Summary
Overview
In this live episode from the Ace Hotel Theater in Los Angeles, the How Did This Get Made crew tackles Luc Besson's visually stunning but narratively incoherent sci-fi epic Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Despite a $210 million budget and groundbreaking special effects, the film fails to connect on character, plot, and pacing levels. The hosts dissect the complete lack of chemistry between leads Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne, the meandering plot structure, and the film's inability to justify its own existence despite having interesting sci-fi concepts.
Opening and Initial Reactions
The hosts introduce the episode at the Ace Hotel Theater for PCast Blast, describing Valerian as "Fifth Element if it didn't make sense" - and noting that movie barely made sense to begin with. They discuss their familiarity with the film through trailers and their confounding experience watching what felt like a four-hour runtime. Jason reveals he watched it in four separate viewings, highlighting how difficult the movie was to get through despite its visual spectacle.
- The movie is described as 'Fifth Element if it didn't make sense' and that movie barely made sense
- Jason watched the movie in four separate viewings because it was so difficult to get through
- The film stars Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne, who also starred together in Tulip Fever - both films were unsuccessful
" It's like Fifth Element if it didn't make sense. And that movie barely made sense. "
" I watched the movie in four separate viewings "
The Chemistry Problem and Dane DeHaan's Performance
The hosts dissect the complete absence of chemistry between the two leads despite their characters being written as witty, flirtatious partners. They note how Dane DeHaan sounds exactly like Keanu Reeves, even playing an audio comparison to prove it. The forced wrestling scene that opens the film is discussed as a bizarre way to show romantic connection, and the hosts question why DeHaan was cast as a roguish Han Solo-type character when his delivery is so flat and monotone.
- The leads have no chemistry despite witty repartee written into the script - it's delivered like a staged reading
- Dane DeHaan sounds exactly like Keanu Reeves in his delivery and performance style
- The opening wrestling scene was a bizarre attempt to show the couple's connection
- DeHaan is cast as a roguish soldier type but plays him with zero charisma
" It's like when Harry met Sally, but they're just it's like a staged reading and they just got the script. "
" Federal agent on duty. I am an FBI agent. It is exactly the same. "
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