Valerian (Spoilers)

[Pex]

Not even knowing what was going to happen beforehand or even the plot of the movie, watching the film open on a planet of Absolute Paradise of beings One With Nature on a sunshine beach of Peace, Love, and Harmony, I knew they were going to be annihilated. It was too obvious in cliche. Not that I'm against it, but it would have worked better for me had it been a more realistic or relatable world. Have a mini-plot where we're supposed to care about characters we're introduced to resolving some conflict then BOOM! It would affect the later revelation that the planet was thought to be uninhabited, so another cover-up would have been needed to be written. I'm ok with that.

I did like the montage of how Alpha evolved, from the first US-China union then the welcoming of other countries and eventually alien species. It was cool how even the scary looking ones came in peace just like the others and all were welcome.

I appreciate that even though Valerian had a cad personality he was still competent, a Good Guy, and never humiliated for humorous or Lesson Learned reasons. Laureline is his partner and equal. Minor inferences about her gender specifically but never She-Woman Hear Me Roar to prove a point. She's a strong character but not obtrusive. The movie was about her as much as Valerian, and it was even that much about Valerian. The overall story was important.

The BBEG was a caricature. It was obvious his robot goons were going to attack the police force at the end of the film when they first appeared. However I did like he was a Conspiracy of One in terms of those in charge. The Second In Command was Honest True oblivious of the matter, and as he found out the truth maintained being on Team Good Guys. It would have been nice if at the end they showed us choosing to side with Valerian despite the lack of DNA confirmation, but the decision was made for him when the robot goons attacked under the BBEG's orders. Still, they showed him wanting to stop the set-up attack. He gets his moment of respect. The BBEG did hint the Human Government knew what happened to Muel, but I'm left with the impression only he was involved in keeping it a secret the way it was done for the plot.

The cynic in me was expecting the Muel threatening to rebuild their world at Earth's expense as revenge, tricking Laureline. It was left unknown where the Muel plan on rebuilding their world, but since they were quite impressive of their Forgiveness I'll take at face value they aren't planning to claim Earth as recompense.

[Bartmanhomer]

I saw the movie last night and this is what I think of the movie. There was a lot of sci-fi action in this movie. Also there was a lot of dialogue in Valerian as well. Also the special effects was mind-blowing. It was a great movie overall. I'll give this movie a four of of five stars. :smile:

[Razade]

Honestly...I was less than impressed with the plot. The villain just...being so obvious from the moment he's on screen was kinda boring and killed any real tension. The fact that his motivations were so...banal made the whole event transpiring even worse. We're not told what the fight was even over that destroyed Mul (the species were called Pearls by the way) or who they were fighting which I think is a much more important bit of information than anything we actually say in the film. The City of a Thousand Planets has over 8 million species dwelling in it. Who the hell is Earth fighting and why aren't their millions of allies helping in that regard?

The fact that the Pearls are even a threat or enemy is obviously wrong from the get go since no one tries to hammer home how terrible it is they're getting annhilated only then to turn around and go "these are your villains for this sojorn". Add on to that the movie very clearly had large chunks of its story ripped out in editing, the whole thing flows...just miserably. The Rhianna cameo and the strange tribal species side quest really felt...needless...we could have used a little more show and a lot less tell when Valerian, ham fisted, says "Yeah I think that Princess is guiding me". It comes out of nowhere, it's not really addressed until the final bit of the movie and...it just continues to erk me how terrible the exposition of the movie was. The crime boss in the beginning swearing vengeance that came to nothing was also strange. Seemed like there was going to be a lot more of him or similar but...he just disappears.

I wish they'd done more with the movie. The start in the transdimensional market was great. It was clever, the characters were interesting and engaging, there was humor and action and everything one might want out of a movie. But then we get to the city and it becomes stock standard Sci-Fi by numbers with a dash of HUMANS ARE ALWAYS EVIL. Really kinda disappointed. Went in hoping for this generation's Fifth Element. Walked out with...nothing really.


There was a lot of sci-fi action in this movie.

A lot of sci-fi action. In a sci-fi movie. Wonders never cease.

[Cazero]

I'm waiting to see it to form a complete opinion, but I'd like to remind viewers that this movie is a comic adaptation. Fanservice that appears pointless to non-initiated viewers is to be expected.

[Bartmanhomer]

I also notice the emperor feminine voice in that movie. Did anybody else notice that as well. :smile:

[Talwar]

It looked great, when things were moving slow enough that I could see them. The opening montage was neat and effective, or at least the latter part was (we were late).

The lead characters and their actors were neither convincing nor particularly appealing. The story was undercooked and yeah, there were a few lengthy sequences that seemed irrelevant until the end of each.

I still don't see any value in the 3D thing. Apart making me mildly nauseous during the swoopy big market sequence, it just continues to make things look more artificial than non-3D.

[Jeivar]

This movie had great visuals, great imagination, and as an action-adventure story it certainly works.

BUT...

I found the leads completely unlikable. They are supposedly super-trained, super-seasoned government agents but act like bratty 15-year-olds, wasting time bickering about their supposed romance during crisis situations. And the love story itself made me want to bend over in the theatre and eat my own kneecaps to distract from the pain. Valerian himself was a boring manchild, and I cannot fathom why the actor constantly used that comedy dudebro voice.

I will admit that I found it strangely refreshing that the authority figures were neither trigger-happy, evil, or incompetent.

[Cazero]

Now that I've seen this movie...
<=This guy has read some of dem original comics. The following post may contain traces of ranting. You have been warned.


While I have a variety of minor issues (dat pacing, ceremonial space hats, the transmuter is supposed to be grumpy...), my biggest complaint is on the romance. It had all the subtlelty of a steamroller and Valerian introduced it in a borderline sexual harassment way. I have no objection to making it more fast, explicit or obvious than in the comics (where it's not explicitly stated but eventualy becomes easy enough to guess), but this was going way too far.

The introduction felt a bit too long but really conveyed the right feeling of space-magic. That was some Valerian's style world building. And then our heroes never stepped on the planet. Huh?

The market scene was great. Except the part where everyone in the support team die horribly and our heroes don't give a ****. That was weird.

No Galaxity and no time travel. Bummer.

The infodump on Alpha was helpful for us viewers, but it really felt weird in that context. Frankly, Alex. They're special agents of Alpha asking for a status update since they left. You don't need to tell them basics like "lots of alien species here" or "these aliens have always been very well integrated since they showed up decades ago".

The three informant dealers were just perfect. The exact right amount of snark, smugness and greediness coating some actual concern for their friends favorite customers. Exactly like in the comic.

For some reason, I was expecting a very different kind of tracker alien medusa. One I saw in the comic. But then I was also expecting time travel to show up at some point.

So, wait. The deadly radioactive red zone wasn't really dangerous to begin with? How can anyone cover that up if there are inhabited areas right next to it?
There is an entire alien specie that have made a custom of abducting and killing every human getting too close to their territory, and humans are the one risking a diplomatic incident if they show up? How does that work?
A metamorph is convinced she has no true personality because she has no face of her own, but is still obviously identifying as a she? How come she doesn't know better?
Plot hooooles !

Obvious villain was obvious. But he was still refreshing in an unexpected way. When he confirms the attack order you know that he sincerely believes everything he just said about preserving human presence in Alpha. He's not a selfish scumbag trying to conceal his war crimes to avoid jail, he's actualy a well intentioned extremist with awful insight. That was an interesting motivation twist.


All things considered, it was a pretty good adaptation. Except the romance. It made Valerian look like an obnoxious teenager and Laureline look cold and annoying because she was putting emotional distance between herself and the teenager Valerian.

[Starbuck_II]

I thought it was decent. I would have liked more characterization on others, but the movie was good.

Did think having that whole team they worked with die was bad. I mean, made me wonder if this was supposed to be grimdark like 40K. But the comedy moments were there too.

[Tvtyrant]

I was a little irritated with the whole romance plot.

For one thing they clearly acted like they had shagged before, and Valerian was trying to turn it into a relationship by claiming to have changed.

Edit: which is bothersome because otherwise Valerian is creepily clingy and her treating it as a mild irritant rather than multiple attempts at initiating sexual encounters by someone she rejected is fairly spineless. It is less creepy and makes more sense if they are FwB and what she objects to is starting a relationship with Mr. One Night Stand.

For another the movie gained nothing from having a romance plot, and I felt like it hurt the more interesting plot that Valerian tries to be in charge but clearly shouldn't be.

[Ranxerox]

The review that I read of this movie said that if the cantina scene was favorite part of the Star Wars: A New Hope then you would like this movie. Well, the cantina scene was my favorite scene, and I did like this movie.

Admittedly, I enjoyed it more for it cool and visual creativity than the actual story or main characters. It is a beautiful example of the adage that bad movies make great game settings. Not that it is really bad, but it certainly not great. Yet, I will remember this movie and be swiping stuff drawing inspiration from it long after I have forgotten much better movies. So, for it me it was completely worth the price of admission.

[Talwar]

Yeah, I wasn't feeling the romance at all. Didn't see what either person was attracted to in the other, wasn't buying Valerian as a lady's man, and the major/sergeant thing gnawed at me too.

[Reddish Mage]

When he confirms the attack order you know that he sincerely believes everything he just said about preserving human presence in Alpha. He's not a selfish scumbag trying to conceal his war crimes to avoid jail, he's actualy a well intentioned extremist with awful insight. That was an interesting motivation twist.

I have to disagree with this characterization of the general 100%. Valerian himself immediately calls bull**** and says "you just want to save your own ass." The general's explanations are given precisely that sort of short-shrift, and we get nothing but the general's bombasidy to suggest that humanity would suffer.

The thrust of the narrative is that the general will take the fall for his actions and he knew it. Any thoughts he had to the contrary was just coming up with excuses or practiced rationalizations for the cover-up.

[GrayDeath]

Great: Visuals, Feeling of a true, living Multispecies City/Galaxy, Rhiannas Cameo, some comments, the Three Stoo...ahem Infobrokers

Good to average: overall Acting, Soundtrek, some fresh ideas (the semisubverted plot for example)

Bad: The obviousness of "I know where this is going"regarding most of the plot, useless stuff like the Barbarian episode or the obviously forced ROmance, as well as the feeling that at least 20 minutes of the movie are missing.


Overall: very entertaining, fantastically looking movie, that could ahve been great with more care/another half hour of "important stuff".

Ah well, still liked it. :smallcool:

[georgie_leech]

The opening had me interested. That is, the bits where the space station was getting set up, and it kept growing as a visual symbol of the greater unity of mankind, and then humanoid aliens showed up, and then not so humanoid aliens, without all sorts of ham-fisted "multicuturalism is good, 'kay" narration to beat us over the head with. Made me excited to see a sci-fi movie with subtlety, exploring new worlds and-

What's that? Obvious garden of eden planet with peace loving perfectly balanced-with-nature space-elves/merpeople? There's gonna be a giant "War is bad" thing isn- and there it is. Okay then.


**dials back expectations**

It was alright for a hammy space opera. The effects were spectacular, the whole thing had the sort of grand scale you need for a proper gonzo space journey, and the supporting cast might not have been especially well-written, but they were at least sufficiently quirky in the way that I love about adventure stories. Just, as echoed above, go into it without expecting too much from the writing. Strangle your suspension of disbelief and stick it in a closet somewhere, and enjoy a popcorn-munching action movie.

[BWR]

Finally got to see it yesterday and it was basically what I expected and hoped for.

Amazing visuals. Pretty much everything on screen was a pleasure to look at. True to the comics, outlandish visuals and weird cultures abounded.

Plot: again true to the comics, the plot wasn't deep or convoluted, it just did what it needed to do. A bit fighty-er than most of the comics, but nothing excessively so. Bonus points for the second in command on Alpha being a sensible and moral person.

The leads: The choice of DeHaan as Valerian was bad. He couldn't sell the part and was pretty boring to look at when he wasn't being annoying. Delevigne was good and pretty much nailed to role. Apart from the annoying overly played sex and 'marry me' plot (which the comic does have, if far less in your face or annoying) the characters were true to the source material. Valerian is good but a bit less intelligent and a bit less observant than he thinks he is, while Laureline is the brains of the operation.

My major gripe, apart from deHaan, is how they reduced the two to mililtary spec ops instead of the time-space agents they are in the comics. These two things and no Galaxity are a stain on an otherwise nearly perfect movie, both for entertainment value and for how to adapt a comic to the big screen, and I can even see the rationale for not adding the time travel bits. In short, the movie was obviously written and created by people who loved the comics.

[Tvtyrant]

Finally got to see it yesterday and it was basically what I expected and hoped for.

Amazing visuals. Pretty much everything on screen was a pleasure to look at. True to the comics, outlandish visuals and weird cultures abounded.

Plot: again true to the comics, the plot wasn't deep or convoluted, it just did what it needed to do. A bit fighty-er than most of the comics, but nothing excessively so. Bonus points for the second in command on Alpha being a sensible and moral person.

The leads: The choice of DeHaan as Valerian was bad. He couldn't sell the part and was pretty boring to look at when he wasn't being annoying. Delevigne was good and pretty much nailed to role. Apart from the annoying overly played sex and 'marry me' plot (which the comic does have, if far less in your face or annoying) the characters were true to the source material. Valerian is good but a bit less intelligent and a bit less observant than he thinks he is, while Laureline is the brains of the operation.

My major gripe, apart from deHaan, is how they reduced the two to mililtary spec ops instead of the time-space agents they are in the comics. These two things and no Galaxity are a stain on an otherwise nearly perfect movie, both for entertainment value and for how to adapt a comic to the big screen, and I can even see the rationale for not adding the time travel bits. In short, the movie was obviously written and created by people who loved the comics.
Speaking of space-time agents, this movie feela much more like MiB than any other movie Ibhave watched. Buddy space cops plus the same focus on showing a wide variety of mostly inhuman aliens we don't learn that much about over very humanish aliens (marvel, star trek, star wars).