In 2257, a taxi driver is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Korben Dallas: Bruce Willis
- Leeloo: Milla Jovovich
- Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg: Gary Oldman
- Father Vito Cornelius: Ian Holm
- Ruby Rhod: Chris Tucker
- Billy: Luke Perry
- General Munro: Brion James
- President Lindberg: Tom ‘Tiny’ Lister Jr.
- Fog: Lee Evans
- David: Charlie Creed-Miles
- Right Arm: Tricky
- General Staedert: John Neville
- Professor Pacoli: John Bluthal
- Mugger: Mathieu Kassovitz
- Mactilburgh: Christopher Fairbank
- Mr. Kim: Kim Chan
- Neighbour: Richard Leaf
- Major Iceborg: Julie T. Wallace
- General Tudor: Al Matthews
- Diva Plavalaguna: Maïwenn
- Priest: John Bennett
- Left Arm: Ivan Heng
- President’s Aide: Sonita Henry
- Scientist’s Aide: Tim McMullan
- Munro’s Captain: Hon Ping Tang
- Head Scientist: George Khan
- Head of Military: John Hughes
- Omar: Roberto Bryce
- Aziz: Said Talidi
- Mondoshawan / Mangalore Aknot / Airport Guard: Clifton Lloyd Bryan
- Mondoshawan: Justin Lee Burrows
- Mondoshawan: Richard Ashton
- Mondoshawan: Jerome St. John Blake
- Mondoshawan / Ground Crew: Kevin Molloy
- Mactilburgh’s Assistant: Bill Reimbold
- Staedert’s Captain: Colin Brooks
- Mactilburgh’s Technician: Anthony Chinn
- Chief NY Cop: Sam Douglas
- NY Cop: Derek Ezenagu
- Flying Cop: David Kennedy
- Flying Cop: David Barrass
- Flying Cop / Military Technician: Roger Monk
- Flying Cop: Mac McDonald
- Flying Cop: Mark Seaton
- Flying Cop: Jean-Luc Caron
- Flying Cop: Riz Meedin
- Flying Cop: Jerry Ezekiel
- VIP Stewardess: Indra Ové
- VIP Stewardess: Nicole Merry
- VIP Stewardess: Stacey McKenzie
- Stewardess: Rachel Willis
- Stewardess: Genevieve Maylam
- Stewardess: Josie Perez
- Stewardess: Natasha Brice
- Check-in Attendant: Sophia Goth
- Warship Captain: Martin McDougall
- Diva’s Manager: Pete Dunwell
- Cop: Paul Priestley
- Cop: Jason Salkey
- Ruby Rhod Assistant: Stewart Harvey-Wilson
- Ruby Rhod Assistant: David Fishley
- Ruby Rhod Assistant: Carlton Chance
- Diva’s Assistant: Gin Clarke
- Human Aknot: Vladimir McCrary
- Mangalore Akanit: Aron Paramor
- Mangalore Kino: Alan Ruscoe
- Airport Cop: Christopher Adamson
- Tawdry Girl: Ève Salvail
- Shuttle Pilot: Kaleem Janjua
- Shuttle Co-Pilot: Tyrone Tyrell
- Shuttle Mechanic: Kevin Brewerton
- Ground Crew: Vincenzo Pellegrino
- Baby Ray: Ian Beckett
- Emperor Kodar Japhet: Sonny Caldinez
- Princess Achen: Zeta Graff
- Roy von Bacon: Eddie Ellwood
- Fhloston Hostess: Yui
- Fhloston Hostess: Laura De Palma
- Hefty Man: Michael Culkin
- Police Chief: Lenny McLean
- Fhloston Commander: Robert Oates
- Fhloston Captain: John Sharian
- Hotel Manager: Fred Williams
- Zorg’s Secretary: Sibyl Buck
- Scientist: Sarah Carrington
- Scientist: Ali Yassine
- Scientist: Sean Buckley
- Military Technician: Dane Messam
- Military Technician: Nathan Hamlett
- Military Technician: Cecil Cheng
- Lab Guard: Scott Woods
- Lab Guard: Leon Dekker
- Staedert’s Technician: David Garvey
- Staedert’s Technician: Stanley Kowalski
- Staedert’s Technician: Omar Williams
- Robot Barman: Robert Clapperton
- Warship Technician: Robert Alexander
- TV Stewardess: Mia Frye
- Power Operator: Leo Williams
- Power Operator: C. Keith Martin
- Zorg’s Man: J.D. Dawodu
- Zorg’s Man: Patrick Nicholls
- Zorg’s Man: Shaun Davis
- Zorg’s Man: Roy Garcia
- Zorg’s Man: Alex Georgijev
- Burger Assistant: Marie Guillard
- Burger Assistant: Renee Montemayor
- Burger Assistant: Stina Richardson
- Glamorous Alien Diva at Event (uncredited): Kristen Fick
- Mondoshawan #3 (uncredited): François Guillaume
- Japanese Hostess (uncredited): Anita Koh
- Glamorous Japanese Girl (uncredited): Kamay Lau
- Stewardess (uncredited): Tracy Redington
- VIP Lounge Worker (uncredited): Gito Santana
- Bodyguard (uncredited): Frank Senger
- Mangalor alien (uncredited): Joss Skottowe
- Afro Scott: Roger Wright
Film Crew:
- Story: Luc Besson
- Producer: Patrice Ledoux
- Screenplay: Robert Mark Kamen
- Co-Producer: Iain Smith
- Associate Producer: John A. Amicarella
- Sound Designer: Mark A. Mangini
- Music Arranger: Éric Serra
- Director of Photography: Thierry Arbogast
- Editor: Sylvie Landra
- Casting: Lucinda Syson
- Production Design: Dan Weil
- Visual Effects Art Director: Ira Gilford
- Visual Effects Art Director: Ron Gress
- Art Direction: Michael Lamont
- Art Direction: Jim Morahan
- Art Direction: Kevin Phipps
- Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
- Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
- Costume Design: Jean Paul Gaultier
- Production Manager: Sarah Bradshaw
- Unit Production Manager: Crys Forsyth-Smith
- Production Manager: Bernard Grenet
- Production Manager: Barrie Melrose
- Second Unit Director: Pascal Chaumeil
- Camera Operator: Jean-Paul Meurisse
- Thanks: Leslie Dilley
- Special Effects Supervisor: Neil Corbould
- Foley Artist: Ellen Heuer
- Draughtsman: Jon Billington
- Draughtsman: Peter Francis
- Creature Design: Nick Dudman
- Assistant Art Director: Gary Tomkins
- Makeup Artist: Amanda Knight
- Stunts: Lucy Allen
- Stunts: Stuart Clark
- Stunts: David Cronnelly
- Stunts: Eunice Huthart
- Stunts: Andy Smart
- Script Supervisor: Jean Bourne
- ADR Editor: Victoria Rose Sampson
- Foley Recordist: Don Givens
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Ron Bartlett
- Stunt Coordinator: Marc Boyle
- First Assistant Editor: Yann Hervé
- Sound Engineer: Pierre Excoffier
- Sculptor: Shaune Harrison
- Focus Puller: Angus Hudson
- Stunts: Neil Finnighan
- Scoring Mixer: Didier Lozahic
- ADR Mixer: Charleen Richards
- Stunts: Lee Sheward
- First Assistant Editor: Simon Cozens
- Conceptual Design: Jean Giraud
- Assistant Art Director: Frederic Evard
- Hairstylist: Lisa Tomblin
- Location Manager: Kevin De La Noy
- ADR Voice Casting: Mickie McGowan
- Modeling: ‘Evil’ Ted Smith
- Storyboard Artist: Lee Wilson
- Sound Recordist: Brian D. Lucas
- Stunts: Derek Lea
- Special Effects Technician: Paul Dunn
- Stunts: Ray Nicholas
- Sound Effects Editor: Julia Evershade
- Assistant Director: Franck Lebreton
- Choreographer: Mia Frye
- Foley: James Moriana
- Sound Effects Editor: David A. Whittaker
- Animation Supervisor: Daniel Robichaud
- Post Production Consulting: Michael E. Phillips
- Sound Recordist: Daniel Brisseau
- Assistant Director: Olivier Horlait
- Stunts: Marc Cass
- Assistant Art Director: Paul Kirby
- Music Supervisor: Anita Camarata
- Boom Operator: Jean-Marie Blondel
- Visual Effects Supervisor: Mark Stetson
- Stunt Double: Terry Jackson
- Set Designer: James Hambidge
- Sound Effects Editor: Dwayne Avery
- Stunts: Terry Forrestal
- Armorer: Simon Atherton
- Camera Trainee: Sarah Bartles-Smith
- Assistant Director: Aimée Peyronnet
- Casting Assistant: Orla Maxwell
- Second Assistant Director: Frédéric Garson
- Makeup Department Head: Lois Burwell
- Stunts: Gabe Cronnelly
- Wardrobe Master: Joe Hobbs
- Draughtsman: Sue Whitaker
- Art Department Coordinator: Katie Gabriel
- Dressing Prop: Jamie Wilkinson
- Stunts: Nrinder Dhudwar
- Special Effects Supervisor: Nick Allder
- Draughtsman: Stephen Morahan
- Stunts: Andy Bennett
- Still Photographer: Jack English
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Chris Jenkins
- Sound Effects Editor: David Lewis Yewdall
- Sound Designer: John P. Fasal
- Digital Effects Supervisor: Karen E. Goulekas
- Utility Stunts: Dean Forster
- Stunts: Ray De-Haan
- Visual Effects Production Manager: Kelly L’Estrange
- Gaffer: John Higgins
- Draughtsman: Patricia Johnson
- Visual Effects Editor: Debra Wolff
- Compositing Supervisor: Bryan Grill
- Sound Recordist: Andrea Eliseyan
- Foley Editor: Aaron Glascock
- Supervising ADR Editor: Curt Schulkey
- Digital Effects Producer: Tamara Watts Kent
- VFX Production Coordinator: Jonathan F. Styrlund
- Sound Effects Editor: Howell Gibbens
- Hairstylist: Sue Love
- Hairstylist: Bunny Parker
- Steadicam Operator: John Ward
- Sound Effects Editor: Geoffrey G. Rubay
- Best Boy Electric: Kevin Edland
- Stunts: Paul Herbert
- Location Manager: Thierry Guilmard
- Script Supervisor: Sue Field
- Visual Effects Supervisor: Bill Kent
- Foley Editor: Solange S. Schwalbe
- Property Master: Barry Wilkinson
- Digital Compositor: John E. Sasaki
- Visual Effects Compositor: Kelly Granite
- Assistant Director: Camille Lipmann
- Thanks: Noah Tutak
- Makeup Artist: Pauline Heys
- Pyrotechnician: Elia P. Popov
- Second Assistant Camera: Ali Lakrouf
- Construction Coordinator: Ray Barrett
- Construction Coordinator: Richard Guille
- Sound Recordist: Gary L.G. Simpson
- Sound Designer: John Pospisil
- Sequence Supervisor: Sean C. Cunningham
- Sequence Supervisor: Sean Dever
- Sequence Supervisor: Christine Lo
- Sequence Supervisor: Joshua I. Kolden
- Sequence Supervisor: Rodney J. McFall
- Second Unit Cinematographer: Nick Tebbet
- Rigging Gaffer: Kenny Monger
- First Assistant Editor: Donald Likovich
- Location Manager: Andrew MacDonald Brown
- Stunts: Tony Lucken
- Grip: Ronald L. Carr
- Makeup Artist: Melissa Lackersteen
- Electrician: Don Tomich
- Storyboard Artist: Collin Grant
- Hairstylist: Sarah Love
- First Assistant Director: Chris Carreras
- Assistant Editor: Florrie Laurence
- Special Effects Technician: Peter Notley
- Assistant Director: Jamie Christopher
- Stunts: Joss Gower
- Carpenter: Dominic Ackland-Snow
- Assistant Editor: Paul Parsons
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Mark Smith
- Standby Painter: Paul Couch
- Digital Compositors: Gray Marshall
- 3D Coordinator: Jean-Paul Rovela
- Grip: Terrance O’Connor
- Vehicles Coordinator: Alain Darthou
- Modeling: Jane Kilkenny
- Video Assist Operator: Bob Bridges
- Visual Effects Camera: Ren Messer
- Title Designer: Robert Dawson
- Painter: Mark White
- Electrician: Brian Tilden
- Modeling: Brett Phillips
- Color Timer: Bob Putynkowski
- Matte Painter: Wayne John Haag
- Concept Artist: Christian Scheurer
- Video Assist Operator: Ben Koeller
- Production Accountant: George Marshall
- Storyboard Artist: Temple Clark
- Stunts: Del Baker
- Grip: David Knudson
- Negative Cutter: Mo Henry
- Production Office Assistant: Mona Benjamin
- Graphic Designer: Judith Bell
- Production Controller: Kieran Woo
- Thanks: Alan Munro
- Stunts: Phil Lonergan
- Foley Mixer: David W. Alstadter
- Assistant Editor: Bradley Souber
- Stunts: George Lane Cooper
- Third Assistant Director: Simon Downes
- Hairstylist: Ward
- Third Assistant Director: Robert Grayson
- Third Assistant Director: Susan Inge Wood
- Second Assistant Director: Kevin Westley
- Assistant Director: Didier Kwak
- Production Illustrator: Jacques Rey
- First Assistant Camera: Eamonn O’Keeffe
- Key Grip: Joe Celeste
- Costume Supervisor: Janet Tebrooke
- Projection: Jim Smith
- Propmaker: Paul Stephenson
- Stand In: Paul Kite
- Electrician: Cindy Lagerstrom
- Lighting Technician: Chris Mortley
- Production Coordinator: Sallie Beechinor
- Orchestrator: Hubert Bougis
- Visual Effects Coordinator: Tracy Takahashi
- Visual Effects Producer: Daniel J. Lombardo
- Draughtsman: David Wood
- Grip: Gary A. Williams
- Grip: Pierre Garnier
- Stunts: Mark Anthony Newman
- Musician: Nicholas Bucknall
- Musician: Mike Hext
- Grip: Rupert Lloyd-Parry
- Carpenter: Jamie White
- Thanks: Richard Glass
- Assistant Accountant: Alistair Thompson
- Thanks: Ted Hall
- Stunts: Richard Bradshaw
- Contact Lens Technician: Jemma Scott-Knox-Gore
- Electrician: Chris Lewis
- Concept Artist: Andrew Eio
- Special Effects Technician: Kevin Herd
- Electrician: Brian McEachen
- Stunts: Morgan Johnson
- Grip: Eric Alan Donaldson
- Modeling: Kittaya Robinson
- Graphic Designer: Mark Bowey
- Modeling: Robert Diepenbrock
- Modeling: Cameron Henderson
- Modeling: Steve Hyde
- Modeling: John La Valley
- Modeling: Tony Moffett
- Modeling: Flemming Rasmussen
- Modeling: Doug Shemer
- Modeling: Keith St. Aubin
- Modeling: Valentin Vassilev
- Modeling: Scott Nicholas Amendolare
- Sculptor: Roland Stevenson
- Pyrotechnician: William Aldridge
- Pyrotechnic Supervisor: Thaine Morris
- Special Effects Technician: Jonathan Angell
- Special Effects Technician: Bob Bromley
- Special Effects Technician: Paul Clancy
- Special Effects Technician: Michael Dunleavy
- Special Effects Technician: Nick Finlayson
- Special Effects Technician: Matthew Harlow
- Special Effects Technician: John Hatt
- Special Effects Technician: Terence Lathwell
- Special Effects Technician: Melvyn Pearson
- Special Effects Technician: Roy Quinn
- Special Effects Technician: Shaun Rutter
- Special Effects Technician: Timothy Stracey
- Special Effects Technician: Jamie Thomas
- Special Effects Technician: Brian Warner
- Special Effects Technician: Peter White
- Special Effects Technician: Michael Durkan
- Special Effects Technician: Peter Netley
- Special Effects Technician: Rob Malos
- Stunt Double: Mirjam Montandon
- Stunts: Therese Donnelly
- Stunts: Lyndon S. Hellewell
- Stunts: Adrian O’Neil
- Stunts: Rachael Stephens
- Assistant Camera: Sophie Bosquet
- Best Boy Grip: James G. Moriarty
- Clapper Loader: James Bloom
- Electrician: David O’Neil
- Electrician: Douglas L. Stratton
- Focus Puller: David Bryant
- Grip: Ronald Carr
- Grip: Tomislav Culina
- Grip: Jamie Young
- Grip: Matt Siess
- Thanks: Bill Baggelaar
- Thanks: Brian Morrison
- Assistant Accountant: Emma Bendell
- Assistant Accountant: Jean Simmons
- Assistant Accountant: Lara Sargent
- Producer’s Assistant: Sylvie Menard
- Producer’s Assistant: Sylvia Pyke
- Catering: Mr. Figuras
- Color Grading: Margo Bowie
- Floor Runner: Dan John
- Production Accountant: Mike Smriga
- Production Assistant: Lee Tailor
- Production Coordinator: Nell Brealey
- Production Coordinator: Cari Chanin
- Production Office Assistant: Rebecca Brown-Dana
- Visual Effects Production Assistant: Eric Algren
- VFX Artist: Jason Greenblum
- Visual Effects Assistant Editor: Ralph Cooley
- Project Manager: Stephen Sobisky
- General Manager: Scott Ross
- Costume Assistant: Josie Pledge
- Special Effects Assistant: Anne Marie Walters
Movie Reviews:
- GeekMasher: This movie is one of the best movies of all time! It has a great story lines and graphics of it’s time and even to today’s standards it is brilliant. The world is well though out and well demonstrated. Zorg is a great bad guy, played by Gary Oldman and Bruce Willis plays his role very well. All in all a excellent movie.
- Matt Golden: A simple enough concept: Guy must save a World (in the Future!) from Evil! by protecting a Magical Macguffin, only in this case it’s a Girl! instead of a Thing.
There’s really not a lot of story here. Not a lot of character either. Why waste valuable screen time with such paltry concerns when you can instead have Chris Tucker prancing around as a flamboyant radio host in the most annoying cinematic sci-fi supporting character not created by George Lucas? Instead, the film casts actors who do a fair job of acting simply by being themselves: Bruce Wills is Korben Dallas, a brawny, shoot-first hero who, when the chips are down, is brawny and shoot-firsty. The Magical Girlfriend MacGuffin, Leeloo, is played by Mila Jovovich (in her breakout performance) and some strategically-placed wrappings (the wrappings have had a harder time breaking into more mainstream roles). Ian Holm turns up as the Old Mentor, and filling out the cast is Gary Oldman as the antagonist Zord (in his hammiest role ever).
The film seriously rises to the level of made-for-SciFi Channel-original and no higher. The plot is nonsensical, the acting committed but laughable, and the dialogue so stiff you’d think the script pages had been starched.
So where does the film go legitimately wrong? Two main places: first, Besson carries on the proud tradition of French filmmakers doing weird things solely for the sake of being weird. The entire film is filled to the brim with the kind of idiosyncratic touches that I’ve come to expect from that region. Most of the bits don’t work, but I’ll give them credit for keeping things interesting.
The second, more serious issue is another that seems to plague genre French directors, and that’s the whole matter being played (largely) for farce. The most successful (creatively) American (sci-fi/)action films are defined in very large part by their villain. This film, like so many other sci-fi/action films I’ve seen from French directors, never establish or maintain an element of power for the villains over the heroes. The villains are painted as clueless, moronic, out of their depth, or outright incompetent. That tradition continues here. What would Star Wars be without Darth Vader? Die Hard without Hans Gruber? Aliens without…uh, aliens?
Lacking a strong (or even memorable) central villain (we have two: a Gary Oldman so hammy I’m pretty sure Muslims couldn’t work on the film, and the other being a giant planet-size ball of…Pure!Evil! No joke.), the film sacrifices the one shot it had at having some kind of weight or dimension. There’s no sense of danger or peril, no chance that the Hero won’t triumph, and [spoilers!] the day is essentially saved by a Care Bear stare.
So, does what I’ve just said make it bad? Well, yes. Let’s try again. Does that made it unenjoyable? No, and it’s an important distinction to make. The film is an interesting curiosity. After a half-hour of the bizarre, if you can let yourself be swept into its idiosyncratic world you’ll find a perfectly watchable B (or C)-movie. It rankles a bit to think about how much was wasted making dreck this dreck-y, but it’s entertaining dreck.
- Gimly: Ever since I first watched The Fifth Element in the late 90s, I’ve been inspired by Gary Oldman’s Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg.
_Final rating:★★★½ – I strongly recommend you make the time._
- John Chard: Negative, I am a meat Popsicle.
It’s 2259 and the Earth is in mortal danger from pure evil. The only hope Earth has is something called the fifth element, which comes in the form of the newly cloned Leeloo. Along with an ex forces cab driver and a priest called Cornellius, Leeloo must piece it together before the end of mankind arrives.
Depending on which side of the fence you sit on, The Fifth Element is either a child fantasy made by an adult, or an adult fantasy made by a child! Here in lies the problem that many critics and movie watchers can’t agree on. Just what does Luc Besson’s film want to be? Having conceived the concept for his film at a very early age, Besson I think waited until he was comfortable with his adult eyes, and armed with the technological advancements in the late 90s, to realise his vision. With the result being a beautiful piece of science fiction that is, yes- cartoonish in every other frame.
Crucial though is that Besson’s futuristic vision of New York dominates proceedings, not even a villain overdrive from Gary Oldman can detract from the colourful vistas that Besson has crafted. The sea has dropped and New York is awash with flying cars, there are no take aways anymore, the Chinese junks fly to your front door to serve you food, how cool is that? Shape shifting aliens are amongst us, who in the context of this Jean-Paul Gautier clothed universe, blend in effortlessly, and opera divas are strangely beautiful and blue creatures. In short, the film is an art direction treat, a feast for the eyes, even as the comedy and action take control in the final third.
Bruce Willis quickly leaves behind his successful trip to harder edged roles (Twelve Monkeys) to play super cabbie Korben Dallas. Gun toting and with a quip at every turn, this is the Willis that the MTV generation loves and adores. Oldman, for better or worse as Zorg, gives a memorable performance (oh my, is that a Southern American accent?), but it’s with Mila Jovovich (Leeloo) that the film gets its acting spurs. A pure revelation, it begs the question on why Jovovich has failed to progress in the acting world? (stop doing tripe like Resident “will work for food” Evil films would be a good start).
Sci-fi fans will obviously get the point that the support cast features Ian Holm (Alien) and Brion James (Blade Runner), which off sets the annoying and painful turn from Chris Tucker as zany, insecure DJ Ruby Rhod (is Besson having a pop at world DJs here I wonder?). To leave us with what? A film that mildly suffers from its director giving way to his heart over his head, but hey baby, it’s one groovy and enjoyable romp from start to finish regardless. 8/10