Although Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is considered “rotten” by Rotten Tomatoes, it has one of the best opening scenes of almost any sci-fi movie. Released in 2017, the film was written and directed by Luc Besson and based on the French sci-fi comic series Valérian and Laureline, following two operatives of the United Human Federation as they uncover a destructive force hidden beneath the alien-inhabited diverse city of Alpha. Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne star as Valerian and Laureline, with guest stars like Rihanna to make up Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ cast.

With a budget of $180 million, independently financed by Besson himself, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is the most expensive European and independent film ever made. Yet, it was a bad sci-fi movie which wasted a good concept. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets was based on comics spanning back to 1967, which have provided inspiration for many sci-fi films, including Star Wars. With such a vast and successful history, it’s therefore a shame the film was such a flop. However, you have to admit it has one of the best opening scenes in sci-fi.

Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets Has A Fantastic Opening Sequence

Valerian’s Opening Scene Is Strangely Inspirational

While Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets was a critical and commercial failure, its opening scene is absolutely fantastic. Beginning in 1975, the sequence follows the development of the Alpha intergalactic space station across the years, expanding the community of human astronauts and alien creatures. Each new addition that arrives at the space station is met at the front gate, to be greeted with a handshake and smile, regardless of their race, and the entire scene is rather fittingly set to David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” Check out Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ opening scene below:

What is most interesting about the opening sequence is that there is no dialogue for nearly four minutes, allowing the visuals to speak for themselves. This is particularly powerful as, without words, the opening scene demonstrates human (and alien) unity that is emotionally inspirational. The way that Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets begins its sci-fi movie has us hooked within the first ten minutes, which is a shame as the rest of the film doesn’t quite live up to that level of storytelling. Nevertheless, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets isn’t the worst film ever.

Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets Is An Underrated Sci-Fi Movie

Luc Besson’s Film Has Seen A Promising Resurgence

Earning just $226 million on a $180 million budget due to its high production and advertising costs, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets was a box office bomb. Furthermore, critics and audiences alike panned the film for its boring story, also citing the lead actors (DeHaan and Delevingne) as one of the main problems. The sci-fi film had mixed ratings, scoring a 47% Tomatometer and 53% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes, ultimately categorizing the movie as a flop. As a result, it’s not hard to see why a Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets sequel never happened.

However, the 2017 sci-fi movie was not nearly as bad as some reviews said. While DeHaan and Delevingne may not have been the best casting choice to uphold Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ franchise reputation, the film did boast some wonderful visuals, which were on par with things like James Cameron’s Avatar franchise. Furthermore, although the film may have suffered from a “boring” plot, it did a good job at trying to capture as much lore as it could without bombarding viewers, making Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets accessible for a wider audience.

The Besson film certainly had its issues, as the generic action movie plot didn’t live up to its opening sequence, yet it still offered a lot of promise. In fact, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets was a streaming success on Max in early 2025. Considering the film was released nearly a decade beforehand and hasn’t received much attention via sequels or spin-offs after its failure, this resurgence is quite an achievement. As a result, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets has become a bit of an underrated sci-fi movie eight years since its initial release.

Sources: YouTube