The Fifth Element

In the wild sci-fi thriller The Fifth Element, Bruce Willis stars as a 24th century New York cabbie and former Special Forces agent who never wanted to be a hero, but thanks to the very unusual fare he’s just picked up, he’s about to reluctantly join forces with “perfect being” Milla Jovavich to save the world from imminent destruction! This is the kind of fare that only comes along every five thousand years: A perfect beauty, a perfect being, a perfect weapon named Leeloo, who holds the secrets to combating the evil Gary Oldman, not to mention a dark, unearthly force that makes Darth Vader look like an Ewok! Director Luc Besson’s (The Professional) outrageous, high-octane sci-fi extravaganza manages to incorporate ancient curses, all-powerful monsters, shape-changing assassins, scantily-clad stewardesses, laser battles, huge explosions, a perfect heroine and a malcontent hero – what more can you ask for? Also starring Chris Tucker and Ian Holm. (Dir. by Luc Besson, 1997, France, in English, 127 mins., Rated PG-13)