The Fifth Element (5 Stars)

This is the February choice for the "Best of Cinema" series. It's a film that I'd practically forgotten after not watching it for so long. I know that I had it on VHS tape, but I stopped watching videotapes in April 2008. I know the date so precisely because that's when I moved house, and I connected my VCR player but never used it. At that time I rebought all my favourite films on DVD, but not "The Fifth Element". No idea why.

When seeing the film this evening I recognised a few scenes, but I'd totally forgotten the plot. That meant it was like a new film to me.

There's a great evil that comes to the Earth once every 5000 years. This evil power can only be defeated with a secret weapon that's been entrusted to priests, who've been passing the secret from one generation to the next for thousands of years. The weapon is made up of four stones that represent the four elements, fire, water, earth and air. To function, a fifth element will be added when the time comes.

In the year 2263 a giant fireball is approaching the Earth. A woman appears, Leeloo, who claims to be the fifth element. The trouble is that the stones have disappeared. Clues have to be followed to find them. Leeloo is assisted by a taxi driver called Korben Dallas.

The film is campy and highly infeasible, but that's what makes it so good. I should never have forgotten it.

Success Rate:  + 0.9

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