Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, Léon: The Professional, Lucy) directs this sci-fi adventure set mostly in the 23rd century, about Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), a flying-cab driver and former special forces major, who rescues Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), a beautiful young woman who may be the key to saving Earth from a great evil that arrives every 5,000 years.
The plot involves a secret weapon: four classical elements (earth, water, air, fire) as well as a fifth element contained in a sarcophagus. It’s all very complicated, but suffice it to say, Korben becomes Leeloo’s protector, and thanks to a rigged radio contest, the pair are awarded a luxury vacation aboard a flying hotel where the story’s grand finale takes place.
With amazing special effects, costuming by French haute couture and Prêt-à-porter fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, and a killer soundtrack, this film is a spectacle. Willis is at his irreverent best, Jovovich strikes the perfect balance between sexy and innocent, and machinegun-mouthed Chris Tucker is kinetic as DJ Ruby Rhod. It’s both goofy and emotionally resonant as Leeloo learns more and more about human culture and begins to wonder if we’re worth saving after all. Not a new idea, but effective. (126 min.)
—Glen Starkey
