Incredible video as always! You never cease to impress. However, and this is a bit nit picky, but when mentioning the 2017 Mummy movie you state that is was "the beginning of Marvel's Dark Universe" I believe you meant "Universal's Dark Universe". might want to add in an annotation to correct that, or not it's really your decision and only a small error.
They cast Dane de Haan who looks NOTHING like the original comics version of Valerian - Think a drawn version of Chris Evans, just not as muscular! - ... and unfortunately acted nothing like him, either. I think he was (a) too young physically (Valerian was in his early 30's ) and (b) inexperienced as a serious actor. But Cara Delevingne -aka Miss "Unibrow"- I didn't have any real problems with, while she wasn't perfect, she was more than adequate, but the miscasting of De Haan was what killed it - he needed to be one of two central characters, and he was, essentially, a charisma-free vacuum.. and he had almost zero "Chemistry with Cara. - Other than that I really enjoyed it. (mostly because it so reminded me of The 5th Element"...)
What you described, @@nemo-x,actually does make the movie alot better. I am completely unfamiliar with the Valerian source material. So that is why I kinda sorta liked Valerian. It is good enough to me not to be hated, but also not loved either. It was ok to me.
Neither. He comes off as a near-adolescent cadet in a future world (the opening sequence gives us an idea of how far in the future) where they start them real young and immature, like in Messier"s comic. Your wasting your time if you came too see a charismatic adventurer with tons of experience.
I watched the film just one time, back when it first opened. According to the story, the lead stars are supposed to be the best agents of the most elite law enforcement agency in the galaxy. As such, I would expect them to be competent, professional adults. Instead, they came across as a couple of immature teens. It killed any believability and made the whole movie feel ridiculous.
I think it was the two leads complete lack of charisma, with either the audiences or each other. Plus MANY were confused and thought the leads were siblings within the story.
Kris B from the trailer I thought it was going to be a sibling sci-fi adventure story (which I thought was a fresh new approach). Then got immediately disappointed that they were just lovers. And not an interesting one too. They seem very bland.
After seeing the first trailer I thought they were siblings too, I tried not to watch anymore trailers because I was pumped for the movie after reading about the source comic series
For me the problems was the casting. I read some of the comics. The characters were adults. Then when I saw the movie previews, I thought "who are these kids?" They came across as high schoolers rather than the age the characters were in the comics.
@@LordMoebius But they looked like kids, so it doesn't matter what their actual ages are. I was half expecting their parents to show up and ground them or something.
Hollywood does that shit all the time. They’ll cast people that look 12 to play adults and adults that look 40 to play teenagers. I’ve always lost my immersion because of shit like that. Valerian looked like a nerdy highschooler trying to be a bad boy.
It flopped because of the two leads It flopped because instead of it being a grand scifi space opera, it was a love story set in the future It flopped because the central plot sucked It flopped because it was about teenagers pretending to be adults
The only Valérian fans I know are sci-fi fans in their late forties. Apparently the film feels like a 200 million dollars fanfilm, which was not a good idea. It is indeed doing well in France though, but I think that Luc Besson's name is a stronger pull than the actual property.
+chasseurdetoile yes, I'm one of them. When Mezieres came to my country for the first time to sign last year, I was virtually the only one in line. It was then that I realised how few people even knew Valerian. I just don't understand. It's one of the best science fiction comics ever. The art style is probably too old or not flashy enough or something.
Valerian (the source material/character) is probably comparable to us Americans as Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon. Yeah, really old properties that don't have a large fanbase clamoring for them to be made into movies right now. Reminds me of the decision making behind the last Lone Ranger remake or John Carter (why they changed the title from Princess of Mars, I don't know). Seriously? Hundreds of millions for untested properties? Caveat emptor.
: It flopped because the actors didn't look the part they where supposed to portray. They didn't look the part, and they didn't play the part, and For some dumb reason they decided to treat the film it like it was a "young adult" novel. It would have been WAY better if we had gotten a serious movie instead of this teen-flick.
It did shitty because the two leads are totally unlikeable. That Cara Delvigne woman is pretty but has absolutely no charisma. She and that Dane Dehann guy are like watching a cardboard box.
As someone who grew up with the comics, I felt they didn't really fit the roles well either, though some of that can be blamed on the script, which does often make the characters unrecognizable.
Unlikeable lead actor, wooden lead actress, terrible, generic fight scenes, forgettable plot. The script should have been a $20m b movie, not a $200m blockbuster.
@Lola Montez Well they should save the special effects for movies that were already good before the special effects. Valerian would not have been worse if it had a lower budget and the special effects didn't make it any better.
The male lead was neither fit, charismatic, or in any way convincing as a womanizing secret agent. Even the way he talks to his partner seems more like an awkward highschooler than a confident adult. The female lead seemed like the type of person that everyone would ask "who the hell invited her?" If you saw her at a party. She's attractive but seems too confident to the point it appears too contrived and not at all natural.
Rick Harris well the female in the comics is Also very confident. Much more than the Valerian so that part is faitfull to the comic. Valerian is more like funny sidekick in the comics while Laurelin is the brains and driving forse in the team.
@@haukionkannel Much of the humour in the comic is that Valerian thinks he is the main character and Laureline his sidekick/love interest. That is comletely missing in the movie.
For a character that was meant to have done as much Valerian was far too young, as a recent addition Laurelin was only just old enough, therefore making it difficult to create the "suspension of disbelief" that any film needs. I do not know the comic series and I think the film should stand alone without need for reference, I once watched a thirty minute short film that then needed and had a twenty minute explanation film before it started to make sense - how ridiculous is that!!, the action was OK, Laurelin was easy on the eye, it wasn't a BAD film and I am sure it will develop a following, I enjoyed waterworld despite its errors, sometimes you have to watch something as entertainment and Valerian falls into the same category.
Strange casting. I was not familiar with the source material but when I saw the trailer, I instantly thought the two lead characters were brother and sister. I still think this, though I know now they were supposed to be lovers. Did no one making the film see this? Must be a French thing.
Nah, in the original french comic. Valerain is bigger, has a chiseled chin, etc and looks like an actual man in his 30s. It's also a comic that was written in the 70s originally so men are drawn to look like men and women like actual women. Laureline is smaller and with almost elfin features. A big casting mistale even though I like De Haan as an actor.
In the comic they look like Han Solo and Leia. In fact, Star Wars took a lot of inspiration from these comics. I also think they looked and acted like siblings in the movie. I think it would have been a better movie if they were siblings instead.
Ever since the trailer my immediate response was "why do these two veteran operatives look like high school kids?" The characters are meant to be well trained and experienced but the casting choices make that so jarring as to be unwatchable for me.
Glad I'm not the only one that though so, I was very confused when I learned the characters were supposed to be a couple, if you had a movie with a brother/sister lead duo, you couldn't do better short of casting an actual brother and sister
agree... I didn't see anything convincing or chemistry by the actors playing their parts, and for some reason Valerian just looks like he needs a doctor the entire time!
MISCAST! Valerian in comic books is more like a galactic 007 (literally an "interdimensional agent"), carismatic and handsome, and Lauraleen is his strong female and beautiful partner, and the chemistry between both is awsome. In the film, Lauraleen appears as an angry teenager, and Valerian as her little brother, that want desperately to have sex with his sister. The couple of main characters are without any doubt the worst of the film. Please, read the comic instead.
I have heard that the actress playing Laurelin got the part because of family connections. I would not be surprised if the Valerian actor got the part in a similar way. Neither seem to be appropriately cast however.
I guess 20-somethings are too mature to compare this performance to. (I'm sure I didn't get that because I live in the sticks where 60 year-olds still act like bratty teens.) Don't suppose this film flopped because of all the diversity triggers, or the rise of populist fascism against leftist ideals, or because the next closest sci-fi flick that season was Jupiter Ascending and audiences were still cringing from that mess...
Yep! When the boy was referred to as a Major it just seemed ridiculous, and when he was propositioning the girl I was half hoping her Dad would make an appearance and teach him a lesson for trying to put the moves on his underage daughter.
Honestly, I didn't bother to watch because the two main characters in the trailers seemed so uninteresting and awkward. I hate to say, but this guy is definitely on point in saying that the lead actors are partially to blame.
I agree. Also, they look nothing like their comicbook counterparts in appearance and personality. The 2 main actors are the sole reason I won't watch the movie. The comicbook Valerian and Laureline are sacred to me.
Nothing wrong with the lead actors. There performance is underestimated. Main problem: too much big movies at the same time: Dunkirk, Apes, Spiderman ... People have to make a choice, and those who don't have the money or the time to watch all those movies, don't want to admit they don't have time or money, and therefor they formulate their choices in a negative way by saying they skip a movie because it's a bad movie. But that's not true. In reality there is a huge abundance of good movies at the moment. And even if Valerian would be a bit less satisfactory: there are a lot of unsatisfactory movies who nevertheless made a ton of money. So, quality isn't even the issue. It's about marketing. And marketing has lots to do with power. Simply stated: Besson doesn't have enough power here in the States to get people to watch Valerian. Compare with the reactions to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Not all of them were positive. Quite a lot of the older viewers were not happy with it. But it didn't deter them from seeing it.
Yeah. The way the leads LOOKED definitely was enough to convince me to not spend money on this flick. I don't know why I got this strong of a reaction because usually I am fine with almost anyone at the roles.
I went to cinema to see it twice so far and I will certainly buy it once it's out on the blu-ray. I'd say that IT IS A GREAT ENTERTAINMENT, I have loved it, and in spite of its definitely not being a perfect affair, the film as a blockbuster feels fresh and fairly well-done for its day and time.
I remember going to a lecture series, and just about laughed out loud when the lecturer brought out her wife who looked like her clone. I've noticed since that some same sex couples are like twins. The same thing occasionally goes on with heterosexuals, but is less obvious.
They might have made their money back with two engaging lead actors. Dane DeHaan looks like a nerdy, effeminate teenage boy. Cara looks like a runway model (yes, I know that is what she is). Neither actor has much about them that makes you 'like' them. I just don't buy that Dane DeHaan is an elite, badass, space cop with a lady in every port (I'm not even sure if his character is straight). It's just bad casting.
Referring to Valerian as "space cop" really makes me want to see this movie remade exactly, but with Rich Evans instead of Dane deHaan. I bet it would actually be a lot better that way.
It was absolutely beautiful to look at and also had one of the best opening sequences with the handshakes over time and Davie Bowie’s Space Oddity...just awesome.
The biggest problem is that the main characters aren't adults. They are, technically, but (especially for the male lead) it's painfully obvious throughout the movie that they're ment to be much older than those actors are. In the entire movie, the other human charaters are much older than them. This makes perfect sense, because we're dealing with some big threats, so we meet a lot of high level, senior personnel, and obviously they aren't a bunch of 20somethings. And our main charater is supposed to be one of them. This legendary "spy" or whatever, the best they got. But he looks like a freshman in college. Doesn't act that way tho. He acts like he belongs, and like all the crazy shit they're doing is just another tuesday. It's less jarring with her. At least she struggles a bit, and she's only the best young, up and comming superspy, not the already established, best of the best superspy, so it'd make sense at least for her to be a little bit younger. Even the whole talk about marrige could have worked if those charaters were a bit older. It starts with their very first scene in the movie iirc, and apart from the fact that it isn't very "now" for lack of a better word, it just makes him look like an asshole who just wants one thing and doesn't know anything, rather than the experienced but jaded womanizer that maybe wants something more. Seriously, if you just imagine that scene wih some 40+ year old guy, it completly changes how you precieve the characters. Somewhere in the process they made the common mistake thinking that to appeal to young audiences, their protagonists had to be young too. But when you're doing a pretty faithful adaption of a source material where the charaters are older, that leads to all kinds of weirdness. Throughout the whole movie, there was great stuff that I liked, but the main characters are just jarring from the very beginning and throughout the whole movie. It's not the actors fault. They (especially him) just needed to be 20 years older and look the part. And it's not a coincidence that The Fifth Element had an older tough guy and a strangly powerful young woman as their lead characters. That movie borrows a lot more from Valarian than just the artstyle.
I agree so much. If you have a hero that is successful person in his\her own universe then they should look like that. I had to cringe each time they called him Major. He looks more like a Private before the drill. And the romance parts were so terrible. The atmosphere was like in Mr and Mrs Smith when they find out about each other secret. Just waiting for the right moment to bush the skull in of the other.
Yes, basically another case of cultural misappropriation. Not as bad as casting Japanese actors in the FMA live action movie was, but the some sort of silliness.
The whole marriage sub plot was so awkward. Why should we care if she says yes to his underwhelming marriage proposal casually tossed out like he was asking her what she wanted on her pizza? We don't know who these two black holes of charisma even are yet. The film needed to establish Valarien as a womanizer, show some of his sleezy exploits. He gets his new partner, instantly wants to jump in her pants but she's too savvy for that, sees through him. Over the movie we get to watch their relationship grow. Then, in the *sequel*, when we're actually invested in these characters, you introduce the marriage plot.
Believe it or not the male lead is in his 30's, so actually the actor is age appropriate (technically anyway). But you're right, he looks like he's in his early 20s at best
I thought their acting was just fine, I never felt like "oh I'm watching a movie/show". But I would have put these 2 actors in a.... Less "important" film. Give them something to get started with. Lastly, Young actors can be good, Pacific Rim 2, Interstellar, and a 3rd recent movie all had child actors that really enhanced their movies.
The comics were always like fireworks: wonderful rising action, stunning visuals, and ending as charred lumps hitting the ground unseen. Unfortunately, the film captured this very well. The main characters were never consistent in the comic: mature professionals in one frame, goofy kids in the next. In the comic, this seemed to hint at a character depth that never needed to be explored. In the film, the characters just lack individual cohesion. In the comic, there was a "bickering like an old married couple" vibe between the main characters that showed a strong connection while dispensing with the lovey-dovey stuff. The film replaces this with stalkerisms combined with genuine concern from one direction and unjustified affection combined with honest standoffishness from the other. The liberal humanism of the comic is also mostly swept under the rug in the film, which is a pity. And, what happened to their skin color? One thing that could have been explored in the film, but wasn't (probably for about 35 or so good reasons as well as some bad ones) is that Valérian was born in the 28th century, while Laureline was born in the 11th. This gives them very different, but not contradictory voices, morals, and outlooks. The counterpoints and common ground of their interactions set them apart from most comic heroes. Valérian has a "better not" attitude contrasting to Laureline's "why not?" attitude, and his troubled respect for humanity's history stands against her unimpressed annoyance with the relative lack of progress, just like his expertise in science and technology enables him to act where she is fazed by complexity and ambiguity. In the film, they are mostly the same intellectually and culturally, with a slight tendency to switch the roles of their interactions.
These are really interesting insights and reflections that probably help explain a lot of the mis-firings of this unfortunate venture. It also makes both the comic and movie more interesting. I might have to look into it all ... one day!
@@julianwarmington1267 It's worth a try, some day. But while a piece of my heart always belongs to this comic, it probably suits the very young better than the adults. The latter half of the story sequence might be more "grown-up": for my part I made my excuses and left after "On the Frontiers".
@@gold333 It never will be iconic. There is just too much problem with it. Fifth Element needed a weak to became iconic and it was a hit in the moment Korben Dallas woke up, that movie was awesome. This is a could-have-been. I understand you like it, but let's be real, how could it be awesome when it could have been awesome?
200 million bucks ain't something you just throw into a new movie about a 50 year old comic and hope to get profit... Though, I still blame the trailers and overrall advertising for the whole flop. I had absolutely no hype going in to see it, an I'm a sucker for sci fi space adventures
I recommend the comics instead - they are a timeless classic, and was actually a part of the visuals and stories which inspired Lucas to make Star Wars.
Reminds me of John Carter instantly. Very expensive, CGI-heavy blockbuster film based on a weird universe that takes a long time just to explain and flesh out. John Carter and Avatar are like complete opposites of how to make incredibly expensive new IPs.
I was fairly hyped by the first and more the second trailers to see it because of the visuals and filmed in 3D, but then the final trailer came out and showed it as some child-level comedy film and destroyed my interest to see it. I was quite saddened to see what was in the film from that trailer.
I loved this movie and so did my boyfriend. It was a super fun popcorn sci fi movie that just seemed so different and fresh at the time compared to other movies coming out that year. We have watched it multiple times since and it never stops being fun. People take the romance between the two leads way too seriously. We thought they were amusing (even if a bit weird). Plus the whole universe the story took place in was so interesting that any awkwardness between them wasn't enough to spoil the movie for us. The only weird part that maybe wasn't so great was the part with Rihanna. I feel like they totally could have designed her alien/character better. Anywho, we would 100% watch a sequel if they did one but I know that's unlikely hahaha.
I love this movie ! Seen it about 10 times, really don't get the negative reviews... Usually I'm very critical of movies that are just a spectacle and not much more, but this one gets a pass. So many great environments/aliens, just wonderful.
Judging by these comments, a lot of people were thrown off by the fact that the characters were/looked too young. In reality these two actors are adults, they just look like teens. I blame the casting directors 100%, not the actors
The marketing for this film was abysmal. I saw precious few trailers for it and the ones I saw only ever showed the spectacle and never gave us any glimpse of substantial character interaction. As dumb as audiences may seem, they do at least want SOME kind of characters to identify with, even if they are only shallow archetypes.
even in France, where I live the marketing wasn't done well at all, there was a documentary on how Besson created the movie at 10 pm, which is weird bc French tv isn't scared of over marketing whenever it is possible.
Most of the movie, I was wondering when the heck we'd see the alien we see at the start of the movie (A scene that lasts quite a while), would show up again, and who was this jerk we were following doing stuff that wasn't related XD
Congratulations on winning the Internet Retard Reward. "It's actually a really good movie if you ignore the story, the actors and the cinematics". Thanks for playing, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
I love quality Si-fi. The Fifth Element is one of my all time favorites, as is Leon (so I have nothing against the director) . I have a soft spot for space opera/fantasy, but try as I might, I could not get past the 30 minute point of this movie. I found my self hoping that the two leads would be killed horribly before the end of the scene, and when they weren't, I just gave up.
Same here Fifth Element and Leon are two favorites. I bought the Blu-ray of this movie and still couldn't finish watching it. Convoluted mess with sjw propaganda bullshit at its core.
That's a shame. Coming online after watching the film, I was genuinely surprised so many people had issue with the leads. They were goofy, weird and unlikable (in a 'good way'), something I haven't really seen before in a space opera. I guess the it was too unconventional for viewers, which I get. I love Besson's work (most things from Subway to Valerian), but the one I don't understand praise for was Lucy. Valerian gets ripped apart but Lucy, though very Bessonian, really feels like a flat, uneventful film with a boring lead?
I am lucky I was able to came off from the Besson movies when I saw the Taxi and then the Yamakasi, I still watched the Wasabi because of Jean Reno but that was it. I love Subway, everything in that movie is awesome, I watched many times. The Big Blue, Nikita then LEON, it is three home run. The Fifth Element is all time favorite he made it in 1997. So I was interested when I saw his name in the movie Taxi and Yamakasi and that was it. In 1997 he was the director I wanted to see more movies the most, in 2001 I didn't cared at all. He cashed his name in with those two terrible movie so I had no illusions with this movie. I don't know what happened to him. Subway, Big Blue, Nikita, Leon, The 5th Element is 5 of the greatest movies ever made. What the hell happenned. This is why I like Star Wars prequels, Star Wars was so loved people researched the subject so much I know what happened with Lucas. We should know this and more importantly future filmmakers should know this.
Besson is the most hit and miss director ever. When he’s great he’s really great - he gives you Leon or Nikita or The Fifth Element and when hes terrible he gives you Lucy and Valerian. Hes like betting on roulette.
I don't think it's completely impossible for an unknown movie to make it big. Look at the original _Star Wars_ . Every producer thought it was going to flop because it involved space, a big guy in a suit, and other weird stuff. _Guardians of the Galaxy_ was unknown to movie audiences, but it did well because of the smart writing, enjoyable characters, and overall great story. Of course box office results don't always translate to quality (more often than not), but that's why it's important to give certain films the attention they deserve.
That's exactly right. At the end of the day, a great film is the best bet for studios to make money. Big budget films with A- list actors don't always do well anymore. Competition can hurt a movie's gross, and so can its marketing. But I do believe that a great film will be marketed by the studio enough.
Ryan Hartwell I agree a good film is just a good film, it can be completely original with unknown actors....like Star Wars... Valerian is totally out there .. I love it.....
Ok, I know alot of people didn't like this film but I went to see the film with friends and I found it really refreshing. Its defiantly worth watching and im genuienly quite sad it flopped - I would love to see a sequel.
I loved it too! It was so much fun! I don't why people are taking it so seriously. I thought the chemistry between the leads was fine cause it felt fresh. Their dynamic was different than what you normally see and that made it entertaining to me. Honestly, I liked it better than the 5th Element.
I really enjoyed this movie. I think partially because it had brilliant HDR. I had no.idea it was from the same guy that made the fifth element but it makes sense now.
I've been collecting the Valerian stories since the first English language reprints that appeared in Heavy Metal. I've seen clips from the film, bought the DVD - being a completist, since the creators drew the series to a close a few years ago - and . . . I've not watched it. Basically, I can't believe in the two leads. From what I've seen, they are woefully miscast. The graphic novel versions of Laureline and Valerian have been well defined as characters since the 60s and are, distinctly, warmer personalities than the two leads in the film. Sadly, the film looks spectacular, the performances otherwise.
A series that started in the 60s actually wrapped up recently? Wow, it's oddly refreshing for something so long running to actually have an ending. That alone has sold me on checking out the series.
@@HOTD108_ Hi there. Well, relatively speaking, yes. Valerian et Laureline started as a comic strip in 'Pilot' in France in 1967. There, it's habitual that comic strips serialized in magazines get turned in collections in book form. The series went into English language translation in Heavy Metal magazine somewhere around the early eighties, and then softcover books, as with the French versions, each a self-contained story. Then there was an animated series - personally not seen, so I can't comment upon it - and the Luc Besson film. Cinebooks are - as far as I'm aware - still running English translations. The French originals were concluded by their creators, Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières' in 2010. The general flavour of the series has some similarities - more likely unintentional - with Doctor Who - which has been running since 1963, and although there was a gap when the BBC dropped the series, a continuation started up again in 2005 and is still running, next season with a returning showrunner, Russell T Davies. Both series, Valerian et Laureline and Doctor Who, had to appeal to a young audience, so therefore a child/family-friendly philosophy was built in from the start and many fans, travelling along with the characters, some since the beginning, have stayed with both, enthralled by the concepts and stories that both have been enabled with due to the time/space format and the engaging characters portrayed.
Valerian had it's problems but after seeing it in the theater, I liked it enough to buy it and have watched it several times. It's not a "great film" but I enjoy it all the same. Maybe it helps if you don't over-think it. Maybe Valerian is just it's own thing. Sure the leads were unusual choices, but what's wrong with the unusual? It was a hippie-trippy sci-fi fantasy. I was happy to take that trip with Besson. I thought the naive political messaging was silly but I'm willing to overlook that as well. Valerian is easy to pick apart but, if you just let that go, you might find you actually enjoy the film. Maybe you should smoke a bowl and watch it again. lol I would have liked to see a sequel of some sort but, if it doesn't happen, that's OK too. The 5th Element didn't have a sequel. For that matter, I thought the Blade Runner sequel sucked, even though the original film is one of my favorites. But, I'm not a "film critic."
You don't have to be a "film critic" to have your own opinion about this movie. I like this movie too, because it is somewhat fun to watch and it was enjoyable enough for me to say it was worth my money and time to watch it in theater. I don't mind the lead characters look a bit young, i give them a chance. For me this movie is not as bad as some people say and it is entertaining and has some great visuals, but thats just my opinion.
i enjoyed it to, but not as if it costed the gdp of some country xD and even tho "she cant act" i like Cara, but its a master piece compared to the last jedi. The new blade runner SUCK DAMN.
I do agree that despite the original blade runner being a good movie the sequel was just outright bad movie. Even though the two human agents where not perfect they largely did a good job in the movie. The romance between them is a bit cheesy but it is largely a minor plot point to the movie. The movie might of done better if they had shown more of the movie. I thought it was a good movie but the previews really did sell the movie.
Because it was fucking awful. I went to see this opening day because I really liked The Fifth Element and Leon The Professional (as well as De Haan in Amazing Spider-Man 2), but wow, I hated this one so much. I despised the way both of these characters were written and I hated how practically all the dialogue was about them and their romance that I despised, instead of the mission or the like. About HALF THE FILM wouldn't have happened if the "straight A" girl managed not to read the map UPSIDE DOWN, and I'm not even joking.
Wow. My joking comments aside, that 'reading a map upside down' sounds like something my brain's common sense wouldn't let me ignore. Like the chick in Jurassic World who runs in her heals, in the JUNGLE. Your comment made up my mind why I shouldn't watch this movie. Thanks.
Amen brother, the leads were just bad, it has nothing to do with them being not famous enough. leads were too pretty and too good at everything from beginig to end. No character development either. Just bad story telling. Besson made a bad film thats it - also Lucy was a shit film, last good film? almost 20 years ago. I think fame has just made him a lazy man with nothing to say or prove.
alwaysxnever yea I agree they do. what turned me off is that they look like siblings but they are supposed to be romatinc. Just bad casting overall I guess.
Even Avatar itself wouldn't be such a great hit, if not for the story. Yes, that story that people joked to be Pocahontas rip-off. Which it looks quite like, to be honest. But actually the story of Avatar is genius in its own right. Its simple to the point of primitivism, its naive, its a rip-off and probably some parts of it don't make sense. But it is also extremely easy to understand, makes perfect sense in context of the movie universe and it constantly leads somewhere. It is a simple story for a simple movie, just what Avatar needs. Its almost as utilitarian, as a story can be. So essentially this story, which is still an object of mocking for its simplicity, is like a crowbar or working mule - it is simple, it does its job and it does not need to look good to do it.
The behind the scenes footage doesn't help matters. The "We're having a fun and wacky time!" vibe looks contrived or even staged. Everyone also looks incredibly pleased with how cool and chic they think they all are.
The two leads celebrating in confetti and champagne with the director (?) while the rest of the staff just stand in a circle around them, clapping and smiling politely. Great team chemistry you got going there...
Yeah the 2 leads just broke this movie. I thought this was a teen movie, because they look so young. I finally got around to it and it feels like the 2 main chs should have been older looking actors.
Agreed, for me it was an greatly enjoyable film. A bit odd here & there, but then its a "Besson" film. Great imagination & eye-popping candy visuals, certainly with the Planet 'Mul' scene. And i'm sure i have read somewhere, that 'Besson', doesn't really care if the media or people didn't like it. It was what he wanted & envisioned to film & make as a movie. And has already written the scripts for the possible trilogy sequels. Although the sequels may hinge on how the public recieve the film.
Seems like the decision with this lead actor team was that they were trying to make the film relatable to young adult audiences... who generally would rather watch a crappy pirated version of the movie than pay $20 to watch it in theaters. I think it will maintain a long-term cult following though, because it's that good of a movie.
@@johncaccioppo1142 Good point, especially as Carla Delevingne is probably more relatable to the younger target audience. Other than that, i guess the film will have a minor, or more, cult following from the fans of the "Valérian and Laureline", French science fiction comics series. I do hope that "Besson" does go on to make squeals. Worth noting that even the The Fifth Element didn't fare particularly well during its theatrical release in the United States. And look at its status now!
I actually enjoyed it, it was passably good. What would have made it great is charismatic leads. I'd happily see it again though as there's enough interesting stuff in there, Rihanna's part was great.
It honestly kinda surprises me how expensive movies are getting. I mean, hundreds of millions of dollars, seriously? Dear dudes at Hollywood, just pirate Sony Vegas, buy a good camera off of Amazon, get a writer from Craigslist and get Anthony Fantano as the star and boom, you got a good film sure to make a profit! ;^)
Well advertisement also costs money to, even if your on a smaller budget, if no one is aware of your movie even if it's good then the box office will not be all that great.
One of the reasons is that I can´t believe those characters. They seem like teenagers, so many times is almost like watching some kind of spy kids in space. Would be way better with more mature actors instead.
@@nemo-x NOBODY would choose to remain that young - they'd at least wait until they'd fully passed puberty and were in the peak of their 20's before stopping the aging clock.
We've seen enough macho 'mature' characters in lead roles. I read their juvenile, unbelievablity as part of the 'it's the future: the future's weird' aesthetic. Really doesn't seem to be the dominant reading around critics circles though, but there you go.
@@ealing456 That's an interesting take! Maybe if the director had set that up in the beginning and sold that idea to the audience it might have worked better for more people.
thats exactly what it was like. if u want ur movie to be a success then the movie not being shit is really where you have to start, and this one failed at that first hurdle.
with non A list actors they are trying to prove themselves as Actors and really get into the movie that they are in which is what I like about new actors.
I watched Valerian movie, and gotta say, main characters weren't likable, that was the main issue, name doesn't mean much to me, but the way those characters were written was wrong. Universe and characters were much more likable in cartoon series, that aired many years ago, even ship had much better character in cartoon than main characters in the movie. So I'd blame writing, not cast for the flop.
I've been reading and re-reading the "Valérian et Laureline" graphic novels since the early 70's. They got a lot of things right in that movie and I already watched it a few times, I like it pretty much. The only let down is that they didn't exactly get the personalities of the 2 protagonists quite right because of a small excess of childish behavior in the movie. As a follower of the old series I would have not missed this film for anything in the world. I'm saddened that its failure to make a profit probably condemns it of not having any sequels.
It might be a joke on how Universal were blatantly trying to cash in on Marvel's success. ... Or it could be an unintentional mistake because Universal were blatantly trying to cash in on Marvel's success.
The problem I had with the film was the two leads. Not the actors themselves but their characters. I hated both of them and didn't care what happened to them.
"Why valerian bombed". Answer: Two generic actors who can't fucking act who the public also hates and has no care in wanting to see them on the big screen. Simple.
Batman Exactly stop giving that model bitch roles she can't fucking act. She was embarrassing in suicide squad and I'm sure she's worse here. Stop thinking the public wants to see anorexic models who can't act put in film, they don't.
Because there was no way on earth I was going to believe two super models were in love and trying to solve interstellar crimes together. They belonged on a beach shoot not some action thriller.
It could also be said that a lot of other films and other media (Star Wars, Mass Effect, probably a load of other sci-fi) have taken from the Valerian comics so when adapted to a film itself it loses a lot of the surprise and the designs don't seem as unique as other have done them (could be said done better as well)
How appealing is the notion of a sci/fi adventure cast by children anyway? I can't speak for everyone, and I do not have the numbers at hand on the popularity and box office returns on Young Adult novel adaptations, but I suspect that the choice of lead actors could have been a major detriment to the first impression or even appeal of Valerian.
Woelke It reminded me of Jupiter, which also was a shitty movie with a shitty trailer. Wasn't interested in either, haven't watched them, probably never will.
Thomas Wightman My father read the original novels of The Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars and The Warlord of Mars. He said the film was a disgrace to the source material. After all, it's hard to coherently condense even one book into a 2 hours or less movie.
The source material is super important. I'm only reading it in retrospect, but it's undeniable how ahead of it's time it was. Yet few know of it. The other problem is the film's structure. Instead of rising the tension and spectacle of each action scene as the movie progress, it actually drops it. The movie starts with one of the most inventive action scenes and ends with a generic shoot out.
I literally had no idea this film existed before I heard it flopped went to see after hearing about it horrible opening weekend. it was pretty damn good its a shame really
Loved the movie. Also big fan of the books themselves. The Ambassador of the Shadows, the main source of inspiration for this film, has been an integral part of my formation as a cartoonist, story wise and in how to handle the art in the sci-fi genre.
I knew the serie because my father was a fan and had all the albums. Mezieres-Christin work was meh at the beginning, perhaps not mature enough, excellent in the middle in the late 70s early 80s and crap at the end, with lazy drawing, cast, storytelling. Indeed, like The Empire Striks Back for Star Wars, Ambassador of the Shadows is recoignised to be the very best of the whole serie, the everest of Valerian "franchise". I was surprised when Besson announced it although i knew he was a fan, but the cast... total betrayal of the material. Besson deserved that flop.
You didn't mention one of the worst parts of this movie. The two awful lead characters that have ZERO chemistry on screen and their awful creepy love story.
The reason I didn't see it is has already been stated in the comments. Poor casting. As someone who knows nothing about the source material when I see the trailer I see another bunch of teens running around a bunch of CGI sets. Not a deal breaker but these teens seem to be taken themselves way too seriously, there is an area of "we may look like Channel Disney Actors who but we're actually bad ass, no seriously stop laughing we're bad ass."
IMHO the leading girl in the commics, 'Laureline', is a stunningly beautifull girl and caries the series, the actual stories are not that interesting, although ok.. Unfortunately the leading lady in the movie does not impress or seduce the audience.
I did enjoy this film and had about ten friends come see it with me on my birthday. I had medium expectations on it and they were met and I overall enjoyed it. The biggest complaint we had was the back and forth romance to company man attitude of Valerian. One moment he says he's doing the job and the next trying to get Lauraline to marry him. The love and job part didn't work for us at the end over the little pearl creature if they were going to turn it in or not.
That was actually a huge letdown for me. It simply didn't fit to the charakter we seen abandoning with out any recognition that they lost about a hand full of men to an space dog. Seriously wtf happens to them? One after the other gets mold, and they barely step into theyr ship, theyr team never seen again. All she has to say about that is her dress is ruined... and then when it comes to this little gremlin she playes the marrige card out of emphatie?
I went to cinema to see it twice and I will certainly buy it once it's out on the blu-ray. I'd say that IT IS A GREAT ENTERTAINMENT, I have loved it and the film feels fresh for its day and time.
I actually liked the film but it could have been much better. The key weakness is that they replaced Valerian and Laureline with 2 character that have nothing in common with them as people. Valerian is not a boyish skirtchaser wannabee bad boy, he is the straight dependable competent soldier. In much a foil to Laureline's exuberance. She is most definitely not an ice queen with a chip on her shoulder, rather an incredibly warm person, with a great curiosity, devious, perceptive and a great improviser, who live life to its fullest and always follows her conscience. As a fan I miss seeing them, but as for the characters on screen the big problem was that they didn't supply a reason for why they loved each other, they were just beautiful people together so hey they must be in love..
0:39, as a Polish person, I kinda love the fact that the cover of Valerian comic book here is in Polish. Don't know if it was accidental, or you couldn't find it in better quality in French or English, but I love it.
Tbh, the best film I saw this year. Impressive visual, great story that always keeps you on edge, extraordinary music by hans zimmer, characters that you don't really care about but it wasn't made to be a "character" movie but more an "event" movie
I honestly liked this movie, but it was the leads or the drab interactions between them that did it in for me. I didn’t care much for them. Which is too bad, like The Fifth Element, Valerian was beautifully designed and the opening montage of the evolution of the space station into a city was cleverly done.
@@DavySolaris The source material Valerian is a somewhat mature square jawed action hero, and Lauriline is much more a mother than a lover to him. Or patient and overbearing older sister.
I didn't go see a cuz it just didn't seem to have any interesting ideas. I went and saw arrival because the aliens looked interesting in the concepts looked interesting
Also, the comic book wasn't that well known in the US. They assumed the US audience already understood the whole idea of the storyline, like Marvel or DC.
@@markus30musik I get that, but when I got there I really had no clue what was going on. That's why it was a huge hit in Europe and in particular France, I have a couple French friends on the web and they raved over it and all I could do was shrug, I simply didn't get it. I totally didn't understand what was going on between the two principles, Just didn't understand what was up with them.
I would also add that while Rihanna is a true beauty, she put on the worst performance I have ever seen in my life. I swear I have never been so happy to see a character die before.
I actually enjoyed the movie. I don't claim it was the best film ever (or even of the year), but it's a solid summer sci-fi action. Hell, I even consider the leading duo as enjoyable (maybe because I never saw the actors before?). Except Rihanna part, you can't really watch that without thinking "oh look, Rihanna on the screen", which spoils the experience completely.
This video is in no way endorsed by or associated with Jim Beaver.
Georg Rockall-Schmidt On an unrelated note, have you seen Stalker?
Ya Idjit!
Incredible video as always! You never cease to impress. However, and this is a bit nit picky, but when mentioning the 2017 Mummy movie you state that is was "the beginning of Marvel's Dark Universe" I believe you meant "Universal's Dark Universe". might want to add in an annotation to correct that, or not it's really your decision and only a small error.
Georg Rockall-Schmidt I wish I knew Jim Beaver. He seems like a swell guy.
Mackenz Lorenz yep. Spotted. Wasn't marvel was it?
Does the lead actor, who plays Valerian, strike you as a charismatic adventurer who had a lot of experience, or a teenager who dressed up for Comicon?
Exactly, @Hobarth McShane.
They cast Dane de Haan who looks NOTHING like the original comics version of Valerian - Think a drawn version of Chris Evans, just not as muscular! - ... and unfortunately acted nothing like him, either. I think he was (a) too young physically (Valerian was in his early 30's ) and (b) inexperienced as a serious actor. But Cara Delevingne -aka Miss "Unibrow"- I didn't have any real problems with, while she wasn't perfect, she was more than adequate, but the miscasting of De Haan was what killed it - he needed to be one of two central characters, and he was, essentially, a charisma-free vacuum.. and he had almost zero "Chemistry with Cara. - Other than that I really enjoyed it. (mostly because it so reminded me of The 5th Element"...)
Cody Nemo Yeah... the leads definitely sucked...
What you described, @@nemo-x,actually does make the movie alot better. I am completely unfamiliar with the Valerian source material. So that is why I kinda sorta liked Valerian. It is good enough to me not to be hated, but also not loved either. It was ok to me.
Neither. He comes off as a near-adolescent cadet in a future world (the opening sequence gives us an idea of how far in the future) where they start them real young and immature, like in Messier"s comic. Your wasting your time if you came too see a charismatic adventurer with tons of experience.
In a movie filled with aliens, the most alien thing was the interaction and dialogue between the two leads.
Their interaction was just too european for an american audience, I guess.
This is right on point. The interaction between the two was God awful as well as their acting.
Those who fail chemistry are doomed to repeat it .....
Absolutely. No chemistry and they felt more like a younger brother and his older sister
*slow clap*
I watched the film just one time, back when it first opened. According to the story, the lead stars are supposed to be the best agents of the most elite law enforcement agency in the galaxy. As such, I would expect them to be competent, professional adults. Instead, they came across as a couple of immature teens. It killed any believability and made the whole movie feel ridiculous.
yes sir indeed lol
I think it was the two leads complete lack of charisma, with either the audiences or each other. Plus MANY were confused and thought the leads were siblings within the story.
Kris B sorry, but what kind of moron though they were siblings? it's clear that they are not in the first scene they're in :p
Kris B from the trailer I thought it was going to be a sibling sci-fi adventure story (which I thought was a fresh new approach). Then got immediately disappointed that they were just lovers. And not an interesting one too. They seem very bland.
MagicAccent To be fair, the main leads look incredibly similar
Micalah Howard yeah lmao my first thought was they were siblings, never crossed my mind that they were lovers
After seeing the first trailer I thought they were siblings too, I tried not to watch anymore trailers because I was pumped for the movie after reading about the source comic series
This film was marketed as the next Fifth Element to an audience that never saw The Fifth Element.
:-D
Yeah, but Fifth Element was not a mediocre movie, it was a fantastic 5* Sci-Fi classic.
Exactly!
Wait what? How old do you think we are!!?? 😂
Aaan The 5th Element had the BIGGEST A LIST actor of the time! TINY LESTER 🤩
The movie was fun to watch. The best part: the "Major Tom" opening
I agree. It was interesting to see the welcome committee on the station keep growing and changing.
For me the problems was the casting. I read some of the comics. The characters were adults. Then when I saw the movie previews, I thought "who are these kids?" They came across as high schoolers rather than the age the characters were in the comics.
True that!
Yep. I think they tried to get attention from a younger audience, but that decision was finally not honest to the material as it seems.
Dane Dehaan is 34 Cara DeDelevingne is 27. They're aren't kids.
@@LordMoebius But they LOOK like kids and that makes it kinda creepy.
@@LordMoebius But they looked like kids, so it doesn't matter what their actual ages are. I was half expecting their parents to show up and ground them or something.
Wait, hold up. The two lead characters were meant to be adults? But...they cast people who look like teenagers.
Who just woke up
i think they were 25, but the make up artist didnt hold back with a 200 mil budget
WOMBLE
@@dbkwk9 This is the first time I’ve seen a womble in the wild.
Hollywood does that shit all the time. They’ll cast people that look 12 to play adults and adults that look 40 to play teenagers. I’ve always lost my immersion because of shit like that. Valerian looked like a nerdy highschooler trying to be a bad boy.
Two high school aged kids pretending to be interstellar authority figures is 100% unbelievable.
It flopped because of the two leads
It flopped because instead of it being a grand scifi space opera, it was a love story set in the future
It flopped because the central plot sucked
It flopped because it was about teenagers pretending to be adults
Nothing mayor happens and there is a 10 min. dance scene with Rihanna and 20 min. run time left.
Movie was super short too.
nailed it, couldn't agree more.
Adults who acts like teenagers
and had nothing to do with the source material. The comics are actually pretty funny like Asterix or Lucky Luke.
No it flopped because teenagers cant see responsability!!
As a French viewer of yours, I'd like to add that Valérian is not that well-known in France either, the general public has never head of it.
chasseurdetoile Thanks for adding that - sounds like the ridiculously high budget was an even worse decision than it already appeared! Heh
The only Valérian fans I know are sci-fi fans in their late forties.
Apparently the film feels like a 200 million dollars fanfilm, which was not a good idea. It is indeed doing well in France though, but I think that Luc Besson's name is a stronger pull than the actual property.
You guys need to make an adaptation of Le Fantômette.
+chasseurdetoile yes, I'm one of them. When Mezieres came to my country for the first time to sign last year, I was virtually the only one in line. It was then that I realised how few people even knew Valerian.
I just don't understand. It's one of the best science fiction comics ever. The art style is probably too old or not flashy enough or something.
Valerian (the source material/character) is probably comparable to us Americans as Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon. Yeah, really old properties that don't have a large fanbase clamoring for them to be made into movies right now.
Reminds me of the decision making behind the last Lone Ranger remake or John Carter (why they changed the title from Princess of Mars, I don't know).
Seriously? Hundreds of millions for untested properties? Caveat emptor.
:
It flopped because the actors didn't look the part they where supposed to portray.
They didn't look the part, and they didn't play the part,
and
For some dumb reason they decided to treat the film it like it was a "young adult" novel.
It would have been WAY better if we had gotten a serious movie instead of this teen-flick.
It did shitty because the two leads are totally unlikeable. That Cara Delvigne woman is pretty but has absolutely no charisma. She and that Dane Dehann guy are like watching a cardboard box.
I agree. We should have seen more of the Cara we see in the "making of" videos...
As someone who grew up with the comics, I felt they didn't really fit the roles well either, though some of that can be blamed on the script, which does often make the characters unrecognizable.
This. In my separate comment, I added that they were boring, unbelievable and bad actors. With two good leads, it could have been great.
Yeah she looked like she was having fun behind the scenes. Just her character had a serious case of RBF.
Komninos Maraslidis Resting Bitch Face?
Unlikeable lead actor, wooden lead actress, terrible, generic fight scenes, forgettable plot.
The script should have been a $20m b movie, not a $200m blockbuster.
@Lola Montez Well they should save the special effects for movies that were already good before the special effects. Valerian would not have been worse if it had a lower budget and the special effects didn't make it any better.
Ironically, the original French comic strip on which this movie is based was the inspiration for George Lucas's Star Wars.
The male lead was neither fit, charismatic, or in any way convincing as a womanizing secret agent. Even the way he talks to his partner seems more like an awkward highschooler than a confident adult.
The female lead seemed like the type of person that everyone would ask "who the hell invited her?" If you saw her at a party. She's attractive but seems too confident to the point it appears too contrived and not at all natural.
Rick Harris well the female in the comics is Also very confident. Much more than the Valerian so that part is faitfull to the comic. Valerian is more like funny sidekick in the comics while Laurelin is the brains and driving forse in the team.
@@haukionkannel Much of the humour in the comic is that Valerian thinks he is the main character and Laureline his sidekick/love interest.
That is comletely missing in the movie.
For a character that was meant to have done as much Valerian was far too young, as a recent addition Laurelin was only just old enough, therefore making it difficult to create the "suspension of disbelief" that any film needs. I do not know the comic series and I think the film should stand alone without need for reference, I once watched a thirty minute short film that then needed and had a twenty minute explanation film before it started to make sense - how ridiculous is that!!, the action was OK, Laurelin was easy on the eye, it wasn't a BAD film and I am sure it will develop a following, I enjoyed waterworld despite its errors, sometimes you have to watch something as entertainment and Valerian falls into the same category.
This especially sucks when you consider the characters in the actual comics which are very likable
He was skinnier than she was 😅
Strange casting. I was not familiar with the source material but when I saw the trailer, I instantly thought the two lead characters were brother and sister. I still think this, though I know now they were supposed to be lovers. Did no one making the film see this? Must be a French thing.
Nah, in the original french comic. Valerain is bigger, has a chiseled chin, etc and looks like an actual man in his 30s. It's also a comic that was written in the 70s originally so men are drawn to look like men and women like actual women. Laureline is smaller and with almost elfin features. A big casting mistale even though I like De Haan as an actor.
In the comic they look like Han Solo and Leia. In fact, Star Wars took a lot of inspiration from these comics.
I also think they looked and acted like siblings in the movie. I think it would have been a better movie if they were siblings instead.
Ever since the trailer my immediate response was "why do these two veteran operatives look like high school kids?" The characters are meant to be well trained and experienced but the casting choices make that so jarring as to be unwatchable for me.
Glad I'm not the only one that though so, I was very confused when I learned the characters were supposed to be a couple, if you had a movie with a brother/sister lead duo, you couldn't do better short of casting an actual brother and sister
Gene Griffith is on point here. This felt like yet another kid movie via the preview.
Besson was the reason I watched it. The two lead 'actors' are why I turned it off.
agree... I didn't see anything convincing or chemistry by the actors playing their parts, and for some reason Valerian just looks like he needs a doctor the entire time!
Same. And there were some fun ideas like the city that was there but not...it was just not enough, though.
It was really hard to believe a guy with the body of a 12 year old is some kind of interstellar commando.
MISCAST!
Valerian in comic books is more like a galactic 007 (literally an "interdimensional agent"), carismatic and handsome, and Lauraleen is his strong female and beautiful partner, and the chemistry between both is awsome. In the film, Lauraleen appears as an angry teenager, and Valerian as her little brother, that want desperately to have sex with his sister.
The couple of main characters are without any doubt the worst of the film. Please, read the comic instead.
I have heard that the actress playing Laurelin got the part because of family connections. I would not be surprised if the Valerian actor got the part in a similar way. Neither seem to be appropriately cast however.
Emma Stone and Chris Hemsworth? Charlize Theron and Robert Downey Junior? Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jennifer Lawrence?
YES! It killed amazing potential of the universe! Work of designers, artist was amazing. But miscaaaaaast and terrible script kill it all with fire!
A galactic 007 sounds like a good idea. That would have had me in the theater....
"Please, read the comic instead."
It's not only a comic, it's French. Double eew.
Basically the two leads looked and behaved like 13 year old kids.
Not to mention they look related. They would be better suited for a brother sister role than a love interest role because all I got was incest vibes.
Like two bratty 13 year old kids . . .
I guess 20-somethings are too mature to compare this performance to. (I'm sure I didn't get that because I live in the sticks where 60 year-olds still act like bratty teens.)
Don't suppose this film flopped because of all the diversity triggers, or the rise of populist fascism against leftist ideals, or because the next closest sci-fi flick that season was Jupiter Ascending and audiences were still cringing from that mess...
Yep! When the boy was referred to as a Major it just seemed ridiculous, and when he was propositioning the girl I was half hoping her Dad would make an appearance and teach him a lesson for trying to put the moves on his underage daughter.
@@andrewawakened628 yet he's nearly 40 in real life. Is that more an issue of bad casting or bad perceptions?
less cash more ingenuity -- best formula for a good movie
Green Bro Team Pill case in point: the vvitch
Great example. Great acting in that though
what wrongness is this green and red impostor
Yep Avatar sure followed that formula and raked like a billion in theaters oh wai---
BludAardvark in my eyes that doesn't make it a good movie though. It makes it successful, sure but those are two different terms!
Honestly, I didn't bother to watch because the two main characters in the trailers seemed so uninteresting and awkward. I hate to say, but this guy is definitely on point in saying that the lead actors are partially to blame.
I agree. Also, they look nothing like their comicbook counterparts in appearance and personality. The 2 main actors are the sole reason I won't watch the movie. The comicbook Valerian and Laureline are sacred to me.
Mar Rastapopoulos seems to me in the comic art Valarian is much bigger and more masculine looking than that boy they put in the film.
Nothing wrong with the lead actors. There performance is underestimated. Main problem: too much big movies at the same time: Dunkirk, Apes, Spiderman ... People have to make a choice, and those who don't have the money or the time to watch all those movies, don't want to admit they don't have time or money, and therefor they formulate their choices in a negative way by saying they skip a movie because it's a bad movie. But that's not true. In reality there is a huge abundance of good movies at the moment.
And even if Valerian would be a bit less satisfactory: there are a lot of unsatisfactory movies who nevertheless made a ton of money. So, quality isn't even the issue. It's about marketing. And marketing has lots to do with power. Simply stated: Besson doesn't have enough power here in the States to get people to watch Valerian. Compare with the reactions to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Not all of them were positive. Quite a lot of the older viewers were not happy with it. But it didn't deter them from seeing it.
Yeah. The way the leads LOOKED definitely was enough to convince me to not spend money on this flick. I don't know why I got this strong of a reaction because usually I am fine with almost anyone at the roles.
I went to cinema to see it twice so far and I will certainly buy it once it's out on the blu-ray. I'd say that IT IS A GREAT ENTERTAINMENT, I have loved it, and in spite of its definitely not being a perfect affair, the film as a blockbuster feels fresh and fairly well-done for its day and time.
Here I thought it flopped because of the two leads being in a love story who look like they are siblings...
Errrm Star Wars?
Same, bless you, I thought it was just me missing some French cool.
I remember going to a lecture series, and just about laughed out loud when the lecturer brought out her wife who looked like her clone. I've noticed since that some same sex couples are like twins. The same thing occasionally goes on with heterosexuals, but is less obvious.
Valerian still had the best intro for Sci-Fi ever. Seriously find the intro on youtube you will not be sorry.
agree. i've seen that intro dozens of times. actually, i loved every moment of the movie until the lead characters were introduced.
Omg, same! That intro was spectacular and inspiring. Best part of the whole thing
I agree. Excellent opening, then all downhill from there.
Yes it's incredible
I wanted it to be good so badly!
They might have made their money back with two engaging lead actors. Dane DeHaan looks like a nerdy, effeminate teenage boy. Cara looks like a runway model (yes, I know that is what she is). Neither actor has much about them that makes you 'like' them. I just don't buy that Dane DeHaan is an elite, badass, space cop with a lady in every port (I'm not even sure if his character is straight). It's just bad casting.
Referring to Valerian as "space cop" really makes me want to see this movie remade exactly, but with Rich Evans instead of Dane deHaan. I bet it would actually be a lot better that way.
@@DistractedGlobeGuy laughs in rich evans ahaahahahaaa
The woman is the gay one, and she's only slightly more feminine than he is.
@Bobzeda When I first saw the poster I thought DeHaan was a girl.
It was absolutely beautiful to look at and also had one of the best opening sequences with the handshakes over time and Davie Bowie’s Space Oddity...just awesome.
The biggest problem is that the main characters aren't adults. They are, technically, but (especially for the male lead) it's painfully obvious throughout the movie that they're ment to be much older than those actors are.
In the entire movie, the other human charaters are much older than them. This makes perfect sense, because we're dealing with some big threats, so we meet a lot of high level, senior personnel, and obviously they aren't a bunch of 20somethings. And our main charater is supposed to be one of them. This legendary "spy" or whatever, the best they got. But he looks like a freshman in college. Doesn't act that way tho. He acts like he belongs, and like all the crazy shit they're doing is just another tuesday. It's less jarring with her. At least she struggles a bit, and she's only the best young, up and comming superspy, not the already established, best of the best superspy, so it'd make sense at least for her to be a little bit younger.
Even the whole talk about marrige could have worked if those charaters were a bit older. It starts with their very first scene in the movie iirc, and apart from the fact that it isn't very "now" for lack of a better word, it just makes him look like an asshole who just wants one thing and doesn't know anything, rather than the experienced but jaded womanizer that maybe wants something more. Seriously, if you just imagine that scene wih some 40+ year old guy, it completly changes how you precieve the characters.
Somewhere in the process they made the common mistake thinking that to appeal to young audiences, their protagonists had to be young too. But when you're doing a pretty faithful adaption of a source material where the charaters are older, that leads to all kinds of weirdness. Throughout the whole movie, there was great stuff that I liked, but the main characters are just jarring from the very beginning and throughout the whole movie. It's not the actors fault. They (especially him) just needed to be 20 years older and look the part.
And it's not a coincidence that The Fifth Element had an older tough guy and a strangly powerful young woman as their lead characters. That movie borrows a lot more from Valarian than just the artstyle.
this!
I agree so much.
If you have a hero that is successful person in his\her own universe then they should look like that.
I had to cringe each time they called him Major. He looks more like a Private before the drill.
And the romance parts were so terrible.
The atmosphere was like in Mr and Mrs Smith when they find out about each other secret.
Just waiting for the right moment to bush the skull in of the other.
Yes, basically another case of cultural misappropriation. Not as bad as casting Japanese actors in the FMA live action movie was, but the some sort of silliness.
The whole marriage sub plot was so awkward. Why should we care if she says yes to his underwhelming marriage proposal casually tossed out like he was asking her what she wanted on her pizza? We don't know who these two black holes of charisma even are yet. The film needed to establish Valarien as a womanizer, show some of his sleezy exploits. He gets his new partner, instantly wants to jump in her pants but she's too savvy for that, sees through him. Over the movie we get to watch their relationship grow. Then, in the *sequel*, when we're actually invested in these characters, you introduce the marriage plot.
Believe it or not the male lead is in his 30's, so actually the actor is age appropriate (technically anyway). But you're right, he looks like he's in his early 20s at best
They cast two unlikable children with no chemistry who can't act as the leads.
They're both weird-looking, too.
I thought their acting was just fine, I never felt like "oh I'm watching a movie/show".
But I would have put these 2 actors in a.... Less "important" film. Give them something to get started with.
Lastly, Young actors can be good, Pacific Rim 2, Interstellar, and a 3rd recent movie all had child actors that really enhanced their movies.
A strange, yet enjoyable film...but the leads? Oh boy...
They should have cast Lawrence and Pratt
Considering the woman is a lesbian, it's probably unsurprising there was no chemistry.
The comics were always like fireworks: wonderful rising action, stunning visuals, and ending as charred lumps hitting the ground unseen. Unfortunately, the film captured this very well.
The main characters were never consistent in the comic: mature professionals in one frame, goofy kids in the next. In the comic, this seemed to hint at a character depth that never needed to be explored. In the film, the characters just lack individual cohesion. In the comic, there was a "bickering like an old married couple" vibe between the main characters that showed a strong connection while dispensing with the lovey-dovey stuff. The film replaces this with stalkerisms combined with genuine concern from one direction and unjustified affection combined with honest standoffishness from the other.
The liberal humanism of the comic is also mostly swept under the rug in the film, which is a pity. And, what happened to their skin color?
One thing that could have been explored in the film, but wasn't (probably for about 35 or so good reasons as well as some bad ones) is that Valérian was born in the 28th century, while Laureline was born in the 11th. This gives them very different, but not contradictory voices, morals, and outlooks. The counterpoints and common ground of their interactions set them apart from most comic heroes. Valérian has a "better not" attitude contrasting to Laureline's "why not?" attitude, and his troubled respect for humanity's history stands against her unimpressed annoyance with the relative lack of progress, just like his expertise in science and technology enables him to act where she is fazed by complexity and ambiguity. In the film, they are mostly the same intellectually and culturally, with a slight tendency to switch the roles of their interactions.
These are really interesting insights and reflections that probably help explain a lot of the mis-firings of this unfortunate venture.
It also makes both the comic and movie more interesting. I might have to look into it all ... one day!
@@julianwarmington1267 It's worth a try, some day. But while a piece of my heart always belongs to this comic, it probably suits the very young better than the adults. The latter half of the story sequence might be more "grown-up": for my part I made my excuses and left after "On the Frontiers".
Thank you. I believe the movie is awesome. Not understood initially like the 5th element. But with each viewing it becomes iconic.
@@gold333 It never will be iconic. There is just too much problem with it. Fifth Element needed a weak to became iconic and it was a hit in the moment Korben Dallas woke up, that movie was awesome. This is a could-have-been.
I understand you like it, but let's be real, how could it be awesome when it could have been awesome?
200 million bucks ain't something you just throw into a new movie about a 50 year old comic and hope to get profit...
Though, I still blame the trailers and overrall advertising for the whole flop. I had absolutely no hype going in to see it, an I'm a sucker for sci fi space adventures
Sounds like the same thing that happen with John Carter, though I think the property "princess of mars" is well over 50 years old.
I recommend the comics instead - they are a timeless classic, and was actually a part of the visuals and stories which inspired Lucas to make Star Wars.
Reminds me of John Carter instantly. Very expensive, CGI-heavy blockbuster film based on a weird universe that takes a long time just to explain and flesh out.
John Carter and Avatar are like complete opposites of how to make incredibly expensive new IPs.
I was fairly hyped by the first and more the second trailers to see it because of the visuals and filmed in 3D, but then the final trailer came out and showed it as some child-level comedy film and destroyed my interest to see it. I was quite saddened to see what was in the film from that trailer.
It is actually about a hundred years old.
I loved this movie and so did my boyfriend. It was a super fun popcorn sci fi movie that just seemed so different and fresh at the time compared to other movies coming out that year. We have watched it multiple times since and it never stops being fun. People take the romance between the two leads way too seriously. We thought they were amusing (even if a bit weird). Plus the whole universe the story took place in was so interesting that any awkwardness between them wasn't enough to spoil the movie for us. The only weird part that maybe wasn't so great was the part with Rihanna. I feel like they totally could have designed her alien/character better. Anywho, we would 100% watch a sequel if they did one but I know that's unlikely hahaha.
I love this movie ! Seen it about 10 times, really don't get the negative reviews... Usually I'm very critical of movies that are just a spectacle and not much more, but this one gets a pass. So many great environments/aliens, just wonderful.
Judging by these comments, a lot of people were thrown off by the fact that the characters were/looked too young. In reality these two actors are adults, they just look like teens. I blame the casting directors 100%, not the actors
The actors sucked. Neither of them gave a good performance.
Yes, I think this movie was poorly cast.
To be honest, I don't know a single person who's read the comic books in France either. It was mostly popular in the 70s.
well no shit, it's not a new comic
No shit, Sherlock. Millenials rarely have a fucking clue about anything that really matters.
Good morning from Germany - now you know a person, who reads the comics in Germany. Me.
The marketing for this film was abysmal. I saw precious few trailers for it and the ones I saw only ever showed the spectacle and never gave us any glimpse of substantial character interaction. As dumb as audiences may seem, they do at least want SOME kind of characters to identify with, even if they are only shallow archetypes.
"never gave us any glimpse of substantial character interaction." what movie would they have gotten it from then. certainly not this one
I thought it was me that just never saw a trailer for some strange reason. Now I know I'm not alone on that one.
even in France, where I live the marketing wasn't done well at all, there was a documentary on how Besson created the movie at 10 pm, which is weird bc French tv isn't scared of over marketing whenever it is possible.
I might have been more interested in Valerian if I _hadn't_ seen the trailer.
Vatsala काली Jhaveri most films only have two trailers
It bombed b/c the main characters were miscast & the story is, while it has some charm - quite honestly, boring.
Most of the movie, I was wondering when the heck we'd see the alien we see at the start of the movie (A scene that lasts quite a while), would show up again, and who was this jerk we were following doing stuff that wasn't related XD
Was into the movie up until the 2 main characters were introduced and started talking.
The rest of the movie wasn't good either.
The intro is fantastic and the stuff on the planet with all the pearls is pretty good, but then the leads show up.
Yep
Started great until it turned out to be some strange love sit com for teenagers.
True story
Can you make a movie about your lava lamp
leorio hey, watch it, pal! Lava lamps are awesome! 😀
15 minutes essay about the lava lamp...
The main characters are unlikable and have 0 personalities.
I feel that if you ignore the two leads, it's actually quite an enjoyable movie.
Congratulations on winning the Internet Retard Reward. "It's actually a really good movie if you ignore the story, the actors and the cinematics". Thanks for playing, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Not for me it wasn't. had to turn it off about half way thru.
How can you *POSSIBLY* ignore the two leads?
I love quality Si-fi. The Fifth Element is one of my all time favorites, as is Leon (so I have nothing against the director) . I have a soft spot for space opera/fantasy, but try as I might, I could not get past the 30 minute point of this movie. I found my self hoping that the two leads would be killed horribly before the end of the scene, and when they weren't, I just gave up.
Same here Fifth Element and Leon are two favorites. I bought the Blu-ray of this movie and still couldn't finish watching it. Convoluted mess with sjw propaganda bullshit at its core.
That's a shame. Coming online after watching the film, I was genuinely surprised so many people had issue with the leads. They were goofy, weird and unlikable (in a 'good way'), something I haven't really seen before in a space opera. I guess the it was too unconventional for viewers, which I get.
I love Besson's work (most things from Subway to Valerian), but the one I don't understand praise for was Lucy. Valerian gets ripped apart but Lucy, though very Bessonian, really feels like a flat, uneventful film with a boring lead?
@@ealing456 Lucy is even worse than Valerian.
I am lucky I was able to came off from the Besson movies when I saw the Taxi and then the Yamakasi, I still watched the Wasabi because of Jean Reno but that was it.
I love Subway, everything in that movie is awesome, I watched many times.
The Big Blue, Nikita then LEON, it is three home run. The Fifth Element is all time favorite he made it in 1997. So I was interested when I saw his name in the movie Taxi and Yamakasi and that was it. In 1997 he was the director I wanted to see more movies the most, in 2001 I didn't cared at all. He cashed his name in with those two terrible movie so I had no illusions with this movie.
I don't know what happened to him. Subway, Big Blue, Nikita, Leon, The 5th Element is 5 of the greatest movies ever made. What the hell happenned. This is why I like Star Wars prequels, Star Wars was so loved people researched the subject so much I know what happened with Lucas.
We should know this and more importantly future filmmakers should know this.
Besson is the most hit and miss director ever. When he’s great he’s really great - he gives you Leon or Nikita or The Fifth Element and when hes terrible he gives you Lucy and Valerian. Hes like betting on roulette.
Lucy was really good - as it operated at a meta level and as a modern shoot em up!
I don't think it's completely impossible for an unknown movie to make it big. Look at the original _Star Wars_ . Every producer thought it was going to flop because it involved space, a big guy in a suit, and other weird stuff. _Guardians of the Galaxy_ was unknown to movie audiences, but it did well because of the smart writing, enjoyable characters, and overall great story. Of course box office results don't always translate to quality (more often than not), but that's why it's important to give certain films the attention they deserve.
That's exactly right. At the end of the day, a great film is the best bet for studios to make money. Big budget films with A- list actors don't always do well anymore. Competition can hurt a movie's gross, and so can its marketing. But I do believe that a great film will be marketed by the studio enough.
Ryan Hartwell I agree a good film is just a good film, it can be completely original with unknown actors....like Star Wars... Valerian is totally out there .. I love it.....
Ryan Hartwell Kind of unfair to compare it to GOTG, which was at least part of a major franchise.
Nick Stevens I'm talking about "unknown" movies in general.
Ryan Hartwell Star Wars was something special. Back when special effects still blew people's minds it was by far the best out thetr
Ok, I know alot of people didn't like this film but I went to see the film with friends and I found it really refreshing. Its defiantly worth watching and im genuienly quite sad it flopped - I would love to see a sequel.
I loved this movie and didn’t know anything about its source material.
I loved it too! It was so much fun! I don't why people are taking it so seriously. I thought the chemistry between the leads was fine cause it felt fresh. Their dynamic was different than what you normally see and that made it entertaining to me. Honestly, I liked it better than the 5th Element.
Im a big fan of sci-fi movies and actually enjoyed this, although it felt like it was aimed at a young audience
I really enjoyed this movie. I think partially because it had brilliant HDR.
I had no.idea it was from the same guy that made the fifth element but it makes sense now.
One of the best opening lines imaginable, most intelligent version of the hello/goodbye introduction I have ever seen, worth the price of admission
I've been collecting the Valerian stories since the first English language reprints that appeared in Heavy Metal. I've seen clips from the film, bought the DVD - being a completist, since the creators drew the series to a close a few years ago - and . . . I've not watched it. Basically, I can't believe in the two leads. From what I've seen, they are woefully miscast. The graphic novel versions of Laureline and Valerian have been well defined as characters since the 60s and are, distinctly, warmer personalities than the two leads in the film. Sadly, the film looks spectacular, the performances otherwise.
Have you seen the animated series?
A series that started in the 60s actually wrapped up recently? Wow, it's oddly refreshing for something so long running to actually have an ending. That alone has sold me on checking out the series.
@@HOTD108_ Hi there. Well, relatively speaking, yes. Valerian et Laureline started as a comic strip in 'Pilot' in France in 1967. There, it's habitual that comic strips serialized in magazines get turned in collections in book form. The series went into English language translation in Heavy Metal magazine somewhere around the early eighties, and then softcover books, as with the French versions, each a self-contained story. Then there was an animated series - personally not seen, so I can't comment upon it - and the Luc Besson film. Cinebooks are - as far as I'm aware - still running English translations. The French originals were concluded by their creators, Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières' in 2010. The general flavour of the series has some similarities - more likely unintentional - with Doctor Who - which has been running since 1963, and although there was a gap when the BBC dropped the series, a continuation started up again in 2005 and is still running, next season with a returning showrunner, Russell T Davies. Both series, Valerian et Laureline and Doctor Who, had to appeal to a young audience, so therefore a child/family-friendly philosophy was built in from the start and many fans, travelling along with the characters, some since the beginning, have stayed with both, enthralled by the concepts and stories that both have been enabled with due to the time/space format and the engaging characters portrayed.
Valerian had it's problems but after seeing it in the theater, I liked it enough to buy it and have watched it several times. It's not a "great film" but I enjoy it all the same. Maybe it helps if you don't over-think it. Maybe Valerian is just it's own thing. Sure the leads were unusual choices, but what's wrong with the unusual? It was a hippie-trippy sci-fi fantasy. I was happy to take that trip with Besson. I thought the naive political messaging was silly but I'm willing to overlook that as well. Valerian is easy to pick apart but, if you just let that go, you might find you actually enjoy the film. Maybe you should smoke a bowl and watch it again. lol I would have liked to see a sequel of some sort but, if it doesn't happen, that's OK too. The 5th Element didn't have a sequel. For that matter, I thought the Blade Runner sequel sucked, even though the original film is one of my favorites. But, I'm not a "film critic."
You don't have to be a "film critic" to have your own opinion about this movie. I like this movie too, because it is somewhat fun to watch and it was enjoyable enough for me to say it was worth my money and time to watch it in theater. I don't mind the lead characters look a bit young, i give them a chance. For me this movie is not as bad as some people say and it is entertaining and has some great visuals, but thats just my opinion.
i enjoyed it to, but not as if it costed the gdp of some country xD and even tho "she cant act" i like Cara, but its a master piece compared to the last jedi. The new blade runner SUCK DAMN.
@@shinseiki2015 /\wot he said exactly!
I hated it. The lead male character was insufferable.
I do agree that despite the original blade runner being a good movie the sequel was just outright bad movie. Even though the two human agents where not perfect they largely did a good job in the movie. The romance between them is a bit cheesy but it is largely a minor plot point to the movie. The movie might of done better if they had shown more of the movie. I thought it was a good movie but the previews really did sell the movie.
Because it was fucking awful. I went to see this opening day because I really liked The Fifth Element and Leon The Professional (as well as De Haan in Amazing Spider-Man 2), but wow, I hated this one so much. I despised the way both of these characters were written and I hated how practically all the dialogue was about them and their romance that I despised, instead of the mission or the like. About HALF THE FILM wouldn't have happened if the "straight A" girl managed not to read the map UPSIDE DOWN, and I'm not even joking.
Wow. My joking comments aside, that 'reading a map upside down' sounds like something my brain's common sense wouldn't let me ignore. Like the chick in Jurassic World who runs in her heals, in the JUNGLE. Your comment made up my mind why I shouldn't watch this movie. Thanks.
Amen brother, the leads were just bad, it has nothing to do with them being not famous enough. leads were too pretty and too good at everything from beginig to end. No character development either. Just bad story telling. Besson made a bad film thats it - also Lucy was a shit film, last good film? almost 20 years ago. I think fame has just made him a lazy man with nothing to say or prove.
It was simply the terrible lead actors... The second they spoke, it was eye roll city
'Valerian - Cesarstwo Tysiąca Planet' - in Polish: Valerian - THe Empire of a Thousand Planets'
It just caught my attention :)
This movie lost me when i saw two teenagers running around in space ships trying to be cool.
teens? Dane DeHaan is 31, and Cara Delivigne is 24. Are the characters in the movie supposed to be teens?
greg smith not teens but i understand the point. I guess that luc besson just has a thing for younger poeple.
sarah they look super young almost like teenagers compared to their senior co-stars. But you are right they are not teens.
The excessive CGI in the trailer turned me off. I hate teenagers too.
alwaysxnever yea I agree they do. what turned me off is that they look like siblings but they are supposed to be romatinc. Just bad casting overall I guess.
They thought they could pull an "Avatar" and sell a movie entirely on visuals.
Only James Cameron can do that. He’s about to do it 4 more times.
Even Avatar itself wouldn't be such a great hit, if not for the story. Yes, that story that people joked to be Pocahontas rip-off. Which it looks quite like, to be honest.
But actually the story of Avatar is genius in its own right. Its simple to the point of primitivism, its naive, its a rip-off and probably some parts of it don't make sense. But it is also extremely easy to understand, makes perfect sense in context of the movie universe and it constantly leads somewhere. It is a simple story for a simple movie, just what Avatar needs. Its almost as utilitarian, as a story can be.
So essentially this story, which is still an object of mocking for its simplicity, is like a crowbar or working mule - it is simple, it does its job and it does not need to look good to do it.
Avatar is an awful film that rips off seventies prog rock album covers and has a cliché plotline.
@@mauser98kar Avatar also rips off Total Recall (the good version)
@@protoroc Wait, what? Quite easy to believe, but how exactly did they do it, I am curious?
On the flip side, you should do a video on how Blumhouse keeps churning out profitable movies even when a lot of them suck
Robert Wieder they reason is because of that sweet pg13 revenue they get from annoying ass tweens in the theatre
Lowest common denominator trash with a bunch of advertizing
The only good movies they've really made were Sinister.
They only cost about $5 million each, so they don't have to break the bank to break even.
The behind the scenes footage doesn't help matters. The "We're having a fun and wacky time!" vibe looks contrived or even staged. Everyone also looks incredibly pleased with how cool and chic they think they all are.
The two leads celebrating in confetti and champagne with the director (?) while the rest of the staff just stand in a circle around them, clapping and smiling politely. Great team chemistry you got going there...
Yeah the 2 leads just broke this movie.
I thought this was a teen movie, because they look so young.
I finally got around to it and it feels like the 2 main chs should have been older looking actors.
Dunno about the rest of you, but I enjoyed myself immensely.
Same here. Despite its shortcomings, it was enjoyable, escapist fun.
Agreed, for me it was an greatly enjoyable film. A bit odd here & there, but then its a "Besson" film. Great imagination & eye-popping candy visuals, certainly with the Planet 'Mul' scene.
And i'm sure i have read somewhere, that 'Besson', doesn't really care if the media or people didn't like it. It was what he wanted & envisioned to film & make as a movie. And has already written the scripts for the possible trilogy sequels. Although the sequels may hinge on how the public recieve the film.
Seems like the decision with this lead actor team was that they were trying to make the film relatable to young adult audiences... who generally would rather watch a crappy pirated version of the movie than pay $20 to watch it in theaters. I think it will maintain a long-term cult following though, because it's that good of a movie.
@@johncaccioppo1142 Good point, especially as Carla Delevingne is probably more relatable to the younger target audience. Other than that, i guess the film will have a minor, or more, cult following from the fans of the "Valérian and Laureline", French science fiction comics series. I do hope that "Besson" does go on to make squeals. Worth noting that even the The Fifth Element didn't fare particularly well during its theatrical release in the United States. And look at its status now!
You should not play with your self in the movie theater.
I actually enjoyed it, it was passably good. What would have made it great is charismatic leads. I'd happily see it again though as there's enough interesting stuff in there, Rihanna's part was great.
I just love how calm your content is. I needed some chill cinema commentary without loud screaming jokes every 10 seconds.
It honestly kinda surprises me how expensive movies are getting.
I mean, hundreds of millions of dollars, seriously?
Dear dudes at Hollywood, just pirate Sony Vegas, buy a good camera off of Amazon, get a writer from Craigslist and get Anthony Fantano as the star and boom, you got a good film sure to make a profit!
;^)
Jo-Kai Gon-Zo That is the plan!
Well advertisement also costs money to, even if your on a smaller budget, if no one is aware of your movie even if it's good then the box office will not be all that great.
Jo-Kai Gon-Zo who would watch Anthony fucking Fontano, that guy is walking anti-charisma.
Brandon Lyon Huh, good point.
Jo-Kai Gon-Zo "Giving This One a Solid 9 To a 10" would be a movie that would attract audiences around the world.
"Marvels Dark Universe"?
he misspoke, I assume he means Universal's Dark Universe
@@AstrayPlays Yeah, I let it slide. The narrator seems like a cool guy.
I thought he was making a joke.
*Marvel's
He does this often on his videos which at times can be confusing but then get to recognize when it's just a quip.
One of the reasons is that I can´t believe those characters. They seem like teenagers, so many times is almost like watching some kind of spy kids in space. Would be way better with more mature actors instead.
Not rally fair to Spy kids. Those films was a lot more fun and goofy from what I remember.
@@nemo-x NOBODY would choose to remain that young - they'd at least wait until they'd fully passed puberty and were in the peak of their 20's before stopping the aging clock.
We've seen enough macho 'mature' characters in lead roles. I read their juvenile, unbelievablity as part of the 'it's the future: the future's weird' aesthetic. Really doesn't seem to be the dominant reading around critics circles though, but there you go.
@@ealing456 That's an interesting take! Maybe if the director had set that up in the beginning and sold that idea to the audience it might have worked better for more people.
The movie was like watching some annoying kid play a video game while using cheat codes.
thats exactly what it was like. if u want ur movie to be a success then the movie not being shit is really where you have to start, and this one failed at that first hurdle.
I felt like that watching Besson's Lucy, not Valerian.
It failed because of eyebrows
at least Emilia Clarke isn't in it
JustCallMeMrWest Oh god, Emilia killed Sarah Connor
JustCallMeMrWest would of done better than cara, fuck she's a shit actor
It failed because of eyebags
so being correct is cuntish now? personaly, id of prefered to have things written so i could get there actual meaning rather then just the jist
This movie has one of the best intros of all time. The effects are also pretty well done.
No one called me to play the lead. If they're gonna go with non A-list actors, I think I would have been a great choice.
:-D
with non A list actors they are trying to prove themselves as Actors and really get into the movie that they are in which is what I like about new actors.
Hey, I can party all night and do coke of a strippers ass, too! Cast me!
You have my vote @ Shavinism
I'd cast you - I bet fifteen minute ad-libs ala Good Will Hunting are your forte!
I watched Valerian movie, and gotta say, main characters weren't likable, that was the main issue, name doesn't mean much to me, but the way those characters were written was wrong.
Universe and characters were much more likable in cartoon series, that aired many years ago, even ship had much better character in cartoon than main characters in the movie.
So I'd blame writing, not cast for the flop.
I've been reading and re-reading the "Valérian et Laureline" graphic novels since the early 70's. They got a lot of things right in that movie and I already watched it a few times, I like it pretty much. The only let down is that they didn't exactly get the personalities of the 2 protagonists quite right because of a small excess of childish behavior in the movie. As a follower of the old series I would have not missed this film for anything in the world. I'm saddened that its failure to make a profit probably condemns it of not having any sequels.
1:53 Marvel's dark universe?
HoneyBadger I think he meant to say 'Universal' instead of 'Marvel'.
i think it was on purpouse :thinking:
Well they are pretty much jumping on the shared universe bandwagon that marvel has done so well, everyone wants that avengers money.
It might be a joke on how Universal were blatantly trying to cash in on Marvel's success.
...
Or it could be an unintentional mistake because Universal were blatantly trying to cash in on Marvel's success.
the first time I thought he meant "compared to Marvel's universe's opening", but listening again, I think he just said Marvel when he meant Universal.
For worldly, experienced, space opera heroes, the two main characters interacted like bratty teens.
The problem I had with the film was the two leads. Not the actors themselves but their characters. I hated both of them and didn't care what happened to them.
lauraline was a cold fish, valerian was was a teenager wanting to marry the ice princess
who was a lesbian in the closet.
"Why valerian bombed".
Answer: Two generic actors who can't fucking act who the public also hates and has no care in wanting to see them on the big screen.
Simple.
Batman Exactly stop giving that model bitch roles she can't fucking act. She was embarrassing in suicide squad and I'm sure she's worse here. Stop thinking the public wants to see anorexic models who can't act put in film, they don't.
The Dude Playing The Dude Disguised As Another Dude She also seems hellbent on ruining the Bond franchise.
I don't know, I might enjoy watching her in a movie on the adult version of youtube.
People hate Dane DeHaan?
Yeah I'm surprised - I admit he was not a good fit for Valerian but I think he's an excellent actor in other areas.
It was alright. There are worse movies out there.
Agreed. So many people dissing it on here. It was watchable for sure.
That is absolutely true-- when you say there are *some* worse movies, really that should be *most*. IMO
But that does not serve as an excuse.
There are worst movies out there ???
Two hundred million hello ????!!!!
Valerian is fun to watch....kinda reminds me of Star Wars and Guardians Of The Galaxy in places. The leads sucked though.
In Dane DeHaan, I’ve finally found a gravel-voiced kid actor who can mumble his way through an entire film.
Because there was no way on earth I was going to believe two super models were in love and trying to solve interstellar crimes together. They belonged on a beach shoot not some action thriller.
It could also be said that a lot of other films and other media (Star Wars, Mass Effect, probably a load of other sci-fi) have taken from the Valerian comics so when adapted to a film itself it loses a lot of the surprise and the designs don't seem as unique as other have done them (could be said done better as well)
It was a travesty this movie wasn’t more appreciated. I didn’t know about it until 2 weeks ago and I LOVED it.
How appealing is the notion of a sci/fi adventure cast by children anyway? I can't speak for everyone, and I do not have the numbers at hand on the popularity and box office returns on Young Adult novel adaptations, but I suspect that the choice of lead actors could have been a major detriment to the first impression or even appeal of Valerian.
For me anyway, the first trailers i saw looked shit with doofy main characters. So i decided not to see it.
All it really was far as I was concerned.
Trailers gave me John Carter flashbacks. 'nuff said.
Woelke It reminded me of Jupiter, which also was a shitty movie with a shitty trailer. Wasn't interested in either, haven't watched them, probably never will.
azraelswrd I liked john carter
Thomas Wightman
My father read the original novels of The Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars and The Warlord of Mars. He said the film was a disgrace to the source material. After all, it's hard to coherently condense even one book into a 2 hours or less movie.
The trailer looked like it had a shitty story line sugarcoated in colorful visuals. Too bad such amazing effects went to waste.
The source material is super important. I'm only reading it in retrospect, but it's undeniable how ahead of it's time it was. Yet few know of it.
The other problem is the film's structure. Instead of rising the tension and spectacle of each action scene as the movie progress, it actually drops it. The movie starts with one of the most inventive action scenes and ends with a generic shoot out.
I literally had no idea this film existed before I heard it flopped went to see after hearing about it horrible opening weekend. it was pretty damn good its a shame really
Loved the movie. Also big fan of the books themselves. The Ambassador of the Shadows, the main source of inspiration for this film, has been an integral part of my formation as a cartoonist, story wise and in how to handle the art in the sci-fi genre.
I have loved it too. Been to a cinema twice to see it.
I knew the serie because my father was a fan and had all the albums. Mezieres-Christin work was meh at the beginning, perhaps not mature enough, excellent in the middle in the late 70s early 80s and crap at the end, with lazy drawing, cast, storytelling. Indeed, like The Empire Striks Back for Star Wars, Ambassador of the Shadows is recoignised to be the very best of the whole serie, the everest of Valerian "franchise". I was surprised when Besson announced it although i knew he was a fan, but the cast... total betrayal of the material. Besson deserved that flop.
You didn't mention one of the worst parts of this movie. The two awful lead characters that have ZERO chemistry on screen and their awful creepy love story.
The reason I didn't see it is has already been stated in the comments. Poor casting.
As someone who knows nothing about the source material when I see the trailer I see another bunch of teens running around a bunch of CGI sets. Not a deal breaker but these teens seem to be taken themselves way too seriously, there is an area of "we may look like Channel Disney Actors who but we're actually bad ass, no seriously stop laughing we're bad ass."
The main actors weren't bad.
The only actor I found annoying was Kris Wu, mainly because of the way he speaks which didn't match the character.
IMHO the leading girl in the commics, 'Laureline', is a stunningly beautifull girl and caries the series, the actual stories are not that interesting, although ok.. Unfortunately the leading lady in the movie does not impress or seduce the audience.
There's a lot of cheap-o sci fi flicks. This was something rare and appreciated. Sadly, not enough fans like me.
I did enjoy this film and had about ten friends come see it with me on my birthday. I had medium expectations on it and they were met and I overall enjoyed it. The biggest complaint we had was the back and forth romance to company man attitude of Valerian. One moment he says he's doing the job and the next trying to get Lauraline to marry him. The love and job part didn't work for us at the end over the little pearl creature if they were going to turn it in or not.
That was actually a huge letdown for me. It simply didn't fit to the charakter we seen abandoning with out any recognition that they lost about a hand full of men to an space dog. Seriously wtf happens to them? One after the other gets mold, and they barely step into theyr ship, theyr team never seen again. All she has to say about that is her dress is ruined... and then when it comes to this little gremlin she playes the marrige card out of emphatie?
I went to cinema to see it twice and I will certainly buy it once it's out on the blu-ray. I'd say that IT IS A GREAT ENTERTAINMENT, I have loved it and the film feels fresh for its day and time.
I enjoyed this movie. Oh well, guess we always have the rest of the Hollywood remakes to look forward to.
I actually liked the film but it could have been much better. The key weakness is that they replaced Valerian and Laureline with 2 character that have nothing in common with them as people.
Valerian is not a boyish skirtchaser wannabee bad boy, he is the straight dependable competent soldier. In much a foil to Laureline's exuberance. She is most definitely not an ice queen with a chip on her shoulder, rather an incredibly warm person, with a great curiosity, devious, perceptive and a great improviser, who live life to its fullest and always follows her conscience.
As a fan I miss seeing them, but as for the characters on screen the big problem was that they didn't supply a reason for why they loved each other, they were just beautiful people together so hey they must be in love..
I like your close-ups.
They make me laugh.
0:39, as a Polish person, I kinda love the fact that the cover of Valerian comic book here is in Polish. Don't know if it was accidental, or you couldn't find it in better quality in French or English, but I love it.
What were your thoughts on Dunkirk?
An expensive docu-drama with an astonishing music and some great visuals.
I'm thankful for your input.
Tbh, the best film I saw this year. Impressive visual, great story that always keeps you on edge, extraordinary music by hans zimmer, characters that you don't really care about but it wasn't made to be a "character" movie but more an "event" movie
Im guessing it’s partly due to teenagers with an overly tough and ultra cool attitude like the two main characters being rather cringy
I honestly liked this movie, but it was the leads or the drab interactions between them that did it in for me. I didn’t care much for them. Which is too bad, like The Fifth Element, Valerian was beautifully designed and the opening montage of the evolution of the space station into a city was cleverly done.
Well... casting a girlish-faced hero and a manish-faced heroine that look almost like exactly the same person... is not the best choice.
That's a pretty odd thing to take issue with.
@@DavySolaris The source material Valerian is a somewhat mature square jawed action hero, and Lauriline is much more a mother than a lover to him. Or patient and overbearing older sister.
your tight they do look like siblings
@@Sam_Guevenne And he looks girlier than her . . .
@@thomasraahauge5231 And yet they have an on-off-relationship.
I didn't go see a cuz it just didn't seem to have any interesting ideas. I went and saw arrival because the aliens looked interesting in the concepts looked interesting
Also, the comic book wasn't that well known in the US. They assumed the US audience already understood the whole idea of the storyline, like Marvel or DC.
I think this was a reason about the low success. For me it was one of the best science fiction movies.
@@markus30musik I get that, but when I got there I really had no clue what was going on. That's why it was a huge hit in Europe and in particular France, I have a couple French friends on the web and they raved over it and all I could do was shrug, I simply didn't get it. I totally didn't understand what was going on between the two principles, Just didn't understand what was up with them.
I would also add that while Rihanna is a true beauty, she put on the worst performance I have ever seen in my life. I swear I have never been so happy to see a character die before.
I actually enjoyed the movie. I don't claim it was the best film ever (or even of the year), but it's a solid summer sci-fi action. Hell, I even consider the leading duo as enjoyable (maybe because I never saw the actors before?). Except Rihanna part, you can't really watch that without thinking "oh look, Rihanna on the screen", which spoils the experience completely.
It was a great entertainment. Have adored it in spite of its imperfections.
I didn't know how Rihanna looks nor do I know what songs she sings.
I can't listen to new pop music without suffering or getting bored.
That scene with her dancing was pure torture, worst part of the movie.