The main plot kicks off when Valerian has a vision of a lost paradise planet, Mul, destroyed by a mysterious weapon. He discovers that a surviving race of peaceful humanoids, the Pearls, are hiding in the lower depths of Alpha, being hunted by a ruthless Commander (Clive Owen) who is covering up a past atrocity.
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5 – A visual masterpiece hampered by its leads, but essential viewing for hardcore sci-fi fans.) Have you seen Valerian? Do you think it deserves a sequel? Share your thoughts below, or check out our deep dive into the art of Jean-Claude Mézières. Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - E...
What follows is a chain of heists, chases, and dimension-hopping adventures, including a trip to the interdimensional market of "Big Market," a sequence that has already been hailed as one of the most inventive chase scenes in sci-fi history. If you are searching for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets – E xperience, the keyword here is visual fidelity . Besson, working with cinematographer Thierry Arbogast, created an aesthetic that feels like a living comic book. 1. The Big Market Sequence This is the film's crown jewel. Valerian must retrieve a converter from a creature in a parallel dimension. To do so, he dons a special suit that allows him to exist in "our" dimension while his hand reaches into the other. The editing is frantic, the colors are neon-drenched, and the choreography (mixing live-action with motion-capture) is flawless. 2. The Pearls of Mul The design of the Pearls—tall, graceful, amphibian-like beings—is a marvel of makeup and CGI. Their homeworld, Mul, is rendered with bioluminescent flora and peaceful waters, creating a stark contrast to the industrial underbelly of Alpha. 3. Alpha Itself The city is the true protagonist. Divided into distinct biospheres (from a medieval kingdom to a water world to a techno-futuristic hub), Alpha feels alive. Besson fills every frame with thousands of visible details, alien languages on neon signs, and creatures designed by the late Mézières himself. The Controversy: Casting and Chemistry No article discussing Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets can ignore the elephant in the room. Critics and audiences widely noted that leads Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne lacked romantic chemistry. The characters in the comics are a married couple, equal partners in wit and combat. On screen, DeHaan’s Valerian comes off as a cocky teenager trying to impress an older sister (Delevingne). The main plot kicks off when Valerian has
In the pantheon of 21st-century science fiction cinema, few films have dared to dream as big—or as colorfully—as Luc Besson’s 2017 adaptation of the beloved French comic series, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets . While the film received mixed reviews upon release, focusing heavily on its casting choices and dialogue, a growing contingent of sci-fi enthusiasts has since reappraised the movie for what it truly is: a groundbreaking visual spectacle and a love letter to the source material that inspired classics like Star Wars . Do you think it deserves a sequel