The Fifth Element is a delight from beginning to end not just because it is one of the most visually adventurous films of all time but because it encapsulates everything that great cinema should be, and that is moving, clever and most of all fun. The film tells the story of Corben Dallas (Bruce Willis) a taxi driver in the 23rd century who used to be a secret agent. He is recruited to complete another mission, this time to save the world from an extremely powerful entity heading for earth. To do so he needs the help of Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), a mysterious woman who speaks an ancient language and can eat an insane amount of roast chicken. He is also assisted by an old priest (Ian Holm) and an inconsiderate shock jock (Chris Tucker). The film has a wicked sense of humour thanks to a great script which keeps the film trundling along at an exhilarating pace while never making the film hard to follow. The script (co-written by Luc Besson) not only emphasises the themes of the film but also sticks them in your mind so that by the end you have a plethora of lasting thoughts and emotions. As stated about, despite the films depth and pace it is never hard to watch. In fact its one of the easiest viewing experiences because the film works on so many levels. From a light hearted actioner to a serious commentary on love and religion the film just works. The direction by Luc Besson is flawless as the action sequences have a perfect fluidity to them. The finest part of the film however is the score which is unconventional yet incredibly powerful with the finale being a perfect example of how well it works. The depiction of the future is peculiar but stunning at the same time thanks to some inventive cityscapes (thanks to some impressive CGI that still holds up 15 years later), intriguing aliens, intriguing new technologies and most of all the costumes (by Jean-Paul Gaultier). The costumes capture the tone of this wondrous new world perfectly while still maintaining a sense of reality (nothing beats a good suit, even 200 years in the future). The film still delves into the idea of the future as dystopia but it never feels heavy handed as the film concentrates on the action most of all. The fact that Besson does his up most to ensure the movie is fun, ensures that it is, with the cast always looking like they are having the time of their lives. Speaking of the cast there are some standout performances with both Jovovich and Willis being great leads. In fact it is most likely Jovovichâ… Expand

This is my absolute favorite movie of all time. There are no slow scenes in the entire movie. I find myself gkued to the screen every time I watch it. It is also a Sci-Fi lovers paradise.

Awesome awesome AWESOME MOVIE! It's clever, well-acted, hilarious and everything else you can think of.

After watching this movie, I had to sit back and literally say out loud... WTF was that? What genre can you even describe this movie as? Sci-Fi? Nope. Comedy? Maybe. Super-colorful-fun time? Yes! We have a winner. Bottom line, don't watch unless you are watching it to laugh at it.

Bravo to Kevin Thomas. This film is great fun and what is even better was it was made so that no sequels would follow at a time when sequels seemed to be rolling off the shelf. Gary Oldman, Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich all clearly enjoyed working with Luc Besson along with Chris Rock who has to be commended for wearing those, umm outfits and hairstyles which alone were worth laughs. This is two hours of fun which is not to be taken seriously and is clearly meant to be family fun. Perhaps the other film critics who felt the need to moan at this creative fun should take their brain out of the fridge or maybe actually stop being tight and go and see the film they have written about. This is unlikely as that would actually mean film critics earning their salary!… Expand

Why did I watch it?
A friend gave me this to watch after I had watched Blade Runner and mentioned that having previously seen neither, I had always mixed the two up. Problem solved.

What's it all about?
Set in the future, Bruce Willis stars as a taxi driver (of the flying variety, naturally) accidentally caught up in an almost farcical battle to save the Earth from evil. Faced with a thousand year old prophecy coming true, Korben Dallas (Willis) helps scared and almost-nude alien Milla Jovovich defend Earth by racing evil magnate Gary Oldman in the search for four prophetical elements.

Should you watch it?
Don't let the premise put you off. Yes it's surreal and almost ridiculous but Luc Besson's near fantastical sci-fi adventure is an enjoyable ride with bags of style to spare. Production design was handled by a pair of French comic book creators and costumes were designed by Jean Paul Gaultier.

Willis and Jovovich are instantly likeable as the leads, Oldman plays the wonderfully over the top enemy and Chris Tucker injects another dose of craziness every time he appears as the extravagant motor-mouth radio host Ruby Rhod. Besson creates some great scenes, visually, Leeloo (Jovovich) going out onto a window ledge and giving the audience their first view of the futuristic city and musically, the Diva's opera edited together with an action sequence.

Enjoyable and amusing sci-fi romp with a great cast.… Expand

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this movie. Chris Tucker was hilarious, the action was impressive, and the plot was very original. The Fifth Element is a classic.

While watching The Fifth Element, Europe

An underrated gem. I laughed at Salon.com's review almost as much as I laughed at the movie... on the contrary, it was Scott Rosenberg's review that was overbearingly pompous. Besson has an incredible visual imagination... and the Fifth Element is beautiful because of it. Willis portrays the most sensitive and reluctant action hero of his career, and Jovovich's supreme being manages to be both tough and vulnerable. Gary Oldman gives us one of the most sympathetic sci-fi villains in film history. Visual effects were not top-notch, but neither deserving of harsh criticism. The script had a few weakness, particular towards the end of the film, but come on! It's meant as entertainment, not as Bildungsroman. Overall, the best-executed camp sci-fi movie ever made.… Expand

With dubious plotting, an undisputably daft idea of the future and irritating 50's b-movie style camp merged with a dated 90's European cinema look, The Fifth Element is still worth watching for its tongue in cheek humour, Bruce Willis' typically likable hero and for simply how unique it is. Whether for good or bad reasons, you'll never see another film like this again.

Corny, yet strangely likable. The battle scene is pretty good. Visuals...the best. Push aside some cheesy moments, and you can enjoy a light-mooded film.

This movie sits easily in my Top 10. I like sci-fi & kung-fu, and this movie has both. I also like techno music, and it has that. Top it off with Bruce & Milla, and you've got one hell of a fun movie.

It's a ton of fun, and not for everyone. But if you're a Bruce Willis, Chris Tucker or Gary Oldman fan, this is a can't miss. I have watched this over and over and this is a great example of a reason to see a movie for yourself and forget the critics!

If you are true Sci-Fi fan, you will appreciate 'The Fifth Element.' It's an extremely bold attempt at making something totally unique and fun. I think it succeeds in many ways. This is on my top 10 list of favorite movies of all time.

Absoloubtley fantastic film! It's got all your favorite actors/actress rolled into one!

Mila jovovic je fantasticna Brus Vilis savrsen a muzika ..... inspirativno i neponovljivo izvodjenje Lu?ije di lamermur.

This is one of the few movies in my home collection that I have watched to "death". I am not a Bruce Willis fan, but I do love this movie. Gary Oldham plays a great bad guy and Chris Tucker keeps me in stitches (yes I am easliy amused).

Unfortunately, I'm among the haters on this one. I just wan't able to enjoy the movie as a fun/campy future pic. For me there was just no 'there' there.

I give this 9 for the spoof it is. The people who rate this low don't get the movie at all. They simply take it too seriously. It's a complete and utter spoof of serious sci-fi flicks. Everyone knows love isn't gonna stop a gigantic meteor from destroying the earth, but it has to have a corny twist doesn't it? That wouldn't make a spoof if it didn't have that little bit of "groan a corny love scene". The music in my opinion was so fitting to the plot and the diva dance/leeloo fight scene just totally blew me away. I love the soundtrack, very well put together. Gary Oldman did a spectacular performance at being the pathetic bad guy. Bruce Willis upheld his reputation of being an action movie stud, and Milla Jovivich was both sexy and beautifully complicated. Chris Tucker was wacky and eye bulged (as usual) playing the outrageous VJ, his mystifying sexual appeal just added to the bizarre atmosphere of the film. The humour was dry and even a bit weak at some times but Overall I really really enjoyed this movie. And that's what movies are here for, to entertain us right? … Expand

I really liked this show, its plot, characters, message and music. Jovovich was so good. I was able to overlook a bossload of quirky awkwardness. I will not diss this show. But Bruce Willis? He is so used to being cast as a violence prop with the social grace of a serial two-parking-space hog that he never seemed to get out of that character. It is beyond preposterous that the human race would be saved by the love and tender devotion emanating from the compassionate heart of the cinematic equivalent of a professional wrestler. No, really, not even John Lennon could Imagine all the people, living life in peace because Bruce would whack em over the head with a folding chair if they didn't. … Expand

This is the best movie that I have seen. It has all the elements that I enjoy in a movie. While the acting is not the greatest, it seems to have a certain charm about it.

Yes, this movie was very strange, but it was a very good element with great acting and special effects. Has some great humor at parts. Bruce Willis is great.

This movie is cool! Don't take it too serious and it will be one of the best sci-fi ya ever seen. Bruce W. plays cool again :) I like 5th element.

What can I say? This movie is epic for its time and is underacted.

This film is a hodgepodge of so many things, all very stylized without being too intense in any one area. It is campy, but that is half the fun. It has so much color and omph that you can watch it over and over. So go and enjoy this sci-fi romp!

One word: OMG! Wacky aliens, an awesome looking New York City, Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman in one of his strangest performances to date. Also, Milla Jovovich as Leeloo; *wolf whistle*. Also it has great lines, some of which I quote on a daily basis (MULTI-PASS, chicken GOOD!). One of my favorite movies EVER!!!!!!

The Fifth Element is one of those films that just strikes a chord with me. Luc Besson's as-always stylish and energetic direction, his wacky and colourful vision of the future, and the plethora of weird and wonderful characters we spend time with over the course of the narrative all make it a very rewarding viewing experience. Bruce Willis' Korben Dallas is basically John McClaine dressed by Jean-Paul Gaultier, but still makes a very entertaining, relatable protagonist. Milla Jovovich is as her very best as the ass-kicking "supreme being" Leeloo, evolving from childlike innocence early on in the film to face her destiny as a weapon against evil. It's the relationship between Leeloo and Korbin that gives the film its emotional heart, and thankfully Jovovich and Willis get it spot-on. Gary Oldman's Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg is a great villain even by his standards, and among the best performances of his career (only just pipped to the post by another villain, corrupt cop Stansfield in another Besson film, Leon, and his recent scene-stealing performance as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) - the limping, flamboyantly dressed arms dealer and tycoon is comic and scary in equal measure, and Oldman appears to relish the role. Ian Holm is also good as Vito Cornelius, a priest and guardian of the secret of the five elements (and the antithesis of Zorg in characterisation terms), and Chris Tucker provides much of the film's comic relief as the camp, ego-centric celebrity DJ Ruby Rhod. I've no idea why Luke Perry gets top billing in the credits - his character, an archaeology assistant named Billy is only in the film for about five minutes - even Lee Evans is in the film for longer, and he's only got three or four lines! Longtime Besson collaborator Eric Serra provides a brilliantly catchy electronica-based sci-fi score that is nearly as bonkers as the film's story. While the film is extremely enjoyable, there are a few plot holes, and a couple of ideas that are a little underdeveloped or that don't quite work. That said, The Fifth Element still has a lot to offer - it's a sci-fi-fantasy thrill-ride with great character performances, strikingly creative production design, great effects (especially for a European film), an abundance of good gags and some very entertaining set-pieces. If it weren't for the stunning Leon, this would be Besson's best film.… Expand

It's hard to top the imagination and ambition of The Fifth Element. The film is simply a fun ride that the greatly entertaining, Luc Besson takes you on.

PERFECT! This is my all-time favorite movie bar none! I recently got it on DVD, and was worried that it wouldn't live up to my exalted memories, but no worries, this movie has withstood the test of time! Which is pretty amazing for a sci-fi flick - one might expect outdated effects to weigh it down, but this is not a problem at all. I'm not clever enough to explain just what makes this movie so amazingly wonderful, but it's got it all - plot, action, humor, imagination, music, sex appeal! It's nothing less than a feast for the senses! There is a scene that jumps back and forth between a fight and an alien opera performance that just has me smiling all way through. Just PERFECT! And if you've seen this movie, you know what PERFECT means. ;-) And one more thing: Jean Paul Gaultier was obviously born to design the wardrobe for this movie. His wacky clothes fit the bill perfectly, even though they would be completely out-of-place anywhere else! If you haven't seen this movie yet, I humble suggest you do so at the earliest opportunity.… Expand

One of the best movies and seen in my life.

Probably my favorite movies. It's far from being brilliant, I can even say its trashy at time, but there is just so much here that I utterly love. This is the ultimate Sci-Fi movie that stay very true to that concept. Everything is just so over the top that its a marvel to watch, almost like witching Scorsese on LSD. Also one little detail that many people don't notice that almost never happens any movie I have ever watched, is that the main hero (Willis) and the main villain (Oldman) never meet throughout the whole film. Not a big thing, but a curious one. Overall: a great Sci-fi romp that just never fails to entertain me. I absolutely love it!… Expand