The Fifth Element (1997)
Review by ScottC
Film:
DVD:

Written and Directed by Luc Besson
Starring Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker

Anamorphic: Yeah buddy.

My Advice: Borrow It.

A big ball of Evil is heading straight towards Earth. Assisted by the evil businessman and gunrunner Zorg (Gary Oldman), it will extinguish all life on the planet. Why would Zorg and the ball do something like that? Because they're Evil. The only thing that can stop them is the Supreme Being, who is actually a young girl (Milla Jovovich) who doesn’t speak any English. She happens to runs into (or crashes into) cab driver Corbin Dallas (Bruce Willis) who just happens to be an ex-soldier. Along the way, the flamboyant DJ Ruby Rod (Chris Tucker) and the priest Vito Cornelius (Ian Holms) join them on their adventure. This unlikely band of misfits has to stop the Big Ball of Evil (and its entourage) from destroying the Earth.

I saw The Fifth Element twice in the theater. When I saw it the first time, I felt vaguely disappointed by it because I was expecting a serious sci-fi experience. After all, it starred Bruce Willis and was directed by Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, The Professional), both serious action people. When I saw it the second time, I saw the movie for what is: a silly, extravagant, European film. While it can’t make up its mind to be either a satire of the sci-fi genre or an actual blockbuster, the movie’s visuals are imaginative and beautifully executed and Milla Jovovich’s and Chris Tucker’s performances really stand out since Bruce Willis simply does his ‘regular guy thrust into deadly situation’ act. And of course Gary Oldman is wonderful being evil, as he always is.

As to the DVD, there are no extra features on the disc. Nothing! Very disappointing. But the picture and sound are very clear and bright. This is important because The Fifth Element has a lot of color and detail to it. Beside that, there is nothing else to recommend the disc. But hey, if you have a free rental coupon to Blockbuster, check it out.