{Very underrated. 8/10}
I love going into films blind. I had no idea what this film was going to be, except that it had the tags “Sci-Fi”, “Action”, and “Adventure”. These are accurate, but you can only get so much information from simply knowing the genre. The sci-fi elements of the film weren’t the most original, as flying cars, aliens, massive skyscrapers, and instant food preparation are all concepts that were prevalent throughout sci-fi long before this film. The film does have several action sequences, some of which are hilariously over the top. The story is a very basic adventure (good guys trying to stop bad guys), although it’s not quite that simple as there are multiple good and bad “teams”. All of this, at first glance, would suggest that this film is an outdated and unoriginal story that is simply mindless action. However, as you would not be able to tell by simply glancing at its list of genres, the film is really not much of an action film at all, but instead uses action, dialogue, and its characters to make the film a borderline comedy, refusing to take itself or its genres seriously, which I think is the sole reason this film has stood the test of time.
Many serious scenes are also intended to be funny, and the film uses the absurdity of the situation to make fun of itself. For example, at one point, multiple people are pretending to be the same person, which leads to some funny conversations and arguments when they all try to board a rocket at the same time. The film doesn’t present itself as a comedy at first, and it wasn’t until all the “teams” finally began to act that the fun really begins. One character that is introduced midway through the film was annoying and overacting (in-character) for the first few minutes he was on screen, but it quickly became clear that he was going to be used mostly for comedic relief, which immediately changed my view on the character and his over-the-top personality just made the film the more chaotic and absurd. Even small things such as the main character being given a fortune cookie and then never opening it (as you immediately expect) was humorous as the film poked fun at various cliches.
Of course, this isn’t a perfect film, however. The first few minutes of the film has some of the worst acting I’ve seen in a while, but thankfully this segment is brief and the acting and writing are not terrible for most of the film. The effects are severely outdated; some actually add to the charm of the film, but many simply show the film’s age. While there is certainly character development with the two main characters, their arcs are shallow and rushed (such as Leeloo’s brief identity crisis that resolves itself in about ten minutes at the end of the film). I also initially had an issue with how some of the characters’ abilities don’t seem consistent, but I will go into more detail about this in the spoiler discussion as I believe you can make an argument that this actually is intentional and important. While the film does have many issues, the film’s use of comedy allows it to remain entertaining despite its flaws, and by not taking itself seriously, the film is able to be successful and stand out among other action/adventure films.
Rating: 8.2 / 10
Spoiler Discussion
Stop reading if you want to avoid spoilers!
At first, I was going to argue that Leeloo’s power was very inconsistent, as she is overpowered for a few minutes when she is introduced (breaking out of the lab), but then needs Korben to help her. This felt strange but makes a little sense; she’s alone and in a strange place. However, then she learns about the new world and becomes overpowered again, taking out a dozen strong enemies, but gets defeated by a single man with an (admittedly overpowered) gun. Then, of course, the main character has to save her. This felt cheap until I realized that if Leeloo was overpowered the entire time and nothing could defeat her, what would be the point of the film? She could just go to Egypt herself and stop the evil, but instead, by making her a little vulnerable (and doubtful of humanity) it gives the characters a reason to be there. The weapon to stop all evil and protect life won’t work if life doesn’t try to help as well. Of course, this may just be one of the film’s flaws, but I like to think this was intended.
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