Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - E... !!link!! Jun 2026

However, this praise was vastly overshadowed by a tidal wave of negative criticism. The overwhelming consensus was that the movie was a case of “style over substance.” The most damning complaints were reserved for the chemistry between the two leads, Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne. Many critics deemed them , noting that they looked too young and lacked the charisma needed for action heroes. One scathing review wrote that their chemistry is “nonexistent” and that the film “would be fantastic on mute”.

Beneath the neon lights and laser fights, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets has a surprisingly heavy conscience. The Pearls of Mul are not warriors; they are peaceful, empathetic creatures destroyed by human greed. The human general’s excuse—"We thought they were enemies"—is a direct allegory for real-world military mistakes, from My Lai to drone strikes. Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - E...

Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - Epic Space Opera Reimagined However, this praise was vastly overshadowed by a

The emotional catalyst for the film's plot centers on the planet Mül and its native species, the Pearls. Possessing translucent skin and a peaceful, symbiotic relationship with their environment, the Pearls live in a tropical paradise powered by energy-replicating creatures called Pearls Converters. One scathing review wrote that their chemistry is

Ironically, the film was criticized for both being too weird and not weird enough. For all its conceptual brilliance, the plot beats—the destroyed alien paradise, the young hero, the mystical creature—drew constant comparisons to Avatar and Star Wars . In the summer of 2017, “franchise fatigue” was a major topic, yet audiences flocked to known quantities like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and avoided the alien oddity that lacked a pre-existing brand.