This sequence—sometimes referred to by fans as the "E" for "Evolution" or "Exploration"—is a dazzling, nearly wordless ten minutes that accomplishes what the rest of the film struggles to achieve: it makes you fall in love with an idea.
In the years since its 2017 release, Valerian has experienced a minor but significant renaissance. The film has found a second life as a , particularly on platforms like Max. Audiences who missed it in theaters have discovered its unique visual language and ambitious world-building in the comfort of their own homes, free from the weight of its budget and expectations. It has gained a small but dedicated cult following of fans who appreciate it for what it is: a flawed masterpiece of visual art.
Film ini menampilkan deretan pemeran yang tak kalah gemerlapnya: Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - E...
The story is set in the 28th century, where the once-humble International Space Station has been expanded beyond measure, becoming a magnificent, wandering city called Alpha. Home to millions of beings from thousands of planets, Alpha is a glittering monument to interstellar peace and cooperation. To maintain order in this vast metropolis and the surrounding territories, the United Human Federation employs special operatives, the best of whom are the charming but brash Major Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and his more pragmatic partner, Sergeant Laureline (Cara Delevingne).
The film’s pièce de résistance is the "Big Market" sequence. Here, Besson visualizes a concept that could only exist in cinema: a dimensional marketplace where tourists in a barren desert wear virtual reality headsets to shop in a bustling, futuristic bazaar existing in another dimension. The interplay between the tactile desert reality and the digital overlay creates a heist sequence that is innovative, confusing, and utterly exhilarating. It represents the peak of the film’s ambition: using CGI not just to blow things up, but to bend the rules of physics and perception. This sequence—sometimes referred to by fans as the
The that inhabit Alpha (like the Pearls or the Doghan Daguis)
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a flawed gem. It is a film that prioritizes the quantity of its planets over the depth of its protagonists. The plot meanders, the dialogue clunks, and the tone shifts jarringly between childish farce (the alien duck creatures) and colonialist allegory. Audiences who missed it in theaters have discovered
Upon its release, Valerian faced harsh criticism for its dense narrative structure and atypical casting. However, when viewed outside the lens of standard Hollywood expectations, the film reveals itself to be a masterpiece of pure imagination.
While the chemistry between the leads was a point of contention for critics, their dynamic captures the "bickering professional" energy of the original comics. Valerian is the arrogant, rule-following ace pilot, while Laureline is the grounded, highly capable heart of the operation. Their mission to retrieve a "converter"—the last of its kind from a destroyed civilization—unravels a massive intergalactic conspiracy. Why It Became a Cult Classic
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is ambitious, occasionally clumsy, and often sublime. It’s a film best experienced with cinematic surrender: let the visuals wash over you, embrace the pulp heart of the story, and forgive the narrative creaks. For viewers craving a vivid, restless, and unabashedly imaginative sci-fi playground, Valerian is one of the most exhilarating failures — or the most exhilarating successes — of the 2010s.