Valerian Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

4. It Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously

As Jupiter Ascending proved not too long ago, the death of a movie such as this can occur when it begins to take itself and its own absurd mythology too seriously, but thankfully that's absolutely not the case here.

Valerian is a thoroughly silly film from start to finish, one that revels in goofy (and very, very French) gags, quirky characters and the inherent insanity of its own existence.

The tone does admittedly waver a little during one unexpectedly brutal mid-movie assassination sequence (sliced heads are OK when they're aliens, right?), but apart from this Luc Besson keeps things light and fun for the majority.

This makes it a little easier to deal with the movie's many issues, because it lacks the portentous, insistent, self-serious tone of so many other blockbusters attempting to kickstart a franchise.