The Fifth Element: The Ultimate Edition

When Luc Besson's sci-fi film The Fifth Element was released in the summer of 1997, it was praised for its special effects and visions of a 23rd century New York, but it didn't gain respect as much as the hit film Men in Black and the blockbuster of the year, Titanic. Now considered a cult classic and the movie for which Milla Jovovich gained fame is finally on a two-disc special edition that contains the picture digitally restored in superb picture quality and Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound as well as two hours of bonus features on the making of the movie, including never before seen footage of the blue alien singing at the opera house in its entirety without the editing that Mr. Besson made with Milla's character Leeloo fighting aliens.

Set in the near future, The Fifth Element tells the story of Dallas Corbin (Bruce Willis' last bad movie role before coming back in The Sixth Sense), an ordinary 23rd century man who is on a mission to protect Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), a female alien that was recovered by scientists 300 years after it was taken from an ancient ruin in Egypt by evil aliens led by Zorg (Gary Oldman). Along the way, they meet up with a kooky pop singer (Chris Tucker in his pre-Rush Hour role) in their quest to bring the alien back to Earth to destroy a new kind of evil from entering the atmosphere. As the tagline says, it must be found.

I first saw this great movie at a local multiplex in Secaucus, N.J. with 8 channel SDDS surround sound (that's 7.1 to you home theatre geeks) and a large picture, and boy, it was awesome. Now watching this DVD, it is a better experience that what I had at the theatre, with an added bonus: a trivial track that tells you the making, publicity, and international success of this modestly budgeted French produced film that was inspired by French sci-fi comic books.

If you want to see a great sci-fi flick from the '90's, then The Fifth Element is your ticket.

Coming soon: A review of Friday Night Lights.