Back in November, the first teaser trailer for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets dropped. Ahead of the film’s release in July, we finally have a full length trailer and it’s quite impressive.
Wildly popular in Europe, the original comic doesn’t have quite as big of a following in the United States. However, it has been claimed that many science fiction properties have borrowed from the source material. In turn, it seems that Valerian is cashing in and borrowing back from popular sci-fi stories like Star Wars, Mass Effect, and The Fifth Element. Many of the visuals shown in the trailer should immediately remind viewers of these and more from the genre. Regardless, the film’s visuals are quite breathtaking and there’s a legitimate summer blockbuster feel overall.
The plot sees special operatives, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne), racing to identify a dark force that threatens the universe. Specifically, Alpha, a metropolis made up of the inhabitants of a thousand planets, is the focus of the threat. The filmmakers definitely aren’t joking about the number of species throughout Alpha either. The trailer features numerous different creatures with their own distinct looks. This especially hearkens back to the Mass Effect video game series.
While Valerian does feel familiar due to its early similarities to other properties, it still looks quite good. There’s a lot of action and beautiful visuals on display in the trailer and the two main characters seem likable at the very least. It doesn’t hurt that the cast includes the likes of Clive Owen, Rutger Hauer, John Goodman, Ethan Hawke, and Rihanna as well.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets opens in theaters on July 21st. Check out the new trailer and comment below.
