Cinephile № 1,188 “The Fifth Element”

Recommendation: 3/5 Stars, STREAM

Plot: “In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr. Zorg at bay.” -IMDB

Review: The Fifth Element was released in 1997. I watched it for the first time last year at home, and again with a crowd at a local movie theater here in Seattle earlier this year. I don’t know why it took me so long to cross paths with this movie. Perhaps, based on the trailer, I had a sneaking suspicion this film would not be for me. Maybe there were other movies to see. There are always movies to see! Whatever took me so long, I finally arrived at the party, and brought a review with me.

Like marbles scattered across a wooden floor, this movie is all over the place. It spans centuries and reaches across the depths of our galaxy. It has aliens, an arms dealer, and opera. It flirts with multiple genres and tones. It is part science fiction, action film, drama, and an oddball adventure. It doesn’t make sense until you realize it is desperately trying to be a comedy above all else. Once you view it through this lens, its story becomes so much clearer and enjoyable.

The plot of this film is pitch perfect 90s. It has everything you would expect from the decade of abundance. There is a singular tool to…