THE FIFTH ELEMENT

>An eye-popping extravaganza of style and technique, "The 
Fifth Element" is a merging of European and American film, 
a fusing of dumb action and wine-bruised intellectual 
Lolita-isms. Luc Besson, the crazed French filmmaker 
who gave us "Le femme Nikita" and "The Professional" 
is here out to pay hommage to just about every cool 
sci-fi movie of the past twenty years. No sense in 
giving you the plot, which is just a hanger to hang 
this crazed coat of wild visuals upon. That, and to 
encourage lecherous leering over the slinky and sexy 
Milla Jovovitch.

The story coasts along comfortably in the look and feel 
of a HEAVY METAL comic strip novel. Unfortunately, it also 
suffers from the same giggling adolescent naivete towards 
sex as that magazine. Poor Milla needs all her ass-kicking 
abilities here, surrounded as she is by emotionally stunted, 
horny monks, scientists and cab-drivers.

Every scene is crammed with visually stunning, imaginative 
effects, bringing to mind elements of TOTAL RECALL, STAR 
WARS, BLADERUNNER, FLASH GORDON (1980), BRAZIL, STAR TREK, 
DIVA, 2001, etc.  Busson has obviously seen and loved these 
films and this picture comes across never as derivative, only
homage-inistic. Sometimes the soundtrack even seems to lift little
themes from other films at very appropriate times, just to remind us
the similarities are intentional. Most of the time, however,the
soundtrack grinds on in a very dated attempt at "hip" in a mechanized
euro-disco pop way. As Criswell says, "Lord, protect us from the 
future!"

In general, though, things are all fine and good, until that is, 
things get needlessly loud, shrill and hackneyed, i.e. "American".
Busson wants to please his investors and that means making lots of
money, lots more than his other films, and so he piles on what he 
knows the Yankees in their suburban seats want; lots of explosions,
last second escapes, and some black/raunchy comic relief (Chris 
Tucker as screeching queen). Somewhere along the line in all this
whiz-bang euro-flash, Bruce and Milla are supposed to fall in love.
It's too much for its own good, but in a popcorn saturated way, that's
just fine.

Rating: **1/2