For a film that’s about to celebrate its 30th anniversary, The Fifth Element is playing like a 2026 blockbuster now that it’s back on Netflix.
This isn’t the first time this sci-fi epic from 1997 has been on the streamer, but it cracked Netflix’s top 10 movie list when it was added to the streamer last month. That’s pretty impressive for an “old” movie, but fans of the Bruce Willis film now there’s nothing old or dated about it.
Watch With Us thinks it’s one of the most visionary sci-fi movies of the ’90s, and three decades later, it’s more inventive and entertaining than most of the movies being released today.
Even if you’ve seen it multiple times, there’s a timeless quality to this movie that keeps us coming back.
The Movie Gave Birth to a Future Action Star
Milla Jovovich has made a pretty good career out of starring in action movies. Even when the films themselves weren’t necessarily that great, she’s almost always good in them. All of Jovovich’s subsequent action films can be traced back to her turn here as Leeloo, an enigmatic woman who is the embodiment of the Fifth Element. Leeloo barely speaks English throughout the majority of the film, and yet Jovovich still makes her alien gobbledygook compelling and entertaining. One of the funniest moments in the film involves Leeloo saying “Multipass,” but we’ll leave the context for you to discover.
Jovovich also seems like a forerunner for some of the female action stars that came after her. She has a very slight physique, but she moves so smoothly during her fighting scenes that it’s easier to embrace the idea that she kicks 10 kinds of ass. Leeloo wears her heart on her sleeve, and Jovovich carries the film on her shoulders.
‘The Fifth Element’ Featured Bruce Willis Near His Peak
Bruce Willis was by far the biggest star in the film when it hit theaters, and his name deservedly got top billing. He plays Korben Dallas, a military veteran and cab driver in the 23rd century. In this timeline, ride-share apps were probably never invented. Many of Willis’ best performances came earlier in the decade, but he’s still really good as a burned-out warrior who gets dragged into Leeloo’s world because she fell into his.
It becomes clear early on that Korben is hopelessly in love with Leeloo, even though there’s a sizable emotional and language gap between them. That’s why he subjects himself to the insanity of her mission to save humanity from the ultimate evil. Korben would move worlds for Leeloo, and probably make a lot less effort for everyone else. At this point, Willis still could come off as an everyman even when fighting alien warriors in space. The film wouldn’t have worked without him.
‘The Fifth Element’ Overflows With Imagination
It would be less than truthful to deny that some of The Fifth Element‘s story gets bogged down in nearly incomprehensible details about the great evil and what it plans to do to humanity. The details aren’t always director Luc Besson‘s strong suit. What makes this movie sing is the sheer power of Besson’s imagination that shows up on screen. When this film came out, there hadn’t been many space opera epics since Return of the Jedi in 1983. This filled the gap nicely and offered audiences a visionary look at a future filled with opera-singing aliens and weird-looking villains.
One of the reasons The Fifth Element was popular on Netflix when it was added in April is that it’s still beautiful to look at. It’s almost like a European sci-fi comic come to life. Most of all, The Fifth Element is just a joy to watch, and its resurgence in popularity is well-deserved.
The Fifth Element is streaming on Netflix.
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