Well Luc Besson, he always goes for it, and often what he's going for - as here - is spectacular science fiction, and in this case actually based on a comic book, which I think works in its favour in giving it a readymade stock of visuals, characters (notably of course the wonderfully - and comic bookily named - galactic federal agents Valerian and Laureline, although, as interesting-looking and frequently charismatic as Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne both are, sparks don't exactly fly between them), species, settings and so on. It's fun the way Besson really commits to showing his outer space happenings, which always risks tipping into being a touch hokey but he pretty much pulls it off in Valerian, aided by a typically pacy plot.
(plane viewing #1)
(plane viewing #1)
