I have written about The Fifth Element for this magazine before. Just recently I argued in a Geek VS Geek that this movie is one of the many sci-fi movies with hopelessly implausible love stories at their center. That being said, there’s an awful lot more to The Fifth Element than Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) deciding to save the world because Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) loves her.

The first important thing to know about The Fifth Element is that it is a slow movie to get going. For the first hour there is an awful lot of setup as the many different players get into position. On the side of the Great Evil come to wipe out the universe is inter-galactic arms dealer Zorg (Gary Oldman) and the Mangalores (a warrior race that look like a cross between Yoda and a pitbull). On the side of generally saving the universe are Leeloo (whom it later transpires is the titular fifth element); Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm), the latest in a long line of priests dedicated to helping the fifth element defeat the Great Evil; and Korben Dallas, former special forces soldier, the last of his unit left alive. In between are the government and the military, who generally get in the way.

The second important thing to know is that once the movie gets going, the last 45 minutes is wall-to-wall action. To defeat the Great Evil, the fifth element needs four stones representing the first four elements (can’t have a fifth without a first, second, third and fourth). These stones are lost at the start of the movie but turn out to be held by Diva Plavalaguna, an eight foot tall bright blue opera singer. Strangely, despite carrying the most important objects in the universe, the diva is giving a concert on the holiday satellite Fhloston Paradise which is completely sold out (both the concert and the resort itself). Much of the early action in the movie involves the characters trying to get tickets in order to get to the there. Ultimately, the government fixes a radio competition so that Dallas wins tickets and can go to the planet to retrieve the stones and save the universe.

Winning the radio competition provides the setup for undoubtedly the movie’s highest point: the inclusion of Dallas on the radio show of the androgynous Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker). Dressed for much of the movie in a fitted red velour cross between a ball gown and a pant-suit, Tucker is a long way from his macho crime fighting James Carter in the Rush Hour movies. Ruby broadcasts live as the Diva is killed, Dallas retrieves the stones, and then as Dallas battles and annihilates the Mangalores. Throughout, the President of the Universe and his various underlings listen to the broadcast (it appears to be the central government’s only intelligence on Fhloston -- surely space-travel level technology gets you some better form of surveillance?) and are suitably horrified by the way Dallas deals with the Mangalores. The highlight of course being:

KORBEN:	We need to find the leader. Mangalores don't fight without their leaders.
AKNOT:	One more shot and we start killing hostages!
KORBEN	That would be the leader.
AKNOT:	Send someone in to negotiate!
SHIP OFFICER:	I… I never negotiated before.
KORBEN:	You mind if… I…?
SHIP OFFICER:	Uh… yeah… sure. We're sending someone in to negotiate!
	[Korben goes in fires a single shot into Aknot's forehead.]
KORBEN:	Anyone else want to negotiate?

Having overcome the bad guys, the crew of good guys set off to activate the fifth element and render the Great Evil harmless. Here the enemy is humanity itself blah blah blah inspirational stuff about love triumphing over hate etc. Long story short, Leeloo and Dallas make out and she decides the universe is worth saving.

Throughout, it is clear that Besson and all the actors aren’t taking the movie too seriously and it is this general underlying sense of frivolity that makes The Fifth Element so much fun to watch. Every cliché, like Dallas being the last man in his team left alive, like him leading an unsuccessful civilian life, like the unlikely but necessary chemistry between a beautiful woman and the rugged man who saves her and the universe, is presented knowingly. In this respect it is the exact opposite of the amalgam of military clichés which is Battle: Los Angeles.

But in the end, more than anything, the most memorable part of The Fifth Element is just how damn stylish it is. Despite being fourteen years old this movie looks good. Really good. Not because the special effects do anything masterful but because, and this is the first and last time you’ll ever see me mention this in a film review, the costumes and makeup are pretty much perfect. One of the fashion greats, Jean-Paul Gautier, did the costume design for The Fifth Element and it shows. More than any other element of the film, the costumes set up the dystopic futuristic universe -- none better than Dallas’ orange mesh vest and Leeloo’s conveniently placed white bands (pictured -- along with some flight attendants, also with cool uniforms).


Anyway, before this develops into some way too serious review about costumes, meta-themes and non-diegetic soundtracks it is best to wrap up with one last quote from the movie

LEELOO:	Leeloo Dallas mul-ti-pass. Mul-ti-pass…
KORBEN:	Yeah, multipass, she knows it's a multipass. Leeloo Dallas.

   -- Brad Crammond