You wouldn’t think it would be much of a question but some people have obviously wondered why there was never a sequel to The Fifth Element. As a story it was pretty great and could have possibly been stretched out over another movie. But one of the biggest reasons why it only went out as a single movie is that from start to finish it was a very complete story. It had all the elements needed to create a story and in some cases it might have seemed a bit vague, but there were just enough plot points that were introduced, covered, and then laid to rest to get the feeling that this was in fact a very completed tale. There are many other reasons of course as to why a sequel was never made, but many of them seem to boil down to the fact that Luc Besson, the director, simply never turned back to the idea of creating another movie.
When you think about it though Corbin and Leeloo were at a moment in their lives when they’d both changed just enough to have earned a happy ending, or an ending at the very least. They’d both found a reason to continue living and to stand up against the evil that threatened the earth. They had changed from who they were in the beginning and the story came to a close on a very good note. Plus, the wealth of information, characters, and subplots within the movie was just enough to make it entertaining and engaging despite the fact that its numbers were pretty underwhelming in the US box office. The movie did a lot better in the international market than it did at home, which is kind of surprising despite the fact that it wasn’t quite as hyped up as other movies have been.
It seemed technically sound as well but Besson apparently didn’t have access to the kind of technology he wanted in order to make his vision complete. He wouldn’t have that kind of tech unfortunately until the recent film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets which was supposed to be another epic but wound up disappointing audiences as well. Besson’s vision is great and his effects are amazing but for some reason his stories don’t bring in a lot of interest at times. The Fifth Element eventually reached cult status but never went much further. At this point it’s one of those movies that people that know about it can quip or quote about and confuse the heck out of anyone else. But despite all that the film was quite well done and used the technology of the day to its greatest extent. A sequel at this point however would be kind of difficult if not impossible since Bruce Willis is in his 60’s and the ending that was already seen would be hard to ruin.
The legacy of this film is that it ended on a good note, and no one that’s seen it would want to tarnish it just so that Hollywood could make another grab for more money that would likely go nowhere. Some movies are just meant to be left alone it seems, until someone with an itchy wallet finds the need to remake or reboot them.
Follow Us
