Editing The Fifth Element (section)

==Release and reception==
===Initial screening===
The film premiered on 7 May at the [[1997 Cannes Film Festival]], where it was selected as the opening film.<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4789/year/1997.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111051123/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4789/year/1997.html |archive-date=11 November 2014|title=Festival de Cannes: The Fifth Element |work=[[Cannes Film Festival]] |access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref><ref name=todd/> Gaumont built an area for the screening that was over {{convert|100000|sqft|m2|sigfig=2}}. Guests were given a "Fifth Element" [[Swatch]], which was used as their ticket for entry. The event included a futuristic ballet, a fashion show by Jean Paul Gaultier, and fireworks. Gaumont spent between $1{{spaces}}million and $3{{spaces}}million on the event, a record at the time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/features/the-fickle-fetes-1200466152/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225170234/http://variety.com/2013/film/features/the-fickle-fetes-1200466152/ |archive-date=25 December 2014 |title=Cannes parties are legendary, but sometimes the shindig can outperform the pic |last1=Gray |first1=Timothy |date=13 May 2013 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref> The film's North American release was handled by [[Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group#Sony Pictures Releasing|Sony Pictures Releasing]] via its Columbia Pictures label.<ref name="ShoWest97">{{cite news |last1=Cox |first1=Dan |title=Sony wows exhibs with star-studded lineup |url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/sony-wows-exhibs-with-star-studded-lineup-1117343157/ |access-date=16 July 2020 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=5 March 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717052029/https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/sony-wows-exhibs-with-star-studded-lineup-1117343157/ |archive-date=17 July 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Box office===
The film debuted at [[List of 1997 box office number-one films in France|number one in France]], grossing 55 million Francs ($10 million) in its opening week from 527 screens and 1.81 million admissions, setting a record opening for a French film and the second-biggest opening in the country after ''[[Independence Day (1996 film)|Independence Day]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=France Top 15|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=23 May 1997|page=26}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Element of control|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=23 May 1997|page=27}}</ref> It remained at number one for seven weeks.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=France Top 15|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=4 July 1997|page=26}}</ref> It also opened at [[List of 1997 box office number-one films in the United States|number one in the United States]], grossing $17{{spaces}}million on its opening weekend and remained there the following weekend.<ref name=faber/> It was a box-office success, grossing over $263{{spaces}}million, almost three times its budget of $90{{spaces}}million.<ref name=mojo/> About 75% of the receipts for ''The Fifth Element'' were from markets outside the United States,<ref name=mojo/> and it was the ninth-highest-grossing film of the year worldwide.<ref name=mojo/> It was the highest-grossing film at the box office in France,{{sfn|Mazdon|2000|page=110}} from 7.7 million admissions,{{sfn|Hayward|2009|page=91}} <ref name=alice/><ref name=palmer>{{cite book |last=Palmer |first=Tim |title=Brutal Intimacy: Analyzing Contemporary French Cinema |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=neyI_geiqksC&q=%22fifth+element%22&pg=PA116 |year=2011 |publisher=Wesleyan University Press |isbn=978-0-8195-6827-4 |page=116 |access-date=20 October 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240322183146/https://books.google.com/books?id=neyI_geiqksC&q=%22fifth+element%22&pg=PA116#v=snippet&q=%22fifth%20element%22&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> a record it held for 16 years until the release of ''The Intouchables'' in 2011.<ref name=intouchable>{{cite web |url=http://www.ozap.com/actu/-intouchables-plus-gros-succes-de-l-histoire-pour-un-film-non-anglophone/440005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006092854/http://www.ozap.com/actu/-intouchables-plus-gros-succes-de-l-histoire-pour-un-film-non-anglophone/440005 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |title='Intouchables': plus gros succès de l'histoire pour un film non-anglophone |trans-title=Untouchable: biggest success in history for a non-English speaking film |language=fr |date=21 March 2012 |work=PureMédias |access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref> In Germany, the film was awarded the [[Goldene Leinwand]], a sales certification award for selling more than three million tickets at the box office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldene-leinwand.de/filme/das-fuenfte-element/?articles%5Bsearchvalue%5D=Element |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105211353/https://www.goldene-leinwand.de/filme/das-fuenfte-element/?articles%5Bsearchvalue%5D=Element |archive-date=5 November 2014 |title=Das fünfte Element |trans-title =The Fifth Element |work=[[Goldene Leinwand]] |language=de |access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref>

===Critical response===
Critics were divided in their response to ''The Fifth Element''. Kevin Thomas of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' described the film as an "elaborate, even campy sci-fi extravaganza, which is nearly as hard to follow as last year's ''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]].''" He concluded, ''The Fifth Element'' was "a lot warmer, more fun, and boasts some of the most sophisticated, witty production and costume design you could ever hope to see."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-05-09-ca-56892-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108011617/http://articles.latimes.com/1997-05-09/entertainment/ca-56892_1_fifth-element |archive-date=8 November 2014 |title='Element': A Voyage as Fun, Stylish as It Is Confusing |last=Thomas |first=Kevin |date=9 May 1997 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-status=live |access-date=11 December 2014}}</ref> On the American film review ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|At the Movies]]'', both [[Roger Ebert]] and [[Gene Siskel]] gave the film a "thumbs up".<ref>{{cite episode |title= Week of May 10, 1997: ''The Fifth Element'' review|series= [[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|At the Movies]]|airdate= 10 May 1997|season= 11|number= 35}}</ref> In his separate review for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, calling it "one of the great goofy movies" and concluding, "I would not have missed seeing this film, and I recommend it for its richness of imagery. But at 127 minutes, which seems a reasonable length, it plays long."<ref name=roger>{{cite web|last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-fifth-element-1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828023452/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-fifth-element-1997 |archive-date= 28 August 2014|title=The Fifth Element |website=RogerEbert.com |date=9 May 1997 |access-date=28 January 2015}}</ref>

The film also received reviews that criticized its overblown style. [[Todd McCarthy]] of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote, "A largely misfired European attempt to make an American-style sci-fi spectacular, ''The Fifth Element'' consists of a hodgepodge of elements that don't comfortably coalesce."<ref name=todd>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/the-fifth-element-1200449952/ |title=Review: "The Fifth Element" |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |author-link=Todd McCarthy |date=7 May 1997 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=11 December 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218193101/http://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/the-fifth-element-1200449952/ |archive-date=18 December 2014 }}</ref> David Edelstein of ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'' said, "It may or may not be the worst movie ever made, but it is one of the most unhinged."<ref name=slate>{{cite web |last=Edelstein |first=David |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/1997/05/unmitigated_gaul.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027030934/http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/1997/05/unmitigated_gaul.html |archive-date=27 October 2014 |title=Unmitigated Gaul: The Fifth Element and Irma Vep |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |date=11 May 1997 |access-date=28 January 2015}}</ref> Bruce Willis dismissed critical reviews of the film, believing they would have no impact on the film's success.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMoviesCannes97/may8_willis.html|title=Willis gets critical at Cannes|date=May 8, 1997|publisher=[[Toronto Sun]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000903090534/http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMoviesCannes97/may8_willis.html |archive-date=3 September 2000 }}</ref>

Chris Tucker's performance as Ruby Rhod also divided critics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsweek.com/motor-mouth-man-172650 |title=Motor Mouth Man |date=7 September 1997 |work=[[Newsweek]] |access-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109173640/http://www.newsweek.com/motor-mouth-man-172650 |archive-date= 9 November 2014 }}</ref> He was praised in the ''Los Angeles Times''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-05-08-ca-56524-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220222502/http://articles.latimes.com/1997-05-08/entertainment/ca-56524_1_luc-besson |archive-date=20 December 2014 |title=In His Element |last=Smith |first=Steven |date=8 May 1997 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-status=live |access-date=11 December 2014}}</ref> and ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''; the latter called him "the summer's most outrageous special effect".<ref>{{cite journal |year=1998 |title=Chris Tucker |journal=[[Los Angeles (magazine)|Los Angeles]] |issue=November |pages=96 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4V0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA96 |access-date=11 December 2014|last1=Communications |first1=Emmis }}</ref> Josh Winning of ''[[Total Film]]'' singled out Tucker's performance as the low point of the film, ranking it as number 20 on his 2011 list, "50 Performances That Ruined Movies".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/50-performances-that-ruined-movies/chris-tucker-the-fifth-element-1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131120152910/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/50-performances-that-ruined-movies/chris-tucker-the-fifth-element-1997 |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 November 2013 |title=50 Performances That Ruined Movies |last1=Winning |first1=Josh |date=2 November 2011 |work=[[Total Film]] |access-date=12 January 2022 }}</ref>

''The Fifth Element'' holds a {{RT data|score}} approval rating at [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average score of {{RT data|average}}. The site's consensus reads: "Visually inventive and gleefully over the top, Luc Besson's ''The Fifth Element'' is a fantastic piece of pop sci-fi that never takes itself too seriously."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fifth_element/ |title=The Fifth Element Movie Reviews, Pictures |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=21 September 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206220028/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fifth_element/ |archive-date= 6 February 2015 }}</ref> At [[Metacritic]], it has a weighted score of 52 out{{spaces}}of 100 based on reviews from 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-fifth-element |title=The Fifth Element |work=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=30 January 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219030926/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-fifth-element |archive-date=19 February 2015 }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 20 December 2018 |title=CinemaScore }}</ref>

===Plagiarism suit===
[[Alejandro Jodorowsky]] and Jean Giraud sued Besson after the film was released, claiming ''The Fifth Element'' had plagiarised their comic ''[[The Incal]]''. Giraud sued for 13.1{{spaces}}million euros for unfair competition, 9{{spaces}}million euros in damages and interest, and two to five percent of the net operating revenues of the film. Jodorowsky sued for 700,000 euros. The case was dismissed in 2004 on the grounds that only "tiny fragments" of the comic had been used<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toutenbd.com/article.php3?id_article=697 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327093539/http://www.toutenbd.com/article.php3?id_article=697 |archive-date=27 March 2014 |title=Moebius perd son procès contre Besson |trans-title=Moebius loses trial against Besson |date=28 May 2004 |work=ToutenBD |language=fr |access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref> and Giraud had been hired by Besson to work on the film before the allegations were made.<ref name=av/>