Overview
Released in 2017, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a lavish sci-fi adventure that dazzles the eye. Luc Besson wrote and directed the film, drawing on the French comic Valérian and Laureline, created by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézires. Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne star as the title characters, while Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke and Rutger Hauer flesh out the supporting cast. Its ground-breaking effects and rich world-building have made Valerian one of the most ambitious films to come out of Europe.
Rumoured to have cost between $180 million and $205 million, the picture holds the record as Frances priciest release. The budget matched Bessons goal of pairing eye-popping spectacle with a warm, character-driven tale, a balance he first admired in the comic that inspired generations of space operas.
Plot Summary
Set in the twenty-eighth century, the film unfolds within Alpha, a vast city in space nicknamed the City of a Thousand Planets. Originally created as Earths International Space Station, the habitat expanded for centuries and now shelters millions of beings from every corner of the cosmos. These diverse species coexist, trading ideas, technology, and customs in a city where countless languages fill the air.
At the heart of this bustling world two human operatives, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne), carry out orders for their governments galactic police. Their latest assignment sends them in search of a legendary animal called a converter, the final one in existence, because its unique biology enables it to duplicate any object it swallows. The little creature is bound to the gentle Pearl people, whose home world vanished under shadowy circumstances no one has fully explained.
During the hunt the agents peel back layers of secrecy and discover that Commander Arün Filitt (Clive Owen), their own superior, orchestrated the catastrophe that reduced the Pearls planet to rubble. Now the survivors hide in the depths of Alpha, striving to rebuild their shattered culture while desperately needing the converter to help mend the loss of their future.
At the films high point, Valerian and Laureline bring the hidden facts to light, enabling the Pearl people to look forward with hope. During that same breath-taking sequence, their own partnership shifts; Valerian says he wants something more than friendship, and Laureline insists he show hes serious.
Main Cast and Characters
Dane DeHaan as Valerian: A talented but brash field agent, Valerian chases orders and glory yet quietly falls for the partner who keeps him grounded.
Cara Delevingne as Laureline: Quick-witted and resourceful, Laureline pushes back against Valerians bravado and pairs his quick action with cool reason and steady courage.
Clive Owen as Commander Filitt: The honored leader of the troops, Filitt conceals a painful truth about the Pearls world-ending catastrophe.
Rihanna as Bubble: A heartbroken shapeshifter performing for tourists, Bubble uses her special skills to aid Valerian at a pivotal moment.
Ethan Hawke as Jolly the Pimp: Colorful and eccentric, Jolly first links Valerian to Bubbles dangerous show.
Rutger Hauer and Herbie Hancock round out the cast in small but memorable parts that enrich the films cosmic power-play.
Visuals and Direction
One feature audiences routinely praise is the films bold visual style. Luc Besson, who previously wowed viewers with The Fifth Element, pours the same wild creativity into Valerian. His team builds the space station Alpha with state-of-the-art effects, introducing lush biomes, myriad alien life forms, and sprawling future metropolises. In contrast, the Pearls home world glows with soft pastels and calm water, offering a peaceful counterpoint to Alphs frenetic neon halls.
Action scenes feel almost choreographed to music, blending inventive camera angles with smoothly integrated CGI. In one memorable chase, Valerian hurtles through a multi-layered bazaar, skipping between dimensions and giving audiences a dazzling, labyrinthine adventure.
Costumes and creatures mirror dozens of handed cultures, adding layers of curiosity with each new shot. Every single frame brims with fine detail, inviting close study by fans of rich, immersive world-building.
Themes and Symbolism
Unity Through Diversity: Alpha becomes a hopeful model of what species can achieve together when respect reigns and knowledge flows freely. The idea echoes throughout the story, gently urging viewers toward inclusion and cooperative action.
Redemption and Forgiveness: The pearl people, stripped of their world and betrayed by the humans, still pick forgiveness instead of revenge. Their dignity sharply highlights the greed and corruption shown by the films authority figures.
Love and Trust: Valerains clumsy courtship of Laureline runs through every scene. Though she brushes him off at first, danger forces them to depend on each other and, along the way, learn what trust truly means.
Environmental and Colonial Critique: The brutal fate of Mül and the scramble for its last resources mirror real-world colonial land grabs and ecological harm, urging viewers to think about past and present abuses.
Reception and Legacy
Upon opening, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets earned mixed reviews. Critics marveled at its lush visuals and wild imagination, yet they panned the clunky script and lack of spark between the leads. Many agreed the film dazzled the eye but left character arcs and story threads hanging.
Stateside the film struggled, clearing barely $45 million. Overseas, however, audiences responded better, and global earnings climbed past $225 million. Even so, the hefty budget meant Valerian failed to break even and has since been labeled a box-office letdown.
Even so, Valerian has attracted a modest but dedicated fanbase that admires its world-building and daring look. Industry insiders frequently mention the film as a prime example of a passion project that expanded the visual lexicon of contemporary science fiction, even though mainstream ticket buyers largely stayed away.
Conclusion
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets presents an audacious space opera that swings for the fences in both story and spectacle. While the screenplay occasionally stumbles, the picture remains, nonetheless, a compelling testament to Luc Bessons larger-than-life artistic ambitions. For those who delight in expansive lore and vibrant, immersive universes, it supplies a rich cinematic journey brimming with breathtaking imagery, inventive alien societies, and an optimistic note about the strength found in diversity. Though box-office numbers did not mirror its visual success, Valerian nevertheless occupies a distinct and striking place within the modern science-fiction landscape.
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