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Movie Brief: Valerian and the City of A Thousand Planets

Movie Brief: Valerian and the City of A Thousand Planets

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Movie Brief
July 20175384Views

The costumes and styling are out of this world!

I consider this one of the most visually appealing films I’ve ever seen. Is it cinematic gold? I would say no, but that doesn’t take away from how much fun it is to watch. This feature is funny, sparkling, and I’d have no problem taking a child to see it. It began on a high note, then descended into a seemingly long, patched together group of ideas with lackluster acting to carry it through.

Plot: Valerian is based on the long loved comic book series and adapted for screen by The Fifth Element’s (1997) Luc Besson. Far away in the 28th century, a peaceful planet’s serenity is in danger. Agents Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are sent to face a danger that threatens the safety of the universe. They meet all kinds of life along the way, and they learn more about each other on the journey.

Engagement: As a follower of fashion, it was difficult to look past Cara Delevingne’s model behavior. I love Cara the model–her face and her walk are fierce. But in the film, I consistently felt that I was watching a model attempting to act. It wasn’t good and I just couldn’t get past her flat delivery of lines and uncomfortable attempts at emotion. Even her famed bushy brows–as beautiful as they are–couldn’t help her pull it off. As for Dane DeHaan, he was too reminiscent of Keanu Reeves.
However, I felt his performance was appropriate for a PG-13 audience. Songstress Rihanna–I love her, but her presence felt unnecessary and odd. The poor acting was an interruption and I didn’t see chemistry–only when an extraterrestrial was in the scene did I feel a connection. They were all levels of cute, funny, creepy, and frightening. The action scenes will keep you engaged, as they were well-placed and not overdone–just enough to keep me glued to the storyline.

Style: I would lie flat in the road for some of these looks, that’s how gorgeous they were. This includes feminine frocks and skirts, but also the federation uniforms and many of the extraterrestrials’ ensembles. I love anything military-inspired, so I’m always pleased with the uniforms in sci-fi. Yes, there was the commonplace tribal meets the cosmos apparel. Yet, I expect this “past and future” way of dress is something humans will always gravitate toward. This was a fashion win, and 3-D so nicely allows inspection of garment construction. I’d visit an exhibition of all the costumes if I could.

Release date: July 21st

RADAR RATING

RADAR RATING
7.5

Plot

 7.5/10

Engagement

 5.0/10

Style

 10.0/10

Pros

  • Costuming
  • Cinematography

Cons

  • Plot
  • Engagement
Source:STX films/EuropaCorp
Deanna Timberlake

Deanna Timberlake

Deanna is a Chic Spy Asset who currently resides in sunny Orlando. She loves discussing fashion industry news and business. Her dream is to attend a Chanel runway show with Karl Lagerfeld at the helm.