New York cab driver Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) didn’t mean to be a hero, but he just picked up the kind of fare that only comes along every five thousand years: a perfect beauty, a perfect being, a perfect weapon (played by Milla Jovovich).  Now together they must save the world by avoiding the evil forces (one played by Gary Oldman) that follow them.

CRITIQUE

Watching The Fifth Element, one would not be surprised to learn that a teenager conceived the story.  The film is a visual blast, and a lot of fun to watch, but it is also so unabashedly goofy that it is hard not to roll your eyes in certain places.  Scenes feel like they could use some revision, as though they were dreamed up in the midst of an adolescent comic binge, committed to paper and never changed.  (Fittingly, two French comic book artists, both inspirations for Besson, created the look of this futuristic world.)

None of that is meant to say that The Fifth Element is a bad film.  There is a visual feast going on here that demands to be seen.  The film is a jumble, though, with scenes that don’t work well following scenes that are truly remarkable.  The story opens in Egypt, in 1914, with an archeologist and his assistant excavating an ancient tomb, a tomb that holds four crucial stones.  A spaceship arrives to take the stones away, saying that they are no longer safe on Earth.  From there we cut not to a battle or some other ominous opening, but to New York City in the mid 23rd century.  The buildings reach to the sky, the living conditions are grungy, and the overall vision feels like something more truthful than the typical utopian/dystopian sci-fi clichés.  The city is dirty and over populated, making everything else about life that much more difficult. 

The story continues from there, eventually becoming something akin to Buck Rogers meets Don Simpson.  The actors do well with the material, taking it seriously but having fun with it at the same time.  Chris Tucker is a standout as DJ Ruby Rhod, but there is too much of him late in the film when the focus should be on everything else we have been building up to.

The visual effects are the real starts of the film, the street scenes in futuristic New York being the standout.  The Fifth Element is a feast for the eyes above all else, and we are never disappointed.  Even seven years after its release the effects hold up.  (And isn’t it interesting how with each new “breakthrough” in visual effects, the less realistic they look?)  The effects are so seamlessly blended into the rest of the action that they take on a rare life of their own.  The Fifth Element is a great film… just as long as you don’t think about it too much.

THE VIDEO

The Fifth Element is presented in the original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio.  The picture on this disc is amazing.  The colors are sharply rendered; the blacks and whites are especially clear.  The way the visual effects are blended with the live action photography is flawless.

THE AUDIO

This Superbit DVD offers some amazing audio options: DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1, both in English.  The audio quality here is superb, making this the perfect disc to show off your home theater system.  The effects are sharp, and wide dispersal is used throughout the film.  Subtitles are also available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Thai, and Chinese.

THE EXTRAS

The Ultimate Edition bonus material is more detailed than anything we have had on this film up to now.  With more than two hours of material, nothing in regards to the evolution of this film is left unturned.  In addition to the featurettes, each “Element” contains previously unseen camera tests and outtakes.

The Visual Element: Two famous French comic book artists, both of whom inspired the young Luc Besson, talk about their work and how they came to create the look of the 23rd century, the world of The Fifth Element.

The Digital Element: Effects wizards from Digital Domain, the house that did the special effects for the film, give away some trade secrets and tell us how they blended live action footage with computer effects.

The Star Element: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, and Chris Tucker talk about how they came to be involved in the project, working with Besson, and how they prepared.

The Fashion Element: Designer Jean Paul Gaultier talks about creating the costumes for the film.

The Diva: Maїwenn, the actress who played The Diva, talks for the first time about creating the role.  We also get to see footage of her full performance for the first time.

Fact Track: A feature length subtitle track.  When activated, interesting facts about the film pop up throughout.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Fifth Element is a fun, escapist film that still holds up years after its initial release.  The story moves along quickly and the actors do well with the material.  The Ultimate Edition DVD release features an unparalleled audio-video presentation, and the bonus material is incredibly detailed.