A One-of-a-Kind Space Odyssey

“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a film that refuses to let a single action sequence play out simply.”

“In an era of expensive, paint-by-numbers blockbusters, Besson’s latest, and biggest, film is a day-glo delight, a true original that deserves to be remembered despite—or perhaps partly because of—its various silly excesses.”

“Like a lot of Besson’s work, it’ll probably largely be dismissed as a stylish mess upon release, eventually becoming a cult classic one can imagine captivating midnight theater-goers for decades to come.”

“But Valerian is animated by the same humanist impulses that have driven all of Besson’s best movies—from Léon: The Professional to The Fifth Element—and it has much more to offer than just dizzying spectacle.”

“The convoluted plotting and manic visuals are easy enough to get on board with, especially if you’re fond of space operas like Star Wars (Valerian especially reminded me of George Lucas’s prequels, except it knows how to have fun) or the Wachowskis’ Jupiter Ascending.”

“But stick with it through its awkward early moments, and Valerian will yield deeper insights into Besson’s overall artistic philosophy.”

“Valerian is the kind of science-fiction film that doesn’t get made enough anymore. It’s unafraid to embrace the expansive potential of its genre, to make each new location, costume, and alien creature feel like the wildest version of itself.”

“Besson’s ambitions remain as limitless as they were in his first go-round at the genre, 20 years ago, and they may doom Valerian to “intriguing curio” status rather than out-of-the-box sensation.”

“But it doesn’t have to be that way. Valerian deserves to be seen by as many people as possible, a cinema experience that takes advantage of every moment it has with you.”