Editing The Fifth Element (section)

===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>