"Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" braves into the world of science fiction, a realm that is often difficult to portray. However, when done correctly, it could be worthy of praise.
Luc Besson, director of the critically acclaimed "The Fifth Element" and "Lucy," takes the helm for the new sci-fi film. The movie revolves around the characters Valerian and Laureline, space and time-traveling agents who are charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. Little do they know that there are those who do not share in the human race's quest for intergalactic peace.
The official trailer for the film has left everyone in awe with the spectacle it brought. The two-minute clip indeed was able to do its work by teasing the viewing audience, wanting people to know more about the film.
In a video review, YouTube hosts Evan Dollard and Greg Alba shared their thoughts on the preview. Throughout the teaser, they were applauding and expressing their excitement as it aimed to be ambitious but in a good way. Moreover, they noticed it had elements where it took inspiration from other sci-fi films.
They said the quick teaser showed influences from "The Fifth Element," "Star Wars," and even "Avatar." This was derived from how crisp the effects were, pointing out the facade of the aliens up to the gun that creates a solid platform to jump on to.
What was also good about it was the mystery that shrouded the two characters. Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne looked pretty much like the protagonists in the trailer, but there was something odd about their portrayal that anyone of them could go south and side against the other. It can prove to be a surprising twist to the film if it was the case.
Despite the short cameo in the clip, Rihanna stole the spotlight by shapeshifting literally at the drop of a hat. She plays the role of Bubble, an entertainer in the movie. Besson told Entertainment Weekly: "Rihanna was my first wish. First, because of her voice and the way she smiles and looks and how she expresses herself. Second, because you know she won't be intimidated on the set. She plays stadiums with 100,000 people. You know that girl isn't shy about the camera and the crew and all this."
"Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" hits the theaters on July 21, 2017.
