Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

PG-13

Released Jul 21, 2017

2h 17m

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Action

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Popcornmeter

47%

Tomatometer

297 Reviews

53%

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25,000+ Ratings

In the 28th century, special operatives Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline work together to maintain order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the minister of defense, the duo embarks on a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where diverse species gather to share knowledge and culture. When a dark force threatens the peaceful city, Valerian and Laureline must race against time to identify the menace that also jeopardizes the future of the universe.

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Critics Consensus

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets uses sheer kinetic energy and visual thrills to overcome narrative obstacles and offer a viewing experience whose surreal pleasures sometimes outweigh its flaws.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Thing is, every time I had to focus on the two main characters, the noticeable holes in all of this started to grow bigger and become more bothersome.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 22, 2017

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

It's an enjoyable mess. Like all modern fantasy based on computer-generated technique, it confuses movement and action.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 16, 2017

Full Review

Stephen Romei

The Australian

Besson loves messing around with time and space.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 11, 2017

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

...a nearly 140 minutes slog through poor storytelling, boring characters, laughably bad dialogue, and CGI overload.

Rated: 1.5/5

Aug 21, 2022

Full Review

Fletcher Powell

KMUW - Wichita Public Radio

If you’d asked me ... if it would matter that I’d spend a good three-quarters of a movie having no idea what was going on, I would have said: Yes. Yes, that would matter. But that was before I’d seen Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

Jun 21, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The outcome here is uneven: admirable for its ambition and mindless entertainment value, unable to hold up under close scrutiny, and often dazzlingly beautiful.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 23, 2022

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Gregory

Beautiful special effects.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/07/21

Full Review

Michael D

The 2 main characters are just not fit to do this role , Dane Dehaan (ravian) looks like a teen on an addiction doing his best to be tuff , a player and funny , it is an annoying. Give this role to someone like Ryan Reynolds and this movie would work . The second main character lauraline (cara delivigne) i suppose she does her best to upgrade the poor actor choice of ravian and i believe with another actor she would perform better . Overall a messy movie wondering what is happening but again it all started with poor acting from Dane Dehaan

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/04/25

Full Review

Ivan

So fun, so sci-fi, so visually beautiful, Cara delevigne is also a bombshell

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/22/25

Full Review

Jesus B

I think it's one of those films everyone should see at least once, especially those with a taste for and interest in science fiction. It's an interesting film, and the special effects are next-level. The visuals are brilliant, and the sound effects are also impressive. It also has a good cast, good dialogue, and an interesting premise. There's one somewhat irrelevant part of the film that I think was quite bad, which may be the reason for its low rating. I'm talking about the scenes involving Rihana, but if they were completely removed, the film would still get a 9 or a 10. I'm not trying to say Rihana gave a bad performance, or anything like that, but her role goes unnoticed and doesn't contribute any weight to the plot. So, it's not her fault, but rather the writers' failure to include her in the film, and she feels alien to it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/17/25

Full Review

Zach M

If you can get past the atrocious acting of the two main characters, this is a fairly unique and original ride. Unfortunate casting for the leads, but a decent film.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/28/25

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Peter F

There's something about these mediocre-reviewed films that are sometimes more entertaining than the highly-reviewed movies. Enjoyed this rambling, visual sci fi adventure .

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/23/25

Full Review

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Luc Besson

Director

Dane DeHaan

Major Valerian

Cara Delevingne

Sergeant Laureline

Clive Owen

Commander Arun Filitt

Rihanna

Bubble

Ethan Hawke

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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: Behind the Scenes - Big Market

1:02

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: Behind the Scenes - Creating the Shell City

1:17

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: Behind the Scenes - Rihanna as Bubble

1:21

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: Behind the Scenes - Designing Alpha

1:14

Luc Besson on Casting Rihanna: Exclusive Interview

1:06

That Moment When You Realize You're in a Luc Besson Movie: Exclusive Interview

1:50

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: TV Spot - Attack

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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: TV Spot - Imagine

0:30

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: Trailer 1

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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: Teaser Trailer 2

2:30

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Synopsis

In the 28th century, special operatives Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline work together to maintain order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the minister of defense, the duo embarks on a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where diverse species gather to share knowledge and culture. When a dark force threatens the peaceful city, Valerian and Laureline must race against time to identify the menace that also jeopardizes the future of the universe.

Director: Luc Besson
Producer: Luc Besson, Virginie Silla
Screenwriter: Luc Besson
Distributor: STX Entertainment
Production Co: EuropaCorp, Fundamental Films, STX Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Sci-Fi Violence and Action|Brief Language|Suggestive Material)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 21, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.4M
Runtime: 2h 17m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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