With “The Fifth Element” and “Léon: The Professional”, Luc Besson has delivered two defining films of the 90s. The brightly coloured blockbuster with Bruce Willis, which is being shown on TV this Sunday, is one of the best films in the sci-fi genre for us.
If there is one European filmmaker who had a lasting impact on the cinema landscape of the 1990s, it is probably the Frenchman Luc Besson. After his masterpiece “Léon: The Professional”, which is still a regular in many lists of the best films, the colourful sci-fi blockbuster „The Fifth Element“, which will be broadcast today, September 6, 2024 at 8:15 p.m. on ProSieben. If you like popcorn movies, you should definitely tune in.
If you want to watch the film without commercial breaks or in the original English language, you can also switch to Blu-ray, 4K or DVD:
“The Fifth Element” on Amazon*
This is what “The Fifth Element” is about
In 2214, New York City is a truly futuristic sight: the skyscrapers are higher than ever before and traffic now takes place with flying cars. In the middle of this urban juggernaut, former elite soldier Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) works as a taxi driver. Recently divorced, Korben secretly dreams of meeting the perfect woman. As luck would have it, the almost perfect Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) falls into his lap.
It soon becomes clear that the woman is a higher being who was sent to earth to stop the evil. This being is approaching from the depths of space and is pursuing a sinister plan. How Leeloo should proceed is not entirely clear. And suddenly Korben has to protect his new companion from the police, the army, the crazy priest Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm) and the devious Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman)…
An over-the-top science fiction fun
“The Fifth Element” has long since become a classic of the sci-fi genre. The makers’ vivid imagination and wonderfully offbeat ideas ensure spectacular fun from start to finish. We even consider Luc Besson’s over-the-top fun to be one of the best sci-fi films of all time! Our official FILMSTARTS review also gives “The Fifth Element” a very good rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
Our author Martin Soyka has a lot of praise for “The Fifth Element”. Even if the story itself doesn’t really make sense to him, it offers something wonderfully visually powerful: “The film has unparalleled visual appeal and does not need to shy away from comparison with non-European competition.” Above all, the design of the city is clearly based on “Blade Runner” – just with light and no clouds of fog.
The entertainment factor is also increased by the fact that Luc Besson does not forget the humor: “Although ‘The Fifth Element’ is not a comedy, it still makes you smile. After a comparatively serious beginning in the past, the exaggerated future offers enough starting points for the viewer to delight in the image of the present, which is exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness.”
In summary, we can say: “Overall, ‘The Fifth Element’ has become something very unique. Easily consumable, not unintelligent, funny, fast-paced and told with tremendous chutzpah. […] The film seems like an homage and a caricature of all action films at the same time.” With that in mind: If you haven’t seen “The Fifth Element” yet, you should definitely do so.
Looking for another sci-fi highlight? Then FILMSTARTS editor Markus Trutt has the right tip for you:
Stream tonight: Bombastic sci-fi action in the most successful “Star Trek” blockbuster of all time
This is a re-publication of an article that previously appeared on FILMSTARTS.
*The link to the Amazon offer is a so-called affiliate link. If you make a purchase via this link, we receive a commission.
Luc Besson’s Sci-Fi Masterpiece: “The Fifth Element” - A Classic of the 90s
In the realm of science fiction, few films have made as lasting an impact as Luc Besson’s “The Fifth Element”. Released in 1997, this visually stunning, action-packed, and humor-infused blockbuster has become a staple of the
