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 Arรผn 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 Adรจle 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!


๐ŸŽฅ Cinematography (3/10):

Visually stunning, but overloaded with too much detail.

๐Ÿ“– Story (1/10):

Unoriginal and predictable, with a nonsensical universe and plot.

๐ŸŽฌ Direction (2/10):

Exhausting and over the top.

๐Ÿ‘ฅ Characters (1/10):

Uncharismatic leads, with only minor characters providing any interest.

๐Ÿ’ฅ Visual Effects (5/10):

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

๐ŸŽญ Acting (2/10):

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

๐Ÿ’ฌ Dialogue (1/10):

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

๐ŸŒ Setting/Atmosphere (2/10):

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

๐ŸŽต Music (3/10):

Average orchestral score, and "Major Tom" again!

๐Ÿ˜„ 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

๐ŸŽฌ 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

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...

The Life of Chuck (2024)

Plot Summary: Told in three acts moving backward in time, the film chronicles the life of Charles 'Chuck' Krantz. It begins with his death at age 39, which coincides with apocalyptic events, and moves back to his childhood in a supposedly haunted house, exploring the universe contained within a single life. Director: Mike Flanagan Screenplay: Mike Flanagan (based on the novella by Stephen King) Producers: Trevor Macy, Mike Flanagan Music: The Newton Brothers Cinematography: Eben Bolter Editor:   Mike Flanagan Starring: Tom Hiddleston as Charles Krantz Mark Hamill as Albie Chiwetel Ejiofor as Marty Anderson Karen Gillan as Felicia Gordon Jacob Tremblay as Young Charles Krantz   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Let me start with wtf is wrong with people... After a quick trip to the IMDb page for The Life of Chuck, I have one thi...

The Wandering Earth (2019)

Plot Summary: Set in a future where the sun is dying, humanity builds enormous engines to propel Earth out of the solar system toward a new star. When Earth passes Jupiter, a gravitational spike threatens the planet, and a group of heroes must race against time to restart a failed engine and save humanity from extinction. Director: Frant Gwo Screenplay: Gong Geer, Frant Gwo, Junce Ye, Yan Dongxu, Yang Zhixue, Ruchang Ye (based on the novella by Liu Cixin) Music: Roc Chen, Liu Tao Cinematography: Michael Liu Starring: Qu Chuxiao as Liu Qi Li Guangjie as Wang Lei Ng Man-tat as Han Zi'ang Zhao Jinmai as Han Duoduo Wu Jing as Liu Peiqiang   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Belated Promise and a Grand Premise A few months ago, I promised my friends on the Chinese social media app Red Note that I'd review some Chinese movies. Unlike other platforms whe...

Freaky Tales (2024)

Plot Summary: Set against the vibrant and chaotic backdrop of Oakland, California, in 1987, Freaky Tales weaves together four interconnected stories inspired by the city's culture from that era. Narrated by Oakland rap legend Too Short, the film unfolds over a single day and night, following a diverse group of characters on a collision course. Directors: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden Screenplay: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden Music: Raphael Saadiq Cinematography: Jac Fitzgerald Starring: Pedro Pascal as Clint Ben Mendelsohn as The Guy Jay Ellis as Sleepy Floyd Dominique Thorne as Barbie Normani as Entice   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Dude, I Think I'm Too Old For This So I decided to check out a popular new movie, and dude... I think I'm too old for this sh**. The film is set in 1987 and uses all the camera tricks and cinematography to go for that '...

Top 5 - Luc Besson

Hey everyone, and welcome back! While I've been posting regularly, it took me a little while to wrap up my thoughts on Luc Besson's filmography and put together this top 5 video. It's been 384 days since my last post on this topic, so I know this video is long overdue, but I hope you'll agree that it was worth the wait! Video Format: For the Visual Film Lovers For those who prefer watching over reading, this video is an easy-to-digest introduction to Luc Besson's movies. I've been wrestling with how to present my thoughts on a director whose career, for me, went from "Cinรฉma du look" to "cinema don't look." I apologize for the monotonous AI voice in the video; I'm just not that comfortable speaking English with my accent just yet. But...

The Surfer (2024)

Plot Summary: A father and son arrive at a remote beach for a surfing vacation, but are met with hostility from the territorial locals. As the father attempts to prove himself worthy of surfing the beach, he descends into an increasingly surreal and menacing experience that challenges his sanity and physical limits. Director: Lorcan Finnegan Screenplay: Thomas Martin Music: Franรงois Tรฉtaz Cinematography: Radek ลadczuk Starring: Nicolas Cage as The Surfer Julian McMahon as Scally Nicholas Cassim as The Son   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Welcome to the Church of Cage Someone once said that "Nicolas Cage" is its own movie genre, and I couldn't agree more. I specifically chose to watch The Surfer because I was in desperate need of a fix, and this film, directed by Lorcan Finnegan, couldn't have been a more perfect vehicle for him. One of the absolute...