍 Setting/Atmosphere (2/10):

Overly detailed and exhausting, failing to create an immersive experience.

🎡 Music (3/10):

Average orchestral score, and "Major Tom" again!

πŸ˜„ Entertainment Value (1/10):

Might entertain a young audience, but overall, it's a long, boring experience.

Our blog is currently being updated regularly!

Comments

🎬 Join the CineIt Movie Club!

Get exclusive reviews and recommendations delivered straight to your inbox. Never miss a great movie again!

Popular posts from this blog

Kpop Demon Hunters (2025)

Plot Summary: Three talented young K-pop trainees discover they have supernatural abilities to battle ancient demons lurking in modern-day Korea. They must balance their demanding training for a much-anticipated debut with their secret mission to protect the world. Directors: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans Screenplay: Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans Producer: Michelle Wong Music: Marcelo Zarvos Starring: Arden Cho as Rumi May Hong as Mira Ji-young Yoo as Zoey Ahn Hyo-seop as Jinu Yunjin Kim as Celine Ken Jeong as Bobby Lee Byung-hun as Gwi-Ma   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Peer Pressure & Pleasant Surprises My daughter came home from school the other day looking like she'd been left out of the cool kids' club because she was the only one who hadn't seen Kpop Demon Hunters. I knew right then my Satur...

La Mante (2017)

Plot Summary: Twenty-five years after being imprisoned, Jeanne Deber, a notorious serial killer known as "The Mantis," offers to help the police catch a copycat killer, but only if she can work with her estranged son, who is now a police officer. Director: Alexandre Laurent Writers: Alice Chegaray-Breugnot, Nicolas Jean, GrΓ©goire Demaison, Laurent Vivier Music: FranΓ§ois Lietout Starring: Carole Bouquet as Jeanne Deber / The Mantis Fred Testot as Damien Carrot Jaques Weber as Charles Carrot Pascal Demolon as Dominique Feracci Manon Azem as Lucie Carrot Serge Riaboukine as Crozet Robinson Stevenin as Alex Crozet FredΓ©rique Bel as Virginie Delorme Jump to the Plot Explained Section   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Boring, Wannabe Hannibal Lecter This is officially the first TV series review I'm doing here at Cine It. I'm no...

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Plot Summary: In 1940s Shanghai, a wannabe gangster named Sing aspires to join the notorious Axe Gang. His bungled attempt to extort the residents of Pig Sty Alley inadvertently leads to a gang war that gradually reveals surprising martial arts masters hiding among the slum's humble residents. Directors: Stephen Chow Writers: Stephen Chow, Huo Xin, Chan Man-keung, Tsang Kan-cheung Story by: Stephen Chow Cinematography: Poon Hang-sang Edited by: Angie Lam Music by: Raymond Wong Starring: Stephen Chow as Sing Danny Chan as Brother Sum Yuen Qiu as Landlady Yuen Wah as Landlord Leung Siu-lung as Beast Xing Yu as Coolie Chiu Chi-ling as Tailor Dong Zhihua as Donut Lam Chi-chung as Bone Huang Shengyi as Fong Tin Kai-man as Adviser Gar Hong-hay and Fung Hak-on as Harpists Introduction: A ...

Shaolin Soccer (2001)

Plot Summary: A former Shaolin monk reunites his scattered brothers to form a soccer team, combining their extraordinary martial arts skills with the sport to compete for a major tournament and restore the dignity and reputation of Shaolin kung fu in the modern world. Director: Stephen Chow Writers: Stephen Chow, Tsang Kan-cheung Producer: Yeung Kwok-Fai Cinematography: Kwen Pak-Huen, Kwong Ting-wo Editor: Kai Kit-Wai Music: Lowell Lo, Raymond Wong Starring: Stephen Chow as Mighty Steel Leg Sing Zhao Wei as Mui Ng Man-tat as Golden Leg Fung Patrick Tse as Hung Wong Yat-fei as Iron Head Tin Kai-man as Iron Shirt Danny Chan as Empty Hand   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Disconnect Gone Wrong The world seems to be going completely insane. Between the Charlie Kirk assassination and the subsequent censoring of p...

Frank Oz: From Worst to Best

I've finished my Frank Oz filmography a while back and hadn't had the time to post here the rank and some thoughts about his work. Let's try to refresh my memory and give you some of my opinions... man. Frank Oz is a true legend. At 81, he's not just a brilliant filmmaker but also a puppeteer and writer whose characters, from the Muppets to Sesame Street, have touched countless lives. His directing career is full of outstanding, entertaining movies; out of 14 films, there's really only one rotten apple in the bunch. I'm not sure if he's planning to make any more movies, but I'd love to see him try his hand at a serious drama, just to see him flex a different creative muscle. I wouldn't like to be that famous, I value my privacy. Mind you, Miss Piggy enjoys every moment of it. If it were not for me, she would spend all her time in the limelight. Frank OZ This is his entire fi...

Violation (2020)

Violation is a 2020 Canadian drama horror film directed and written by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli. It is the feature film debut of the two directors, who have collaborated on several short films displayed at film festivals worldwide. The film stars Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Anna Maguire, Jesse LaVercombe, Obi Abili, Jasmin Geljo, and Cynthia Ashperger. The film premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. It had its US premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on February 1, 2021 in the Midnight section. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violation_(film) A troubled woman on the edge of divorce returns home to her younger sister after years apart. But when her sister and brother-in-law betray her trust, she embarks on a vicious crusade of revenge. source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12801814/ ***SPOILER ALERT*** F: Well, shit. If there are movies that I would like to unwatch, this is one of those. I felt violated...