Welcome to “Friday Favorites” which highlight some of my favorite movie-related things.

The Fifth Element is a divisive film.  People either love it or can’t stand it, and considering how often it gets shown on TV, it’s probably safe to assume that most people have seen at least part of it.  I’m on the side that loves it, as it’s right up my alley.  I love the style of the film, with some truly unique costumes and set designs and it’s unusual musical selections.  I like it’s tone, which blends humor and action in interesting ways, but also has some real pathos to the story in its emotional core.  And it’s super cheesy, which appeals to me immensely because there’s nothing I love more than a cheesy film that wears its heart on its sleeve, and it doesn’t get any cheesier than love being the ultimate power capable of defeating evil.  What I love most of all, however, is the film’s odd cast of characters, beyond just Korben and Leeloo, so this week’s and next week’s Friday Favorite will each focus on one of my favorite characters from the film.

The Fifth Element spends its first third as a quirky, bizarre sci-fi action comedy, telling the story of a mysterious perfect being who, through a chance encounter, ends up with a former special forces officer who now drives a cab for a living.  The two are sent on a mission to gather a weapon to stop an ultimate evil, and Korben is sent undercover as a contest winner in order to gain access to the flying hotel where he needs to pick up some magical stones.  As goofy as that sounds, the movie switches in an instant from silly to batshit crazy and fascinating in an instant, when this happens:

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Chris Tucker as talk show host Ruby Rhod.  For my money, Ruby Rhod is one of the strangest and most fascinating characters to have ever graced the screen.  He’s part foppish sidekick, part motormouth DJ, part mildly-androgynous sexual libertine, and part narrator.  In one two minute scene he makes a huge first impression with the audience, giving the film a level of obvious absurdity that actually makes the plot feel more grounded by comparison.  I love how he randomly breaks out with Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” for no apparent reason (something that I have a tendency to do in my head whenever things are too quiet, as a result of this movie), despite the song being over 250 years old by that point.  Chris Tucker gives Ruby Rhod a manic energy that lifts the energy level of the rest of the film merely by his presence on the screen.

From the costuming to the outrageous hairstyle, there’s nothing typical about Ruby Rhod.  If it wasn’t obvious up until the character’s introduction that the film was made in France, it should be clear once he shows up.  There are no characters like this in American movies, particularly not in big budget science fiction starring actors like Bruce Willis.  He’s the sort of character that I could imagine some viewers being uncomfortable with simply due to his flamboyance.  His running commentary during the action later in the film serves to ground the action and give an “ordinary” perspective beyond that of a super-soldier like Korben.

The writing and crafting of the character are superb in their ability to make him feel unique, but it’s the performance that puts it over the top.  I know that Chris Tucker rubs some people the wrong way, or that some just can’t stand him at all, but he’s perfect for this part.  I know it’s a cliché at this point, but it’s fair to say that he fully commits to the role.  I love the way that he contrasts the smooth radio host persona we’re first introduced to with a stuttering, screaming ball of fear as things go along, while still maintaining a cocky arrogance.  I’m especially a fan of the way he apologizes to the Mangalore he accidentally shoots in the head after Korben surprises him.  These days one of the things I look for most in a film is something unique, as movies these days tend to simply give us more of the same.  Say what you want about Ruby Rhod, and The Fifth Element in general, but it’s undeniably different.

What do you think?  Are you a fan of The Fifth Element?  Am I the only one who had a look of shocked confusion on his face the first time Ruby Rhod showed up on screen?  Which character from this movie do you think I will feature next week in part 2?  Let me know in the comments!