Intro"Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" is a 2017 English-language French 3D science fiction adventure movie directed by Luc Besson, based upon the comic series Valérian and Laureline by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières. Set in the 28th century, it checks out the experiences of special operatives Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) who preserve order throughout the human territories.
Plot SummaryThe story begins with the evolution of Alpha, a spaceport station where civilizations from different worlds work together. At the same time, on the non-technologically sophisticated planet Mül, an apocalyptic event ruins the tranquil life of humanoid types who have the ability to convert pearls into energy through a small magical animal.
Cutting down to the present time, Valerian and Laureline are designated to obtain the last of these animals from a black market offer on a desert-type world. As they complete their mission, Valerian dreams about a Princess from world Mül asking for help, a mystery he's intrigued to solve. Upon going back to Alpha, they find that an unidentified radiation zone has actually grown mysteriously within the city.
Conflict and ResolutionWhile investigating, Valerian gets caught in the radiation zone and Laureline sets on an objective to rescue him. During their journey, both discover Na'l (Mülians) who discuss their terrible history and how their Commander had concealed the truth about the destruction of their planet Mül by a crashed spaceship.
They find out that Commander Arün Filitt (Clive Owen), who was at the time commanding the spaceship responsible for the damage, wants to cover it up as he believes that understanding of the action would lead to him being pursued genocide. They also find the Na'l endured, collected the remains of their planet into a spaceship, and have actually been trying to recreate a homeworld by recreating the pearls and the converter creatures, and are seeking their last remaining pearl.
Valerian and Laureline battle to protect the Mülians and stop the Commander, ending in a heated combat versus the military. Eventually, Valerian manages to eliminate the hazard by revealing the soldiers proof that the Na'l are peaceful and that their Commander had lied about the hazard.
ConclusionAfter defeating the Commander, Valerian and Laureline hand him over to the representatives of Alpha for prosecution. The Mülians are allowed to leave in their spaceship, with Alpha staying where it is. The movie ends with Valerian proposing to Laureline, leaving a possible sequel chance.
"Besson's 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' is classified as a visual spectacle with a mix of humor and romance, which is appealing to more youthful audience despite the weak narrative structure. The movie's primary strengths are its aesthetically magnificent world-building and charismatic performances from DeHaan and Delevingne, amidst a story that reaches ambitiously for a profundity of styles like diplomacy, genocide, and colonialism while retaining a light-hearted spirit.
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