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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Julian Rex M

Woodenly acted, derivative, and visually flat, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets offers further proof that the YA dystopia era has long-since ended, and that the sloppy writing and direction that plagued the genre are very much still alive and well.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/19/25

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Ray H

Loved this film from the intro music through to the end, I didn't mind that the story line didn't explain itself well until the back end of the film. I bought this originally when 3d TV was still a thing and this was pure eye candy.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/17/25

Full Review

Nadia Z

Very beautiful, but what a terrible interplay between the two main characters. The graphics and the supporting characters really tried to save it, but could not overcome the wooden and "tell, not show" main characters. Such a shame.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/17/25

Full Review

Mark F

It has the same proclivity for the weird and whacky that the Director's other eccentric sci-fi effort suffered from, often in an attempt to add comedy to the proceedings. Unfortunately it comes off as silly rather than funny and only detracts from the action and adventure. The movie's biggest problem though is its two leads being miscast - especially Dehaan who is more suited to playing troubled misfits. As a charming, slightly roguish hero his face and voice are completely wrong. Delevingne is a bit better, but lacking any real acting ability she's quite one note throughout the movie. These flaws are a shame as it's otherwise an imaginative and visually impressive bit if space opera with a decent story. It feels like a movie that could have been a lot better but for a different casting Director and a bit of a tighter grip on some of the tone

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/14/25

Full Review

Cynthia P

I've watched this movie 3 times, and I love the chemistry between DeHaan and Cara, the storyline isn't boring, I'm confused why the rating is below 5.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/08/25

Full Review

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Luc Besson

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Major Valerian

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Sergeant Laureline

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

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

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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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