To be fair, I haven't seen Contact since I was a kid and I only vaguely remember that one.
But yeah, AI is a bad movie.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Review Thread
- Thread starter Penguin
- Start date
To be fair, I haven't seen Contact since I was a kid and I only vaguely remember that one.
But yeah, AI is a bad movie.
AI is 23 on that list (and higher on some others)
https://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-sci-fi-movies
Real good Scify is very polarizing.
To reassure you, when I first saw AI I found it bad also, I hated the second part
Yep. At 69% now so it needs to hurry up!
patrickthehedgehog
Member
Can't wait to see this. It's too bad it's not playing at my favorite cinema. I'm trying to decide if I should make a 3D showing. I've been actively avoiding 3D showings for a year or so due to loss of color / brightness... and of course the reviews state that this movie's 3D is especially good.
digitalrelic
Banned
titiklabingapat
Member
Can't wait for this movie! Wish the title was like it was in the comic books books though.
slightconfuse
Banned
Has anyone made the valerian and the city of a thousand Bombas joke yet?
Cabbagehead
Member
Indeed!
The Elite
BOSS
Mushroomer25
Member
I only saw a trailer in 3D, and it was clearly shot in the format. Incredible sense of depth, and absolutely in the same league as Avatar, Gravity, and Jungle Book (the only other films worth seeing in 3D).
Friend of Sonic
Member
I lost my faith in this movie when I saw that the two leads look like siblings who want to fuck each other
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
It's a conversion, but sometimes conversions are better than mediocre or bad real 3D.
I happened to go to an advance screening earlier tonight.
If you want to see an intriguing parade of crazy way-out aliens, it's a pretty good ticket. The art design and cinematography are on-point. The 3D is alright, though I probably would have preferred to see this in 2D since it would have meant better image quality and a brighter picture. Since the advent of Avatar, there's only been like 3-4 movies I really thought were worth seeing in 3D, so take from that what you will.
The two leads have almost no chemistry, and can't ever really develop chemistry since they are separated from each other for like half the movie. Valerian is kinda a douche and seems to be speaking in a half-speed Batman growl for the entire film. The plot and characters are serviceable. The villain is not really that great. I felt like the second half kinda dragged on, since the film's focus becomes tighter and less about world-building. The action setpieces are few-and-far between, but work pretty well. It's an incredible visual spectacle for a long while, but it eventually settles into a less ambitious sci-fi affair.
I liked the humor in this film a lot more than I liked the humor in The 5th Element. It's a more serious film than 5th Element though, and doesn't dive into ridiculous camp as often......obviously this will be a plus for some and a minus for others.
Overall I'd say that it was a movie full of great ideas that were not really assembled into a satisfying or coherent structure. Most of its best tricks are in the first 30-40 minutes. Lorelaine is kind of a joyless hardass and is rarely developed beyond that, but I think she's probably the most enjoyable character of the bunch. I feel like the movie would have benefited from having a comic relief character to bounce plot developments off of, since both Valerian and Lorelaine are kinda uptight and straight-laced.
If you want to see an intriguing parade of crazy way-out aliens, it's a pretty good ticket. The art design and cinematography are on-point. The 3D is alright, though I probably would have preferred to see this in 2D since it would have meant better image quality and a brighter picture. Since the advent of Avatar, there's only been like 3-4 movies I really thought were worth seeing in 3D, so take from that what you will.
The two leads have almost no chemistry, and can't ever really develop chemistry since they are separated from each other for like half the movie. Valerian is kinda a douche and seems to be speaking in a half-speed Batman growl for the entire film. The plot and characters are serviceable. The villain is not really that great. I felt like the second half kinda dragged on, since the film's focus becomes tighter and less about world-building. The action setpieces are few-and-far between, but work pretty well. It's an incredible visual spectacle for a long while, but it eventually settles into a less ambitious sci-fi affair.
I liked the humor in this film a lot more than I liked the humor in The 5th Element. It's a more serious film than 5th Element though, and doesn't dive into ridiculous camp as often......obviously this will be a plus for some and a minus for others.
Overall I'd say that it was a movie full of great ideas that were not really assembled into a satisfying or coherent structure. Most of its best tricks are in the first 30-40 minutes. Lorelaine is kind of a joyless hardass and is rarely developed beyond that, but I think she's probably the most enjoyable character of the bunch. I feel like the movie would have benefited from having a comic relief character to bounce plot developments off of, since both Valerian and Lorelaine are kinda uptight and straight-laced.
I don't think he's saying Dane is bad just that he's been in a string of high profile failures/underperformers.
Robot Pants
Member
AI for years was my most hated movie of all time. I think it's awful, yes.
Alx
Member
That's too bad because there was a decent comic relief character in the book that inspired the movie,
the chief of protocol from the Earth cell/embassy in the city.
Valerian and the Ambassador get taken by mysterious aliens at the very beginning, then Laureline (and the chief of protocol) spend most of the story looking for them going through different alien groups.
The movie effectively works the same way.
A high-ranking official is kidnapped, and Valerian tries to chase down the kidnappers as they make their escape. In the process, he's lost and disabled somewhere in the unknown dead zone of the city, and Lorelaine has to track him down. There's no chief of protocol officer assisting her though. Once she finds Valerion, Laureline is immediately kidnapped by another alien faction and Valerian has to spend 30 minutes of screentime tracking her down. He's assisted by a Glamorpod that kinda/sorta acts as comic relief......but she is much more serious about her task than Rhuby Rhod or the diva in 5th Element).
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Alx
Member
Eh, too bad that by the end they seem to
turn Laureline into the damsel in distress... the fun part in the book was that Valerian was the one to be saved, and Laureline did all the heroic work.
Saw the movie and it's not great but it's not bad either. If you're hardcore Valerian fan you're gonna get a stroke from the characterization of the two leads and it's not serious Euro scifi by any means. But Besson knows how to do the visually inventive eurotrash that's. It's like 'Avatar by Besson' in visual sense and worth watching for some amazing imagery.
Valerian actor has all the charisma of an asshole youtuber and DeLevingne (who was horrid in Suicide Squad) somehow makes this version of Laureline work even though she's pretty much the incarnation of worst Renegade Shepard ever, ending every conversation with Renegade Punch to face. I guess her 'acting' suits Besson style of movies.
I can't even be that cynical with this movie. Unlike similar SW prequels Valerian doesn't take itself that seriously which saves it from some headpalm moments. It's fun summer fare. Also, Rihanna.
The main lesson to be learned here is that Valerian could've been amazing if the cast was as good as in Fifth Element.
Valerian actor has all the charisma of an asshole youtuber and DeLevingne (who was horrid in Suicide Squad) somehow makes this version of Laureline work even though she's pretty much the incarnation of worst Renegade Shepard ever, ending every conversation with Renegade Punch to face. I guess her 'acting' suits Besson style of movies.
I can't even be that cynical with this movie. Unlike similar SW prequels Valerian doesn't take itself that seriously which saves it from some headpalm moments. It's fun summer fare. Also, Rihanna.
The main lesson to be learned here is that Valerian could've been amazing if the cast was as good as in Fifth Element.
Really useful feedback, thanks.
That said - would you be complaining about Lorelaine being "a joyless hardass" if her character was male?
(Obviously haven't seen the film and based on the comments after yours it sounds like she goes beyond the pale a bit.)
You will probably enjoy it more than a fan who loves the source material since the movie is taking crazy liberties with the characters.
AgentOtaku
Member
Coin Return
Loose Slot
Saw this last night. As someone who loved The Fifth Element, I thought this was hot garbage. Miscast leads, predictable story, and the third act dragged on forever.
Haha, yes. I would say Valerian is almost as much of a joyless hardass. He's never really jokey or playful. They try to write him as a bit of an unconventional rebel, but the only time he loosens up is when he's trying to convince Laureline to date him. And even then he's not so much being charming as he is trying to browbeat her into a relationship. His breakthrough moment in the film involves Laureline convincing him to break protocol and not do things by the book, and even there it's not clear whether he's had a legitimate change of heart or if he just changes to impress her. It's a lot better than the sudden "But I love you!" moment at the end of Fifth Element, I guess.
Spoke too soon.
Jon Carter
Member
In the US, Dunkirk seems to be clogging all the IMAX screens unfortunately. I know it's in IMAX in France though.
Yeah, it went down to 62% now.
US isn't get IMAX because Dunkirk. Other countries are getting IMAX which is said as a USer.
Hope you're not posting in the middle of the movie!
That says almost nothing.
Reviews from local newspapers will probably be hitting today and tomorrow. I don't think they will be as kind as the enthusiast press has been.
Theodoricos
Member
Sad to see The Fifth Element get hated on - that's such a fun movie. Amazing visuals too. Hoping for the same with Valerian, though the lead actor certainly doesn't have Bruce Willis' charisma.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Meh, I saw the movie as a teenager in the theatre, and mostly enjoyed it, but holy fuck that ending was lame, and that honestly ruined the movie for me. Eye candy doesn't change that.
element
Member
Saw it last night.
Very pretty. Overall the CG was very well done.
Starts off strong, but loses steam in the 2nd and 3rd act.
Really fails in that there is almost zero chemistry between Valerian and Laureline.
Ethan Hawke was a fun.
Worth seeing just for how pretty it is, but really falls apart due to the lifeless cast.
Very pretty. Overall the CG was very well done.
Starts off strong, but loses steam in the 2nd and 3rd act.
Really fails in that there is almost zero chemistry between Valerian and Laureline.
Ethan Hawke was a fun.
Worth seeing just for how pretty it is, but really falls apart due to the lifeless cast.
IbukiLordSA
Member
Just got back from seeing the movie and it was great. I really enjoyed it, the set pieces and designs were fantastic.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
I watched and loved it as a child but after watching it later in life I don't like it nearly as much. It's just kinda ok. Equal parts good and bad ideas.
Yeah, I was actually hoping that Ethan Hawke was going to become this film's version of Rhuby Rhod. He's fun and funny without being screechy and obnoxious like Chris Tucker.
Also, is there an OT or Spoiler thread for this film? Or are we just going to discuss the film in the review thread?
Also, is there an OT or Spoiler thread for this film? Or are we just going to discuss the film in the review thread?