Great world, great action, great miscast Dane de Haan sounds like a teenager trying to sound like a grown-up ordering porn from the video store with dad's credit card. He's not the bratty guy that gets on Cara's nerves and into her heart. That would be Ryan Goslin, Chris Evans or Chris Pratt, but I reckon they had their schedules full. Since much of the movie depends on the banter between Cara and Dane, you can see Cara is trying and rescues a bunch of scenes, but it just doesn't work. It's a real shame. On top of that, he misses the hero charm and charisma that's needed to pull off a believable "invaluable resource". So enjoy the good parts (the word building, the action scenes and Rihanna's performance) and try to gloss over the bad.

I'm conflicted by this film. The good is really great. I think the settings are some of the best in any sci-fi movie I've watched. Luc Besson's style shines through ala Fifth Element. The visual and special effects combine with the settings to make this just spectacular to watch. The plot and action provide solid support. But the bad is truly awful. The selection of Dane DeHaan in the lead is one of the worst casting mistakes I've come across. He is completely unbelievable in the role and nothing like the character in the source material. Cara Delevingne scrapes by but the two of them struggle to deliver their roles and have zero chemistry. Even Clive and Ethan aren't at their best, with Rihanna being one of the best performances. They aren't helped by some very poorly written dialog. With so many good actors and writers out there these two big mistakes should never have happened. Unfortunately those mistakes turned what should have been a sci-fi gem closer to painful mediocrity.

A disorrienting but somewhat delightful run through all manner of sci-fi imaginations. The acting was not good, and the storyline was sometimes incoherent, yet I have this strange urge to rewatch this thing. It's harmless, fascinating fun, in ways like the original starwars experience (though much more visually spectacular, and much less narratively coherent).