Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: Review

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets sees the latest creation from legendary director Luc Besson. Adapted from french comic book series Valerian and Laureline - Dane DeHann stars alongside Cara Delevinge as the intergalactic operatives racing to identify the unknown dark force threatening space station alpha. 

​A visual milky-way electrified by no limits of imagination. Exploring the outer bounds of space and despite similarities on the surface, Besson's latest adventure breaks new grounds in the superhero-sci-fi category. Seemingly a parallel lies between Valerian and the creatively abstract Star Wars and Star Trek. With page to page accuracy from the fabulously quaint comic series and smart creative control from its director - Valerian is a gleaming star amongst its iconic competitors. 

On paper - both DeHann and Delevinge are as pretty and they are compatible. Although a slight imbalance of character growth, there is a midpoint in which you realise the two work magnificently. DeHann suffers not only a lack of charm but has clashing traits to the usual hero template - never the less providing something a little different. Whereas Delevinge proves she is certainly not just a character actor. Offering her finest performance yet - Delevinge amasses all, redeeming herself from   the indifferent Suicide Squad, given her celebrated acting debut in paper towns - adding the extra unique spark Valerian needs.

It's easy to pass Valerian as yet another throw away, popcorn romp; with phenomenal visuals - Valerian sparkles a unique adventure of its own. Whilst it may not achieve the emotional, thought provoking impact of Besson's earliest masterpiece 'Léon', the originality lies within the imagination rather than the complexity of the narrative. Besson paints an entirely new and unique cinematic world, interplaying between the story and its characters - not just a picturesque backdrop in order for the movie to play against. Visualised through jaw dropping cg-effects, polished of with some abstract shots and dazzling colour- Besson brings his trademark style to this intergalactic adventure. His noticeable arrangement of costume brings out the radiant colours in each shot. 

The only thing that restrains Valerian from zooming comfortably into light speed is its a time muddling plot. It may just be the unique way in which Besson adapts the source material; caught up in all the enjoyment, the plot seems to slip away for a large enough portion of the last act. A long with a few script issues - including some out of this world cheesy quips - with a few nips and tucks Valerian would've been almost as special as I already thought it was. 

Forget Girls Trip - Valerian is the biggest surprise of the year. Boasting interstellar effects, driven by Besson's creatively inspired perception - Valerian is a stellar sci-fi movie nobody asked for yet we all deserved. Delevingne offers sass, class and is bad ass - DeHann maybe underwritten - but the two work wonders as a likably quippy pair. Weird wacky and colourful with a few minor plot issues - Valerian bursts limits of imagination. 

I am going to give Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets:

8/10