The Fifth Element (1997)

In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr Zorg at bay.

Director:

Luc Besson

Writers:

Luc Besson (story), Luc Besson (screenplay),

Stars:

Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Willis	...	Korben Dallas
Gary Oldman	...	Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg
Ian Holm	...	Father Vito Cornelius
Milla Jovovich	...	Leeloo
Chris Tucker	...	Ruby Rhod
Luke Perry	...	Billy
Brion James	...	General Munro
Tommy 'Tiny' Lister	...	President Lindberg (as Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Jr.)
Lee Evans	...	Fog
Charlie Creed-Miles	...	David (as Charlie Creed Miles)
Tricky	...	Right Arm
John Neville	...	General Staedert
John Bluthal	...	Professor Pacoli
Mathieu Kassovitz	...	Mugger
Christopher Fairbank	...	Mactilburgh

Storyline

In the twenty-third century, the universe is threatened by evil. The only hope for mankind is the Fifth Element, who comes to Earth every five thousand years to protect the humans with four stones of the four elements: fire, water, Earth and air. A Mondoshawan spacecraft is bringing The Fifth Element back to Earth but it is destroyed by the evil Mangalores. However, a team of scientists use the DNA of the remains of the Fifth Element to rebuild the perfect being called Leeloo. She escapes from the laboratory and stumbles upon the taxi driver and former elite commando major Korben Dallas that helps her to escape from the police. Leeloo tells him that she must meet Father Vito Cornelius to accomplish her mission. Meanwhile, the Evil uses the greedy and cruel Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg and a team of mercenary Mangalores to retrieve the stones and avoid the protection of Leeloo. But the skilled Korben Dallas has fallen in love with Leeloo and decides to help her to retrieve the stones.

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Plot Keywords:

evil | stone | future | escape | taxi driver | 

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Taglines:

There is no future without it.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence, some sexuality and brief nudity

Details

Country:

France

Language:

English Swedish German

Release Date:

9 May 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

El quinto elemento

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

DEM 23,844 (Germany) (19 June 1998)

Gross:

DEM 23,844 (Germany) (19 June 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nick Dudman's creature crew created a group of spindly, long-nosed alien garbage collectors that never made it to the final film. In the scenes at the spaceport, there's a huge pile of garbage which has gone uncollected because the garbage collectors are on strike (as explained in some dialogue). These creatures would have been seen amidst the garbage, holding sandwich board signs reading "On strike" if they had made it to the final cut.

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Goofs

In the first scene where Zorg is walking, the sound of metal clinking is heard when his right foot hits the ground. After his face is shown, the metal clinking is heard when his left foot hits the ground for the rest of the movie.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Omar: [whispers to sleeping Aziz] Aziz! Aziz!
Professor Pacoli: [shouts] Aziz! Light!
[Aziz wakes up with a start]
Billy: "Aziz! Light!"

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Connections

Referenced in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (2002)

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Soundtracks

"Aria of 'Lucia di Lammermoor'"
(from opera "Lucia di Lammermoor" Act 3, Scene 1: Mad scene "Il dolce suono mi colpi'...") *This is not aria.
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti (uncredited)
Performed by Inva Mula (as Inva Mulla Tchako), soprano
London Symphony Orchestra (as London Symphony Orchestra)
Conducted by Frédéric Chaslin
Produced by Michel Glotz
(c) Gaumont 1997

User Reviews

Multi Pass.

Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich star in this wonderful sci-fi tale. Chock full of killer performances and excellent effects.

Korben Dallas is your average ordinary New York taxi driver. Fresh out of the military, unlucky in love and this close to losing his job. One day the ultimate fare literally falls into his lap as Leeloo enters his life via the roof of his cab. Leeloo it seems was genetically manipulated to be the ultimate weapon against pure evil but her beauty and butt-kicking hide a more fragile nature that Dallas and a host of others will have to step up and help her save humanity.

This amazing sci-fi adventure from Luc (Leon) Besson has a little something for everyone. Beauty (the gorgeous Jovovich with orange hair even), action and gun-play, excellent acting, amazing visual effects, romance, creative sets and costume design, dynamic and interesting music and a mildly annoying but funny Chris Tucker. You name it…this film has it in spades. 5th Element is hands down one of the best science fiction films ever.

I've seen it many times and always want more. I highly recommended it.