So has anyone seen this move? If so what did you think?
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8
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I thought it was alright, but not great.
It definitely evoked the Fifth Element in its costume and set design, but wasn't nearly as fun or funny as Besson's earlier film.
Also, IMO, Valerian was terribly miscast. Dane DeHaan was really flat.
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The setting was well-done; beautiful, evocative, with an interesting origin. I agree our male lead wasn't quite right however. There was to me a little too much of the back-and-forth 'save your partner' thing going on. I do applaud that they were good to avoid some of the common tropes of these worlds of multiple races, namely the overused trope of conflict between various races within the world. It was nice to see everyone getting along, more or less.
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Yeah, I agree the visuals were amazing. I also agree that Dane DeHaan really did not work well as Valerian. The role really needed someone with a lot more charisma / maturity. The story was toned down a bit to much for adults while kids would not get some of the more complicated plot ideas. I did enjoy the movie because of the fun nature and different perspective not to mention great visuals.
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I just saw this and enjoyed it. It definitely gave me a sense of adventure like The Fifth Element, but I agree it wasnt quite as fun or funny. It could have used some Ruby Rod! The only thing that bugged me about DeHaan is how much keanu-like he seems. Though I enjoyed the partner saving it made the film feel like it had co-leads. Cara Devinley was great. Clive Owens's part was a bit of a waste. Overall, B+
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I'm a fan of the comics and can tell you the leads don't look much like the originals, especially DeHaan. Valerian is a rugged, square-jawed handsome rogue, not this pasty-faced wight. The visual elements of the comic were some of the inspiration for the 5th Element, so comparisons are not surprising. There is speculation that the comics also in part inspired some of the visual aspects of Star Wars, something I do not find unlikely.
I haven't seen the movie yet, but will as soon as it hits the theaters here. I just wished that they had added Laureline's name in the title, because she definitely deserves equal billing with her partner.
Never read the comics so don't care about any of that, however, in total agreement about the title and double billing.
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Ah geez being a fan of the comic this movie was a big heartbreaker for me. I give it a solid 6/10. It's not a bad movie yet it could have been so much more imo.
-Hollywood and Directors need to learn and fast that special effects and only that will almost never beat a good script. What they movie had was a passable script with great visuals and nothing else.
-Almost no chemistry romantic and non-romantic between the two leads imo. With some cringe-worthy dialogue said by both imo. Sorry but to me it felt like watching water and oil trying to mix.
-I agree with Bjorn while the actress portraying Laureline was the right fit mostly for the part. The actor portraying Valerian was too young and should have been much older. The character in the comics was in hist late-20s early 30s. Not Dehaan fault just imo not the right fit for the part.
Visually it's a stunning movie and I like some parts of it. It would make a interesting rpg that's for sure. In the end another movie where Hollywood hopes that the special effects hide a average to terrible movie script.
Not sure about adding Laureline name to the title. It would make for a very long title imo. Valerian and Laureline and the City of a Thousand Planets. Not something that rolls off the tongue easily imo.
Vendor - Fantasiapelit Tampere
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Pretty much agree with The Thing on this one.
Though I must say, Hollywood has almost nothing to do with this, being made by bunch of different European studios and a french filmmaker, even if by french cinema standard Besson is pretty mainstream.
Could the name have just been "Valeran & Laureline?"
Though I must say, Hollywood has almost nothing to do with this, being made by bunch of different European studios and a french filmmaker, even if by french cinema standard Besson is pretty mainstream.
Hollywood has done the same though and will keep repeating the same mistake as well imo. Other than that agree with you as well.
Could the name have just been "Valeran & Laureline?"
Funny enough it was orignially called the Empire of a Thousand Planets. I suppose Empire was too negative a connatation for some imo. Though imo it can't simply be called the above. The covers of the graphic novels or as they call them in France BD short for bande dessinée still include the full titles. So if the want to make a franchise (which I don't think will happen) they need the full title imo. It's not that well known outside of Europe imo that they can simply call it "Valeran & Laureline" and people will know.
Not to mention what sounds better for a film or comic title "Valeran & Laureline" or "Valeran & Laureline The Land without Stars". Strange that they left out Laureline from the title. Maybe it have cost them more in terms of putting it on posters or merchandise.
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Saw it last night. I liked it.
I have only read a 5 of the first 8 comics, which I enjoyed, but I can see where people are coming from in not liking how Valeran was portrayed.
But if you don't compare movie Valeran to comic, he comes off pretty well.
Movie Valeran pretends to be a player, but is not.
He is more a by the book, follow the rules kind of person who has trouble with relationships.
It takes Laureline the whole movie to show him that sometimes the rules don't apply and what it means to be in a relationship.
Valeran issues aside; the plot was pretty decent and the visuals were great.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
I hope enough people go see it so they can make a sequel.
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Valerian in the comics is a man who wants to be a hero, but really isn't that good at it. He is brave enough, but Laureline is the smarts of the two. She is also frequently the one to save HIM. Even when he does save the day, there are crucial details he missed. Not to mention the times he just becomes an obstacle to what really happens. And yet, you can't fault his dedication to the mission, or the rules. All in all a pretty good guy, if flawed. It will be good to see what the movie makes of him.
I haven't seen it yet but I intend to sometime tomorrow. I was never expecting another 5th Element but as long I enjoy it then I will be fine.
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I was entertained. Also, now more impatient for Starfinder to drop.
I saw it not to long ago, I really enjoyed it.
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The actor portraying Valerian was too young and should have been much older. The character in the comics was in hist late-20s early 30s. Not Dehaan fault just imo not the right fit for the part.
How much older than 30 should an actor be to play a character in his late-20s early 30s?
My main problem was that the final act wasn't nearly as strong as the rest of the movie.
Well we saw that one coming a mile away;)
How much older than 30 should an actor be to play a character in his late-20s early 30s?
In the comics they character looks to be in his late 30s. DeHaan looked like a teenager in the role. So to me it was not a good fit.
3 out of five stars
I loved the visuals. It was a gorgeous movie. I agree that the sorceress was much better in her role than Harry Osborn was. It's very hard to make a character that's a player, and still yet charming. He didn't come across as a successful player, didn't have the charm to overcome the sleaze of what he was doing, and didn't show that what he felt for the Sorceress was real.
Commander Dwight was a prick, and it was obvious. I wasn't surprised by the reveal of him being a bigger prick. I knew from the first time we saw his robots that they would be loyal to him alone and people would be fighting them.
Ri-Ri was awesome! It was a great character and she pulled it off well. Okay, she and the animation team pulled it off well.
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Too be honest Benchak, when I first saw previews for the movie I thought they were brother and sister. That would have been interesting if they were and the whole movie focused more on family love and not romantic love but then that would be really weird for the fans of the comics;)
I liked it. I would see a sequel. Kind of felt like I was dropped in the middle of things but the visuals were super cool. Like the characters. bubble was awesome.
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In the comics they character looks to be in his late 30s. DeHaan looked like a teenager in the role. So to me it was not a good fit.
How much older than 30 should an actor be to play a character in his late-20s early 30s?
At least on the first part, we completely disagree. I would agree with your earliers 'late 20s, early 30s' assessment, and he looks more rugged in the comics than in the movies, but to me Comic-Valerian still looks quite youthful.
Just looked up a picture of them side by side (comic/movie) Looks pretty close to me. Also Dehaan is 30 He just looks young I guess.
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Also did this make anyone else wanna play star finder that much more?
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Just saw it today...the visuals were great...the rest kinda of meh.
Eh I liked it. apparently I'm an easy audience. Only movie I've ever saw in theaters that I wanted to leave before it was over was elektra and van helsing with hugh jackman. (whiny Dracula really?)
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If nothing else I'm gonna go see this movie because of Delevigne. I have a weakness. It is her.
She was much, much better in this movie than in Suicide Squad (I know, that's a pretty left-handed compliment, but she was good here and I left wanting to see more of her).
For that matter, the dude was much better as Valerian than he was as Harry Osborn (which also isn't saying much, and I did not leave wanting to see more of him...). In Amazing Spider-Man, I could say that he was hosed for being cast in a role that Franco-American broke wide open, and was doomed from the outset. But here? He was competing with zero previous Valerians, and still took last place...
The visuals, OTOH, were breathtaking. Avatar-level cinematics, IMO. I am a complete sucker for that sort of thing, and like a lot of movies that are panned for relying too much on splashy imagery (like What Dreams May Come or Star Trek: the Motion Picture, back in '79).
Sadly, cinematics and spectacle aren't enough. If they were, Jupiter Ascending and John Carter would have done better, too.
A lead with more charisma certainly would have helped. Dane didn't drag the movie down or anything, but he didn't elevate it either, and I'm reminded again of how Gambit #1 didn't do John Carter any favors and Gambit #2 didn't really burn up the screen in Jupiter Ascending.
More Laureline saving the day, and Valerian being the lovable lunkhead who has the occasional moment to shine (similar to the formula from the old Remington Steele show, where she's the competent brains of the outfit, and he's just charming and flying by the seat of his pants) might have helped, but it felt like the producers shied away from putting her closer to the center and tried to bill it as the 'Valerian and sidechick' show.
It was that or that teen girl movie where the girl goes into her future self. I still wonder if I would of enjoyed the other one more.
Dracula's acting ruined it for me. So cheesy.. I'm getting off topic.
I enjoyed this one I would watch a sequel. Makes me want to read the comics.
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Eh I liked it. apparently I'm an easy audience. Only movie I've ever saw in theaters that I wanted to leave before it was over was elektra and van helsing with hugh jackman. (whiny Dracula really?)
[tangent] There was a scene in Van Helsing where the Dracula character is literally screaming his lines at his three brides, who are close enough to be embracing him, and I felt really bad for the actresses...
It was even worse than Damodar and Profion's over-acting in the first Dungeons & Dragons movie.
On the upside, Kate Beckinsale was smoking hot in that movie. Turn off the sound, and it goes from being unwatchable to at least as good as an episode of Baywatch. [/tangent]
Eh I liked it. apparently I'm an easy audience. Only movie I've ever saw in theaters that I wanted to leave before it was over was elektra and van helsing with hugh jackman. (whiny Dracula really?)[tangent] There was a scene in Van Helsing where the Dracula character is literally screaming his lines at his three brides, who are close enough to be embracing him, and I felt really bad for the actresses...
It was even worse than Damodar and Profion's over-acting in the first Dungeons & Dragons movie.
On the upside, Kate Beckinsale was smoking hot in that movie. Turn off the sound, and it goes from being unwatchable to at least as good as an episode of Baywatch. [/tangent]
sorry Dracula 2000 Is my go to for hot vampires
Part of Van Helsing's charm was the hammy overacting. And Dracula was nothing to the FMonster's line of "No! Save yourselves!"
Well no judgement. It takes all kinds I suppose. Their might even be someone out there that liked Elektra... probably not but you never know.
People are interesting that way.
So what part(s) of the movie was your favorite?
I really liked the desert/alternate dimension city part.
Also liked the memory jellyfish part and the creatures that kidnapped Laureline.
I liked the mad dash through the layers. I liked the bather between laureline and valerian. I think one of my favorite parts was the intro with the space station coming together. Kind of one of those hopeful future all people setting aside differences and coming together despite their differences.
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The intro was super-cool, and I did not expect it. I liked seeing the station aggregate, and the various missions arrive from different cultures, and then different alien races, and the first time they turned on artificial gravity and all that.
The 'market' was cool, and kind of the ultimate progression of sitting in a room with people using virtual goggles (or, to a lesser extent, just ignoring each other and staring at their phones, their attention being in another place entirely), which was also a neat glimpse at a future version of what is already kind of happening.
Alpha was just an incredible set-piece, a visual treat. It's interesting that it did not seem to be the 'home base' for the characters, just a place that they were visiting. It seemed extremely lavishly developed for a one-and-done location, although that could be an artifact of taking stuff from a comic book that has had forty-something years of development.
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I watch about 100 movies a year (in cinema).
"Valerian & the City of a thousand Planets" has the best visual FX of ALL movies made so far, much better than Avatar (which is really only average visually).
Especially the 3D effects are great, only some horror movies and a few scenes from "Star Trek: Into Darkness"(the spears at the beginning) have managed to be more plastic so far (Final Destination 4 & My bloody Valentine are the best).
That being said, Dane DeHaan was totally wooden, Cara Delevigne was really good (making me forgive her abyssal "Enchantress" performance in Suicide Squad).
The story could have been a little more emotional, but it was 95% logical and had a good finale, unlike a lot of movies these days.
The amount of ideas was what make this movie great.
Sadly it is a total flop at the american box office and doesn´t look to do much better internationally.
Whereas "Dunkirk" - one of the most boring movies i have ever seen in my whole live (no tension, mostly nameless and unsymphathetic characters, no blood) is doing great at the BO.
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I am sure Nolan's name as director is one of the main reasons Dunkirk is doing so well. Personally I think Nolan is a highly overrated director.
While I wouldn't say Valerian is a great movie, it is good and it deserves to at least make some actual money.