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

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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

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Nick R

A mostly hollow sci-fi film that had great ideas and so much potential.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/03/24

Full Review

Michael C

Valerian feels like a movie that really should have been a series, the entire thing feels rushed. A lot of things introduced but not fully explained or expanded. There are supposedly tons of aliens but we'll only see a handful of them. The alpha space station sounds massive with distinct geography but you'll only see a small part of it. Watching Laureline and Valerian's love line is like trying to binge an entire romance novel in an hour; the entire thing is so rushed it felt like Laureline have multiple personality or bipolar disorder. Lastly, the plot device is also a bit flimsy. There is some barely explained telepathic time traveling soul thing that's so poorly explained it might as well be the infinity gaultlet. So to sum it up, if you're fan of the original comic, maybe you'll see some cool CGI that made you reminiscent of the original story. For everyone else, CGI is kind of okay, but story is a total mess, so watch at your own risk.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/03/24

Full Review

Aaron P

I was heavily invested in this movie and they were on to something until the Rihanna (however you spell her name) scene. That scene did not do this movie any favors. I wanted to like this movie and it was going so well..

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/28/24

Full Review

Audience Member

I loved a lot about this movie. As a star trek fan from the beginning (am 70 yrs). Good acting, amazing storytelling, and visually beautiful. I liked it a lot.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/27/24

Full Review

Robert B

Great movie. Ignore the negative reviews, it is fun, well acted and easy to follow.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/24/24

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

Jolly the Pimp

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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

1:44

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: Fundamental Films, STX Entertainment, EuropaCorp
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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