Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Parent Guide

What do Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planetsand Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace have in common? Both movies can be accused of spending too much effort on special effects and not enough time on story development. (Valerian is based on a French graphic novel series, so one would think the screenwriters should have had plenty of material to work with. Still, something gets lost in the translation.)

Set in a far distant future, Earth’s former space station is now a mega city called Alpha. It has been set afloat in the cosmos and is inhabited by at least a thousand different species who live together in peace and cooperation. A collaborative government of some sort has been established to spread order in the rest of the universe as well. Agents Valerian and Laureline (Dane DeHaan andCara Delevingne) are part of this intergalactic, military-style task force.

In this film, the partners are sent to retrieve a stolen replicator. The quick mission unexpectedly turns into something much longer and more complicated when another attempt is made to pinch the valuable article. While trying to protect the hot property, a connection is discovered between it and a sinister threat embedded deep in the heart of Alpha. Valerian and Laureline are determined to untangle the mystery behind the much sought-after object, even after they are separated and meet with the disapproval of their superiors.

As the flimsy plot unfolds, the characters have ample opportunities to meet a vast array of aliens, who are depicted in CGI glory. (Some of these are unique, but others look a lot like creatures seen in science fiction flicks like Avatar and the aforementioned Star Wars.) They transverse a variety of spectacular environments (also computer generated) and take on multiple, fantastical enemies. The bulk of the production’s time is spent depicting the heroes in perilous situations, where battles and skirmishes occur, and characters are shot, injured and killed. While these depictions are bloodless, they are plentiful and the body count is senselessly high.

In between the action sequences and a smattering of profanities, Valerian and Laureline engage in flirting that consists mostly of verbal banter, innuendo and a couple of kisses. Although Laureline protests Valerian’s past sexual conquests, her demands for honorable behavior and a committed relationship aren’t very convincing. Other sexual content includes the scanty costuming on most of the female cast, and especially on a seductively-dressed sex slave (Rihanna) who works in a brothel and amuses her costumers with pole dancing and sensual moves.

Instead of a strong script or believable character motivations, this movie aims to distract its audience with amazing visuals and technical wizardry. If you come expecting popcorn entertainment, you will get an ample helping. But like those fluffy white kernels, the experience is filling, just not very satisfying.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.