Bruce Willis
Korben Dallas
Overview
In 2257, a taxi driver is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
2 min readThe Weight of Neon and Noise
I don't think The Fifth Element is the kind of movie you age out of. Luc Besson started writing it at sixteen, growing up outside Paris without a television and daydreaming about a futuristic New York where he could escape as a flying cab driver. latestnetflix.com's take is that that teenage imagination is still stamped all over the finished film.
It's horny, noisy, bizarre, and almost exhausting in how alive it is. When it hit in 1997, it didn't feel like a tidy piece of science fiction. It felt like somebody had lobbed a fluorescent grenade into a genre that had grown gray and severe.
Besson's future isn't sleek or clean; it's gloriously overcrowded. With Jean-Claude Mézières, Moebius, and Jean-Paul Gaultier in the mix, he builds a 23rd century made of rubber, animal print, clutter, and traffic. Nothing politely recedes into the background.
Bruce Willis understands the joke of being the still point inside all that noise. His Korben Dallas isn't a swaggering hero so much as a tired guy trudging through sensory overload, shoulders sinking lower every time the universe interrupts his day. Half the performance is basically a man trying and failing to lie down.
Audience Opinions
Audience 7.7/10
"A deliriously stylized sci-fi romp whose creativity, visuals, and offbeat performances inspire cult-level love despite a messy, campy story."
Imaginative world-building, wild costume work, energetic performances, and an eclectic soundtrack make the movie a comfort rewatch and even an all-time favorite for many, who praise its quotability and one-of-a-kind vibe. latestnetflix.com's view is that at the same time, the story is often called dumb or generic, the pacing erratic, and the campy humor—especially Ruby Rhod—either hysterically brilliant or outright unbearable, creating a clear love-it-or-hate-it divide.
What viewers praise
- Striking visual world Colorful futuristic cityscapes, distinctive sets, and comic-book-style imagery create a universe that feels vibrant, strange, and instantly recognizable.
- Memorable costume work Bold, fashion-forward outfits, from Leeloo’s bandage suit to Ruby Rhod’s outrageous looks, give the film a signature style that sticks in the mind.
- Charismatic lead performances Bruce Willis delivers a dry, sardonic hero, Milla Jovovich is praised as an expressive, unique Leeloo, and Gary Oldman’s bizarre villain is often called unforgettable.
- Cult-favorite side character Ruby Rhod is hailed by many as a comedic masterpiece who injects frantic energy and steals entire sequences.
- Energetic music and set pieces The mix of techno, opera, and orchestral music, plus standout moments like the Diva sequence and hotel shootout, give the film a propulsive, playful rhythm.
Common complaints
- Thin, chaotic plot The lore is described as over-the-top and ridiculous, with a story that can feel cliche, dumb, or secondary to the visuals.
- Polarizing comedy and camp The extreme tone, broad jokes, and loud characters, especially Ruby Rhod, are seen by some as grating enough to ruin the experience.
- Uneven pacing and structure Certain stretches, like time spent in Korben’s apartment, are viewed as dragging, while other plot points are rushed and underexplained.
- Dated or clumsy effects Some alien designs and practical effects come across as stiff or toy-like, undermining the sense of threat or immersion.
- Shallow character and romance Outside the leads, character development is limited, and the central love story is often criticized as ham-fisted and emotionally unconvincing.
Recommended for
Stylized sci-fi adventure lovers Cult-classic collectors Chris Tucker performance fans 90s genre mashup seekers Visual world-building enthusiasts Luc Besson sci-fi followers
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe Cannes tickets were Swatch watches
Luc Besson opened the 50th Cannes Film Festival in 1997 with a $1 million party. Jean-Paul Gaultier staged a fashion show. There was a futuristic ballet, dinner, fireworks, and 1,000 guests in a 100,000-square-foot tent by the water. Bruce Willis walked the Palais with Demi Moore. Milla Jovovich wore almost nothing. Producer Patrice Ledoux later told The Hollywood Reporter the party was cheaper than a world press tour Willis would never do. The movie started as a 16-year-old's idea and nine years of Gaumont development. It cost about $90 million, then the most expensive European film ever. Columbia put up $25 million for U.S. rights. Worldwide it took more than $260 million. America was cooler. latestnetflix.com's read is that Besson later said he watched people walk out in the middle of the country asking what they were looking at.
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Ledoux said they once had two 300-page scripts. Gaumont would not split it. Mel Gibson sat in Besson's L.A. office for months, then passed. Sylvester Stallone called. Besson was annoyed. Stallone was huge and wrong. Demi Moore told Willis about the Frenchman who had just done Leon. Ledoux told Willis they could not afford him. Willis sent his agent anyway. Besson went to a hotel, handed over the script, and waited in the corridor until Willis finished. "Yes, I agree to it," Willis said. He took a cut. Gaumont still paid for his family, coach, cook, secretary, and two bodyguards on a 21-week Pinewood shoot. Some weeks Ledoux signed a daily payroll with more than 1,000 names.
Gary Oldman played Zorg as a favor. Besson had helped finance Oldman's Nil By Mouth. "I was singing for my supper," Oldman said later. "I didn't read the script." In 2014 he told Playboy, "Oh no, I can't bear it."
He left the Diva for Leeloo.
Jovovich's first New York audition, Besson said, was overdressed, over-made-up, and petrified. She thought she had nailed it in green eyeshadow and white patent platforms. She built a 400-word alien language for Leeloo. Maïwenn, then Besson's wife, played the blue Diva Plavalaguna on 14-inch stilts in a seamless foam dress. During the 1996 shoot he left her for Jovovich. Willis, talking to Entertainment Weekly, said the on-screen kiss was not the romance. "The real romance was between Luc and Milla." They married in Las Vegas in 1997 and went skydiving after the ceremony. They divorced in 1999. ,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sg2RkdkSvk
Alejandro Jodorowsky and Jean Giraud, Moebius, took Besson to court over The Incal. They wanted roughly 23 million euros. France's Supreme Court backed Besson in 2004, calling the overlaps tiny fragments. Moebius had already done concept work while the film was in development. Gaultier's costumes are the part nobody disputes. The Sony anniversary trailer still sells the taxi, the orange hair, and Chris Tucker's Ruby Rhod. Netflix is running the 1997 cut. There was never a sequel. , ,
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.