Valerian And The City Of - A Thousand Planets - E...

Critics argued that the film needed older, more seasoned actors (some suggested a young Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich, reprising their Fifth Element vibe). The age gap (DeHaan was 30, Delevingne 24) isn’t the issue; it is the energy . Besson’s dialogue—fast, quirky, and European—works best when delivered with a wink. DeHaan does not wink; he broods.

The plot kicks off when a mysterious dark energy begins destroying sectors of Alpha. Valerian is sent on a retrieval mission to a forbidden zone to recover a rare creature—a converter that can replicate anything it eats. Meanwhile, Laureline uncovers a conspiracy involving missing ambassadors and a forgotten war crime. The duo eventually discovers that the threat to Alpha comes from the Pearls of Mul, a peaceful race that was nearly exterminated by a human commander years earlier. The “evil” ravaging Alpha is actually the Pearls trying to retrieve a last living converter to revive their homeworld. Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - E...

Besson’s genius in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is how he introduces Alpha. The opening sequence, set to David Bowie’s Space Oddity , shows the station growing from a small module to a massive organism through a montage of diplomatic handshakes and dockings. There are no words of exposition; it is pure visual storytelling. We see a pearl-diving alien race (the Pearls of Mul) visit humanity, and we watch as the station accretes species like a coral reef. By the time the title card appears, the audience understands exactly what Alpha is: a fragile miracle of multicultural coexistence on the brink of collapse. The narrative follows Major Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Sergeant Laureline (Cara Delevingne), two operatives of the human government. They are a classic bickering-couple duo: Valerian is a charming but cocky womanizer desperate to marry Laureline, while Laureline is pragmatic, sharp, and perpetually annoyed by his advances. Critics argued that the film needed older, more

You require tight pacing, believable romance, or gritty realism in your space adventures. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets remains a testament to the power of a singular vision. Luc Besson wanted to show us a universe where a thousand species live together under one roof, and he succeeded. That it stumbles on the human element is almost ironic—in a city of a thousand planets, the hardest thing to write is a good conversation between two people. But for those willing to look past the cracks, Alpha is waiting. And it is glorious. DeHaan does not wink; he broods

However, in recent years, viewers watching the film on streaming services have warmed to the pair. Removed from the hype and high expectations, the awkwardness becomes endearing. They feel like two coworkers forced to save the universe, which, narratively, they are. While the leads struggle, the supporting cast soars. Clive Owen delivers a delightfully slimy performance as Commander Arun Filitt, the human leader with a dark secret. Ethan Hawke steals his entire scene as Jolly the Pimp, a flamboyant, frog-like alien running a shape-shifting cabaret club (featuring a memorable cameo by Rihanna as Bubble, a polymorphic entertainer). Rihanna’s dance sequence, where she shifts through ten different forms in two minutes, is genuinely breathtaking—a silent film-era performance within a CGI blockbuster. Themes: Colonial Guilt and Ecological Collapse Beneath the neon lights and laser fights, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets has a surprisingly heavy conscience. The Pearls of Mul are not warriors; they are peaceful, empathetic creatures destroyed by human greed. The human general’s excuse—"We thought they were enemies"—is a direct allegory for real-world military mistakes, from My Lai to drone strikes.

This article dives deep into the making, the universe, the triumphs, and the shortcomings of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets , exploring why it remains a cult classic in waiting. Before Star Wars , before Dune , there was Valérian and Laureline . Created by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières in 1967, the comic series ran for over four decades, influencing virtually every sci-fi creator who came after it. George Lucas has openly cited Mézières’s designs—specifically the bustling city-planets and worn-down spaceports—as direct inspirations for the Star Wars universe.