I took time out from other obligations to see this flick today.
First, it's mostly a environment oriented special effects production. The world around the characters often changes dramatically in the literal blink of an eye. I would also point out the action takes place in *two* highly diverse (weird) cities, not one.
The plot has some issues, but is also more complex than what you would expect from a movie like this. I found it annoying that the bad guys identity, though not his motivation, was practically written across the screen in big glowing letters early on. Almost as an afterthought is one of the most vicious, intense space battle scenes I have seen, topping those in 'Battlestar Galactica' and 'Star Wars.' The 'why' of that battle is barely even hinted at.
To me, the MC's - Valerian and his female sidekick - could have been better developed. The former is a major league skirt chaser who (almost) inexplicably changes his ways, while the latter is the classic 'ice queen.' Many of the secondary characters were better developed character wise. Notable ones include the clueless tourists, a Jabba style crime boss, several soldiers, two or three members of a badly wronged alien race, a impressive shape-shifter, a drunken submariner, a trio of alien information brokers, and well, better stop there.
The movie did end with sequel potential: a very capable foe of Valerians vows vengeance for the agents interference in the first part of the movie; and I have no difficulty envisioning further issues arising from the space battle sequence, despite it taking place way in the past.
First, it's mostly a environment oriented special effects production. The world around the characters often changes dramatically in the literal blink of an eye. I would also point out the action takes place in *two* highly diverse (weird) cities, not one.
The plot has some issues, but is also more complex than what you would expect from a movie like this. I found it annoying that the bad guys identity, though not his motivation, was practically written across the screen in big glowing letters early on. Almost as an afterthought is one of the most vicious, intense space battle scenes I have seen, topping those in 'Battlestar Galactica' and 'Star Wars.' The 'why' of that battle is barely even hinted at.
To me, the MC's - Valerian and his female sidekick - could have been better developed. The former is a major league skirt chaser who (almost) inexplicably changes his ways, while the latter is the classic 'ice queen.' Many of the secondary characters were better developed character wise. Notable ones include the clueless tourists, a Jabba style crime boss, several soldiers, two or three members of a badly wronged alien race, a impressive shape-shifter, a drunken submariner, a trio of alien information brokers, and well, better stop there.
The movie did end with sequel potential: a very capable foe of Valerians vows vengeance for the agents interference in the first part of the movie; and I have no difficulty envisioning further issues arising from the space battle sequence, despite it taking place way in the past.