Having established an ancient temple on the planet Earth, the alien Mondoshawan race return in 1914 with four mystic stones, representing the elements, and remove a casket containing the Fifth Element, known as the Supreme Being. In the 23rd century an alien sphere of pure evil threatens the Earth, and priest Cornelius (Ian Holm) prophesies that the Fifth Element is required to defeat it. When an approaching Mondoshowan ship is destroyed, its remnants form into a female humanoid, Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), who is aided by taxi driver Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis). Cornelius realizes that Leeloo is the Fifth Element, and he and Korben set out to reunite her with the other four elements.
Ancient curses, all-powerful monsters, shape-changing assassins, scantily-clad stewardesses, laser battles, huge explosions, a perfect woman, a malcontent hero--what more can you ask of a big-budget science fiction movie? Luc Besson's high-octane film The Fifth Element
incorporates presidents, rock stars and cab drivers into its peculiar plot, traversing worlds and encountering some pretty wild aliens. Bruce Willis stars as a down-and-out cabbie who must win the love of Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) to save Earth from destruction by Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman) and a dark, unearthly force that makes Darth Vader look like an Ewok. --Geoff Riley