Of all the films of 1997, Luc Besson's The Fifth Element dominated the French box office. 20 years later, the director returns with a space opera becoming the most expensive French film in history, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Will the most ambitious filmmaker in France succeed in winning again in the face of the massive arrival of blockbusters so eagerly awaited this year again? Back on this wave from across the Atlantic 2 decades ago.
The cinema ticket cost 40 francs (i.e. 6€). We are the day after a year dominated by Independence Day and on the eve of the film of all records: Titanic (which the French will discover in theaters from the first days of 1998). The year 1997 will remain emblematic for the cinema great spectacle and fundamental for lovers of a new genre of blockbusters. The digital special effects industry boom of the 90's is booming thanks to revolutions such as J's Terminator 2. Cameron (1991) or Jurassic Park by S.Spielberg (1993). The level of production achieved is such that competition between Hollywood studios had never been so fierce. Here is a short summary of the most explosive releases of the 1997 films.
The fifth element
After launching Nathalie Portman's career, Luc Besson offered the same chance to Milla Jovovitch then unknown. To save the world, Bruce Willis, Chris Tucker and Ian Holm face Gary Oldman, in a film imagined by the visionary director as a teenager. Already influenced by the comics Metal Hurlant as well as Valerian and Laureline, he will work with the designers of the latter who will provide him with many graphics for the film. Results: N°1 success of the year in France, throughout Europe and César for best director for Besson. For the anecdote, the models that were used to make the skyscrapers of a futuristic New York (photo above) will be reused for the chase scenes in Rolland Emmerich's Godzilla released in 1998.
Men in black
This huge success that will see 2 sequels is very innovative by its humorous way of approaching the theme of aliens on earth. With a very successful design and a staging by Barry Sonnenfeld (The Adams Family) extremely well oiled, the duo Will Smith / Tommy-Lee Jones remains one of the most delicious of the action film.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
4 years after the historic success of Jurassik Park, Steven Spielberg remains at the helm of the sequel to the adaptation of Michael Crichton's book. Even if the film will be significantly worse than the first, it is still expected to the point of breaking records for debuts at the American box office in 1997.
Tomorrow never dies
Until the end of the 20th century, James Bond saved the world every 2 years. Pierce Brosnan was no exception to the rule and puts on the 007 costume after his debut in the excellent Goldeneye of 1995. In this opus, he spends the second: Driving a BWM with a smartphone from the back seat, melting the heart of Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), allying with China, driving a motorcycle with one hand, taking nuclear warheads aboard a fighter plane, etc… As for the action, show and breathtaking stunts, audiences around the world were spoiled.
Mars attaks
The answer to Rolland Emmerich's very patrioticIndependence Day. Tim Burton directs with the talent that we know him a funny, cynical and delirious film based on a series of trading cards of the 60's. In the best years of his career, he created this extraordinary work that brings together a 5-star cast (Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Nathalie Portman, or Glenn Close to name a few). While working on the design of the little Martians and on the special effects, the hesitation was long between the choice of a classic animation or computer graphics. The result is successful and at the height of the madness of its creator.
Star Wars: Special Edition
And yes, 20 years ago, Georges Lucas brought out his already mythical trilogy. The reason announced: The 20th anniversary of the release of the first film "Episode IV: anew hope", but also the desire to fill some gaps that frustrated him at the time. It lacked plans, the budget to finish certain effects or simply a more efficient technology. Industrial Light & Magic was in charge of adding digital effects in addition to reworking the quality of the original film. As a result, the films are a hit, and a new generation discovers Star Wars on the big screen. The revenues of the films will allow the studios to finance the production of the new trilogy that arrives in 1999 with episode 1: The Phantom Menace. 2017 also offers us another episode of the saga. On December 18, the release of Star Wars: the Last Jedi will mark the 40th anniversary of its creation.
Volcano / Dante's Peak
Among the studio fights on an identical theme, 1997 has 2 disaster films released 4 months apart. The first has Tommy Lee Jones as its hero and tells the story of the awakening of a volcano hidden under the city of Los Angeles. In the second, we find Pierce Brosnan headlining trying to warn the inhabitants of a small village located at the foot of a mountain ready to explode. 2 huge projects conducted differently whose successes are equal without being resounding.
Batman & Robin
With the success of a Batman forever yet very bad 2 years earlier, Joel Schumacher remains at the helm of the franchise. Taking over following 2 superb films on the hero signed Tim Burton is certainly not easy. Wishing to conquer a wider audience, Schumacher lays us one of the worst superhero films in history. Despite the presence of George Clooney (Hi Freeze, I'm Batman!), Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman, the film is a disaster for everyone: critics, audiences, fans, professionals… Any other sequel projects will be abandoned, which will lead to a new franchise "Dark Knight" in 2005 directed by Christopher Nolan.
Speed 2: Heading for danger
Another sequel, that of a cult action film of 1994 with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock on the bill. This time, Keanu does not restack and leaves his character of savior to Jason Patrick to accompany Sandra Bullock facing a terrorist who takes hostage an entire cruise ship. A failed film whose phenomenal budget is barely repaid by worldwide receipts. Although there is no shortage of great spectacle (the final crash of the boat in a seaside resort), the mayonnaise does not take. To forget.
Wings of Hell
This is the beginning of Nicolas Cage 's career in his roles of tough guys. In this flying prison, he prevents the worst criminals in the country from escaping under the revolt of the mastermind of the gang played by John Malkovich. John Cusack, Ving Rhames, Dani Trejo and Steve Bucscemi complete the cast of a film that bears the mark of producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys…). A good entertainment punctuated by a forced landing on a Las Vegas Boulevard superbly reconstructed in miniature for the needs of the stage.
Alien, the resurrection
When they propose to Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children) the realization of the 4th episode of the saga, the bosses of Fox come out of a failed project with Dany Boyle (Trainspotting), and the refusals of Peter Jackson and Bryan Singer. The extraordinary visual of French propels him to Hollywood, for a shoot where he will surround himself with his usual collaborators. It is thanks to him that most of the visual effects will be "made in France". Despite a violent or even gory ending, the film is well received in France and Europe but less appreciated across the Atlantic. Staging influence or not? Jeunet's touch is present for his 3rd feature film, even if his friend Marc Caro will leave the project under development. Alien, the resurrection is a very good vintage with a striking atmosphere and we still remember this underwater sequence whose harrowing shooting almost cost the life of the beautiful Winona Ryder.
U-turn
For his 3rd attempt in Hollywood, Hong Kong director John Woo finally hits the mark by signing a genre model of the action film. Volte/Face (from the original title "Face/off") will be his only successful Hollywood film and where he was able to fully express his talent which already earned him a status of genius by specialists. Everything is successful: from the gunfight scenes that made his legend to the iconic characters of heroes / villains played by Nicolas Cage and Jon Travolta. All provided with some mythological references and other metaphors that make Volte/Face an unmissable film.
Anaconda
Who remembers this film where one of the largest reptiles on the planet is shown as a predator who chains and swallows his victims like a serial-killer? Not many people except those who saw it in theaters that year. Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, John Voight, Owen Wilson and Eric Stoltz are hunted by a monster in the Amazon. The film will clearly be made to feature a surreal predator in visual effects scenes for thrill and suspense lovers. Let's pass the critics' criticisms, Anaconda is a film to watch in the 5th degree.
Contact
Very ambitious science fiction film by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Roger Rabbit, Forest Gump) in which Jodie Foster, accompanied by Matthew McConaughey, detects an alien signal. This makes it possible to manufacture a machine in order to communicate with them. Considered too long, too serious and too focused on the theme of "religious belief/science", the film divides opinions. Compared, among others, to Encounter of the Third Kind, Contact is shunned by French spectators. However, years later, some facts of staging of the master Zemeckis are still evoked on the internet by amateurs as for example this shot of the film which ends on a brilliant effect in a mirror.
Spawn
Probably the worst adaptation of a comic book in the cinema. All the worst American ingredients to make it a hated movie come together. All or almost, because the appearances of the devil's vigilante were impressive. Although they are very poorly done, the action scenes were marked by successful visual effects, certainly visible, but with a very pleasant style. Unfortunately, to appreciate the visual interest of this film (which is also its only interest), we must forget the final sequence more than sloppy. 20 years ago, the digital effects of this scene already hurt the eyes so much that they remain among the ugliest effects in cinema today.
Starship Trooper
To end this explosive year of 1997 films in style, here is a show that remains among the most hallucinating of the time and still is today. Because of its satirical and political approach to war but especially thanks to breathtaking sequences and whose visual effects have not aged in 20 years. This feat is to be put to the benefit of the best film technicians, while the success of Paul Verhoven (Robocop, Total recall, Basic instinct) was to include in such a project this political aspect, whose irony has been much talked about. The criticisms of the time are divided and the genius of the "violent Dutchman" too underestimated, in view of American militarism. Unfortunately, the success at the box office does not follow (especially in the USA) and the film barely manages to repay its budget.
If you also have such memorable memories of that year, do not hesitate to let us know, as well as give your opinions in the comments. Compared to today, this mass of big-budget 1997 films was notable. At that time, the internet barely existed and hardly anyone had it at home. That's why SFX magazine found a lot of follower readers.
In the meantime, here's what's in store for us all in 2017: Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2, Logan, Kong: Skull Island, Beauty and the Beast, Ghost in the Shell, Power Rangers, Fast and furious 8, Alien: Covenant, Pirates of the Caribbean 5, Wonder Woman, The Mummy, Transfomers: The Last Knight, Spider-man homecoming, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Planet of the Apes: Supremacy, Blade Runner 2049, Thor Ragnarok, Justice League, Star Wars: Last Jedi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJQZdk5jMEg
