The Fifth Element (1997)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Luc Besson

Writers (WGA):

Luc Besson (story)
Luc Besson (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

9 May 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

It Mu5t Be Found.

Plot:

In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr Zorg at bay.

Plot Keywords:

Evil | Weapon | Future | New York | Taxi Driver

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Bruce Willis	...	Korben Dallas
Gary Oldman	...	Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg
Ian Holm	...	Father Vito Cornelius
Milla Jovovich	...	Leeloo
Chris Tucker	...	Ruby Rhod
Luke Perry	...	Billy
Brion James	...	General Munro
Tommy 'Tiny' Lister	...	President Lindberg (as Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Jr.)
Lee Evans	...	Fog
Charlie Creed-Miles	...	David (as Charlie Creed Miles)
Tricky	...	Right Arm
John Neville	...	General Staedert
John Bluthal	...	Professor Pacoli
Mathieu Kassovitz	...	Mugger
Christopher Fairbank	...	Mactilburgh

Also Known As:

Le cinquième élément (France)
The 5th Element (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence, some sexuality and brief nudity.

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

France

Language:

English | Swedish | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Iceland:10 | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Australia:M (TV rating) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34794) | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | New Zealand:PG | Australia:PG | Belgium:KT | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:12 | Israel:PG | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Gaumont

Trivia:

Also noticeable among the parasites is a child's toy known as a Bumble Ball, a battery-operated shaking and vibrating ball covered with rubber knobs.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Rhuby Rhod's first broadcast in the airport interior, the commercial audio for the Gemini Crocket Contest runs in the background. Since Korben has already won, there is no need to keep running this commercial.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Omar: [whispers to sleeping Aziz] Aziz! Aziz!
Professor Pacoli: [shouts] Aziz! Light!
[Aziz wakes up with a start]
Billy: "Aziz! Light!"

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Nathan Lane/Metallica (#23.8)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

All Night Long

Entertainment

There is so much entertainment in this movie it would be almost stupid to write about its flaws. Especially the story is not the best thing here, but who cares. I liked every scene, every moment in this movie. The movie opens in Egypt, 1914, and we meet some strange creatures. From here on we know this is not going to be a normal or very serious sci-fi action movie. The creatures tell a priest that the stones are no longer save on earth and they take some things. They tell the priest they will return in 300 years, when evil arrives.

300 years later. The strange creatures return but they are attacked by other strange creatures. The only thing that survives is reconstructed and turns out to be Lee Loo (Milla Jovovich). She is the fifth element, the ultimate weapon against evil. Evil here looks like a great ball of fire. Lee Loo escapes from the authorities, and in an astonishing shot we see how a city looks like now. She jumps of a building and ends up in the flying cab of Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis). He saves her from the police, she asks for priest Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm), he brings her there.

We learn a little more about Lee Loo here. She needs four stones, the four other elements, to save the world. The stones are on a vacation resort where we meet DJ Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker). He has some funny scenes as well. We have also met Zorg, who is played by Gary Oldman in a great way. The attack on the strange creatures early in the movie was planned by him. He wants the stones as well, he is offered a lot of money for them. How the story develops from here I will not reveal.

The story doesn't even matter. In every scene we have something to like. Beautiful settings, great visual effects, Gary Oldman, the beautiful Jovovich or the funny moments from Bruce Willis, Chris Tucker and Ian Holm. May be this movie is not for everyone but if you don't think to much you will definitely like it.