Besson's futuristic fable is flawed by a messy narrative which strains to incorporate far too many grotesque and eccentric characters.
Comment
01/26/06
The Fifth Element (1997)
71
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:51
Fresh:36
Rotten:15
Average Rating:6.3/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: A visual feast combining ancient mysticism, cyberpunk sensibilities, flamboyant entertainment personalities, and gun-toting alien mercenaries. In the 23rd century, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), an... [More]
Reviews for The Fifth Element
Top CriticBruce Willis is good in an average role, Milla Jovovich is acceptable in a terrible role, but as ever Gary Oldman is terrific in how he seems to find just the right note for the film and threatens to take it over.
04/17/01
Top CriticClick to read the article
01/01/00
Top CriticPure eye-candy and a rollicking good-time.
03/24/09
A hodgepodge of elements that don't comfortably coalesce.
09/04/08
Top CriticIt's a triumph of form over content, but it's a stunning triumph.
02/03/08
I knew where it was going at all times, but the ride was excellent.
05/26/06
The story is such a cut-rate kid's sci-fi fairy tale that at one point Evil actually calls Gary Oldman on the phone (and it isn't played for laughs).
12/06/05
Besson has done a solid, if not outstanding, job in bringing his story, written as a teenager, to the big screen.
04/09/05
A motion picture with the body of a mainstream blockbuster but the spirit of a trendy cult flick.
01/26/05
The special effects provided Besson with the tools to provide the movie with the spectacular images, displaying the eagerness of a child in a candy store.
08/29/03
It's cyberpunk!
04/08/03
Everything from the visual effects to the costume design seems to shout out like a precocious child: "Look at me!"
03/18/03
The best-looking science fiction movie to come out in years, with fabulous sets, costumes and special effects, but its plot doesn't quite measure up to its appearance.
03/16/03
No review available.
03/06/03
Fifth Element doesn't reach the level of great sci-fi to which it clearly aspires because it has too many characters doing too many things for too few reasons. Still, it's a lot of fun.
10/15/02
don't mind the one-dimensional characters and the sci-fi nonsense, but I really could have done without the unfunny, very French humor.
09/10/02
Slam-dunk sci-fi extravaganza.
08/26/02
The Fifth Element has to be the most creative visualization since Tim Burton's first Batman in 1989. On top of that, it's a whole lot of fun.
06/18/02
The film's most basic conceit -- that there is an anti-life that, despite its nature, can have a desire and can operate physically in this universe, using its elements -- is not only never explained, it can't be.
06/05/02
Latest News for The Fifth Element
March 14, 2007:
Besson Contemplates Post-"Fifth Element" Return to Sci-Fi
"The Fifth Element" was Luc Besson's only foray into science fiction. Though praised by many fans and critics, the experience was so frustrating for the filmmaker that... More...
January 11, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Can Sony "Stomp" the "Museum?"
Can Ben Stiller and his living artifacts four-peat at the top of the North American box office, or will one of the new releases take the crown over the four-day Dr. Martin... More...
January 03, 2007:
Kevin Smith Fulfills His Bruce Willis Dream, Appears in "Die Hard 4"
If you're MySpace friends with "Clerks" man Kevin Smith, you already know that the uber fanboy is a ginormous Bruce Willis fan (OMG he's online now!)...and now, the... More...
September 12, 2006:
Director Luc Besson Gives Up Camera for Civic Projects
Director Luc Besson tells the Associated Press that "Arthur et Les Minimoys" (Arthur and the Invisibles), which will open Jan 12, 2007 in the States, is his last movie... More...
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