The Fifth Element [Blu-ray] [1997] [US Import]

Fifth Element is The Best Movie Ever as far as I'm concerned. But then again, opinions are like your backside.... split in the middle. It is a very specific type of quirky, so very likely not everyone's cup of tea. The style is very nouveau-artistic, and is a fantastic backdrop to a story set in the far future that is honestly a lot more believable that most sci-fi movies out there. It is neither all gleaming and shiny nor totally dark and desperate, but very much like a modern life, where there are rich people that have everything they want, and scoundrels living in the dark corners as bottom-feeders, and everything in between. And of course McDonalds have survived! Bruce Willis plays a tongue-in-cheek cab-driver of a flying cab, and the story unfolds with some more fantastical elements including aliens and the ultimate baddy of course. So guess-who has to save the day, and does so with his hilarious side-kick, Mr Supergreen - Ruby Rod! Save the day, save the world, save the girl, get the girl! You know the drill. :)

I first saw this when working abroad for several days at an exhibition, and it was looped on the screens of the stand opposite ours. To my amazement I was still not bored with it when we packed up at the end; for an SF enthusiast like me this is most unusual because all too often Hollywood SF is so clichéd and full of plot holes it is not worth watching. But this modern fairy tale, where as usual Good after many trials and tribulations eventually triumphs over Evil, is from Europe.The Fifth Element broke the usual commercial studio rules and showed Hollywood how it should really be done; resulting in high quality Space Opera with such classic style and superb acting and glorious imagination one can forgive it anything. I bought my copy in Nov 2003 soon after I returned home.Bruce Willis plays Bruce Willis as usual, and yet somehow the character is appropriate to the part. The heroine is beautiful and vulnerable and yet redoubtable and necessary, the villains are suitably villainous and essential to the plot, the military display their customary intelligence, and Chris Tucker adds lunatic spice to tip the whole film over the precipice into an eminently watchable delight.This film is frequently repeated on commercial TV, and each time we say, "Ah, we've got that one, lets cut the commercials and watch the DVD instead." And that is when one notices that the 5.1 sound and 2.35:1 picture quality on the DVD are both significantly better than the usual bit-rate-starved Broadcast, even though watching and listening on the same big screen and surround system.My Special Edition 2-DVD version has on the second disc a number of interesting extras including a 'Making of' documentary, four revealing and interesting featurettes about the conceptions behind the film, and the usual trailers and advertising material used to originally promote the film. The last item is a tempting teaser that this was only the first half of the story, but alas so far Besson has said that a sequel will not happen.

This isn't a review of the film (which i love) but the nature in which the firetv interface does not give you the obvious option of buying the 4k version in the first instance.In fact I'd go as far as to say it makes you think you are buying 4k then tricks into buying HD often when the two are the same price...You find a movie you want to buy (has the 4k emblem in the top right hand corner of the screen pic), you click on it and go to the purchase option screen. This normally has 4 options:1. Rent £x2. Buy now £x3. Add to watch list4. more ways to watch.Now if i have already decided i want to buy the film the only relevant option is 'buy now'. However, crucially it fails to state that the buy now defaults to HD (despite the screenshot of the movie I selected in the prior menu stating 4k).How is a user supposed to know that to get the 4k option you have to scroll across and select 'more ways to watch'?That makes no sense either intuitively or syntactically against the process you have just followed to buy the movie.Therefore I can only assume Amazon want you to buy a few films before realising your error and then buy them again in the resolution you wanted in the first place!

An excellent work of humour, with a multitude of stars in the cast, it is well worth watching and is still funny if viewed repeatedly. The cast features prominent stars from the UK, USA and Europe all clothed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. The director Luc Besson artfully blends the futuristic and humorous plot to create a spectacular take on the not too distant future, injected with a universal irony and circumstantial humour to create an artful blend of entertainment suitable for young and old alike. I would recommend you see this at least once.

I have to thank a lot to my dear friends from Amazon Uk and to the My Steelbook Collection for this beautiful steelbook edition of this movie, "The Fifth Element". The 4k restoration is stunning and the movie also. I had a DVD, but this version is much better. Many thanks, once more. Unfortunetly UK is no longer part of the European Union, and brcause of that reason we, outside UK, have to pay a lot more because we have Customs. So, I had to pay more 37€. I think it was better for all, Uk and EU, when we were all together, but the things are like they are...That's all for the moment and Bye-bye from Lisbon (PORTUGAL).Sincerely yours,Hélder Reis Videira

**No Spoilers**An absolute classic. This should be in everyone's library. If you haven't got it yet, you are missing out.Marvellous from start to finish.Highly Recommended. Buy with confidence.Recommended drink for viewing - Ruby (rod) PortRecommended snack for viewing - Chinese spare ribs in capital sauce.I do not receive any payment or free goods for writing these reviews. I am just happy to share my views on my purchases with fellow like minded Amazonians in the hope that you may find it helpful.