Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) is a polarizing feast for the eyes—a $180 million personal gamble
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) is a visually ambitious space opera directed by Luc Besson, adapted from the long-running French comic series Valérian and Laureline . Set in the 28th century, it follows special operatives Major Valerian and Sergeant Laureline as they investigate a mysterious "dark force" at the heart of Alpha, a massive, ever-expanding space station inhabited by millions of beings from across the universe.
Beneath the neon lights and laser fights, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets has a surprisingly heavy conscience. The Pearls of Mul are not warriors; they are peaceful, empathetic creatures destroyed by human greed. The human general’s excuse—"We thought they were enemies"—is a direct allegory for real-world military mistakes, from My Lai to drone strikes.
The film's opening sequence, set to David Bowie’s "Space Oddity," beautifully chronicles the history of human space exploration and the gradual, peaceful formation of Alpha. Another standout sequence is "Big Market," a multi-dimensional shopping bazaar that requires the characters to wear specialized glasses to interact with a bustling marketplace existing in an alternate dimension. Casting Choices and Character Chemistry Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - E...
For fans of Luc Besson’s earlier work, Valerian feels incredibly familiar. Many critics and fans consider Valerian and The Fifth Element to share a thematic and stylistic universe.
: The city is divided into distinct zones tailored to the environmental needs of its 3,236 different species, ranging from gas-filled sections to massive underwater liquid habitats. Key Lore & Objects
An elegant, iridescent tribal species that lives in harmony with their ecosystem on the planet Mül. Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a
While some praised its visual ambition, others found the plot convoluted. Regardless of the mixed reviews, it is widely acknowledged as one of the most visually daring science fiction films of the 2010s. Parental Guidance and Target Audience
as the Defense Minister, adding an unexpected touch of prestige jazz royalty to the sci-fi landscape. Why Valerian Deserves a Second Look
The film’s opening act introduces the planet Mül and its native inhabitants, the Pearls. This sequence is a masterclass in visual storytelling. The Pearls are elegant, iridescent, peaceful beings who live in perfect harmony with their environment, harvesting energy pearls from the sea. The destruction of their utopian world is tragic and beautiful, rendered with a level of digital detail that rivals the highest achievements of computer-generated cinema. Character Dynamics and the Casting Conundrum The Pearls of Mul are not warriors; they
Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) walks a razor’s edge between cinematic excess and imaginative bravura. It’s a film that refuses modesty — a cartoon of cosmic ambition, drenched in saturated color, kinetic editing, and relentless invention. For anyone who loves science fiction as a genre of wonder rather than merely ideology, Valerian is an essential, if imperfect, modern fable: an argument that cinema can still astonish when it chooses imagination over convenience.
No article discussing can ignore the elephant in the room. Critics and audiences widely noted that leads Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne lacked romantic chemistry. The characters in the comics are a married couple, equal partners in wit and combat. On screen, DeHaan’s Valerian comes off as a cocky teenager trying to impress an older sister (Delevingne).