If you want an early-80s French film that looks good and has a perceptible plot, try DIVA instead of this eye-popping failure.
I agree that Besson has a wonderful visual sense, and he obviously loves the Metro (as I do too, having visited Paris not long after this film was made). But all the cool costumes, chases, and quirky characters can't make up for the absence of a decent story. (Jeunet figured this out and made MICMACS, a much better film about quirky characters who live at the fringe of society.) There's a wonderful car chase at the opening and then it's literally downhill from there. Blackmail, a holdup, a bizarre rock band in an underground music store (featuring composer Eric Serra on bass), a dysfunctional marriage...they're all mixed together, topped off with an awful ending.
Serra's score is a great example of 1980s synth/jazz, unfortunately spoiled here and there by completely idiotic lyrics. Fans of Besson, lovers of subways, or folks needing an 80s overdose might enjoy this film. And whatever you do, avoid the dubbed version, which unfortunately was all that was available from my streaming video source.
I agree that Besson has a wonderful visual sense, and he obviously loves the Metro (as I do too, having visited Paris not long after this film was made). But all the cool costumes, chases, and quirky characters can't make up for the absence of a decent story. (Jeunet figured this out and made MICMACS, a much better film about quirky characters who live at the fringe of society.) There's a wonderful car chase at the opening and then it's literally downhill from there. Blackmail, a holdup, a bizarre rock band in an underground music store (featuring composer Eric Serra on bass), a dysfunctional marriage...they're all mixed together, topped off with an awful ending.
Serra's score is a great example of 1980s synth/jazz, unfortunately spoiled here and there by completely idiotic lyrics. Fans of Besson, lovers of subways, or folks needing an 80s overdose might enjoy this film. And whatever you do, avoid the dubbed version, which unfortunately was all that was available from my streaming video source.