Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - E... [verified]
Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - E... [verified]
Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - Electronic Soundtrack Inspired Piece
Title: "Galactic Odyssey"
Genre: Electronic/Synthwave
Inspirations: The film's visual and narrative elements, particularly the City of a Thousand Planets, inspired this piece. The soundtrack aims to capture the essence of the movie's blend of science fiction, adventure, and romance.
Description: This instrumental electronic piece is designed to evoke the sense of wonder and exploration found in Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets. The track features a mix of pulsing synths, driving beats, and soaring melodies, creating a sense of tension and release.
Composition: The piece is divided into three main sections, each representing a different aspect of the film:
- Introduction: A haunting melody played on a solo synthesizer, evoking the sense of mystery and curiosity that drives Valerian and Laureline's journey.
- City of a Thousand Planets: A more upbeat and energetic section, featuring a driving beat and pulsing synths that capture the excitement and wonder of exploring the city.
- Climax: A dramatic and intense section, featuring soaring melodies and pounding drums that evoke the sense of danger and urgency that Valerian and Laureline face.
Instruments:
- Main Synthesizer: A bright and pulsing synthesizer, used to create the main melody and theme.
- Ambient Pads: A combination of eerie and lush ambient pads, used to create a sense of atmosphere and depth.
- Drums: A standard electronic drum kit, used to create a driving beat and add energy to the track.
Sound Design: To create a more immersive experience, a range of sound design elements were incorporated, including:
- Space Sound Effects: A range of sound effects, such as whooshing sounds, spacecraft effects, and otherworldly ambiance, were used to create a sense of being in space.
- City Sounds: A mix of city sounds, such as alien chatter, machinery hums, and other futuristic noises, were used to bring the City of a Thousand Planets to life.
DAW: Ableton Live
Software Synthesizers:
- Serum: Used for the main synthesizer sound.
- Massive: Used for the ambient pads and textures.
Effects Processing:
- Reverb: Used to create a sense of space and distance.
- Delay: Used to add depth and width to the sound.
The Piece:
[Intro] (G - G7 - C - C7)
- Main Synthesizer: Haunting melody (C - E - G - C)
- Ambient Pads: Eerie textures (C - G - Am - F)
[Build-up] (Em - B7 - C - G)
- Drums: Introduced with a driving beat
- Main Synthesizer: Adds more complexity to the melody
- Sound Design: Space sound effects introduced
[City of a Thousand Planets] (D - D7 - G - G7)
- Main Synthesizer: Soaring melody (D - F# - A - D)
- Ambient Pads: Lush textures (D - A - Bm - G)
- Sound Design: City sounds introduced
[Climax] (A - A7 - D - D7)
- Main Synthesizer: Intense and pulsing melody (A - C# - E - A)
- Drums: Increased energy and intensity
- Sound Design: Space and city sound effects combined
[Outro] (G - G7 - C - C7)
- Main Synthesizer: Returns to the haunting melody
- Ambient Pads: Fade out with eerie textures
Listen:
Imagine a soundtrack that transports you to a galaxy far, far away... A blend of electronic and synthwave elements, with a dash of science fiction and adventure. "Galactic Odyssey" is a piece that will take you on a journey through the City of a Thousand Planets, with its pulsing synths, driving beats, and soaring melodies. Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - E...
Code:
For those interested in recreating this piece, here's a rough Ableton Live set:
- Create a new project in Ableton Live
- Insert a Serum plugin and create a new preset
- Program the main synthesizer melody (C - E - G - C)
- Add ambient pads using Massive
- Introduce drums with a standard electronic drum kit
- Add sound design elements using space and city sound effects
- Experiment with reverb and delay effects to create a sense of space and depth
This piece is just a starting point, and I encourage you to experiment and make it your own!
Plot Synopsis: A Tale of Two Agents
The narrative follows Major Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Sergeant Laureline (Cara Delevingne), two operatives of the human government. They are a classic bickering-couple duo: Valerian is a charming but cocky womanizer desperate to marry Laureline, while Laureline is pragmatic, sharp, and perpetually annoyed by his advances.
The plot kicks off when a mysterious dark energy begins destroying sectors of Alpha. Valerian is sent on a retrieval mission to a forbidden zone to recover a rare creature—a converter that can replicate anything it eats. Meanwhile, Laureline uncovers a conspiracy involving missing ambassadors and a forgotten war crime. The duo eventually discovers that the threat to Alpha comes from the Pearls of Mul, a peaceful race that was nearly exterminated by a human commander years earlier. The “evil” ravaging Alpha is actually the Pearls trying to retrieve a last living converter to revive their homeworld.
It is a classic “the hunters become the protectors” arc, but Besson uses it to critique militarism and colonialism. The villains aren't aliens; they are human generals covering up a massacre.
Supporting Cast: The Secret Weapon
While the leads struggle, the supporting cast soars. Clive Owen delivers a delightfully slimy performance as Commander Arun Filitt, the human leader with a dark secret. Ethan Hawke steals his entire scene as Jolly the Pimp, a flamboyant, frog-like alien running a shape-shifting cabaret club (featuring a memorable cameo by Rihanna as Bubble, a polymorphic entertainer). Rihanna’s dance sequence, where she shifts through ten different forms in two minutes, is genuinely breathtaking—a silent film-era performance within a CGI blockbuster.
2. Plot Synopsis
The story follows two spatio-temporal agents, Valerian and Laureline, who are tasked with maintaining order throughout the universe. They are sent on a mission to the intergalactic city of Alpha, a massive space station known as the "City of a Thousand Planets."
Key Story Beats:
- The Mission: Valerian and Laureline must identify a mysterious threat infecting Alpha's core.
- The Mystery: They uncover the truth about the destruction of the planet Mül and the survival of its inhabitants, the Pearls.
- The Conflict: Commander Arün Filitt attempts to cover up the destruction of Mül, leading to a confrontation that tests the bond between the two protagonists.
Box Office Failure and Second Life
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets opened in July 2017, directly against Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. It earned only $225 million worldwide against a $180 million budget (plus marketing), making it a significant box office bomb. American audiences rejected it, but it performed well in China ($60 million) and France (Besson’s home country).
Why did it fail?
- Lack of an existing U.S. fanbase: Unlike Marvel or DC, Valerian was unknown to American teens.
- Poor marketing: Trailers emphasized the weirdness without explaining the plot.
- Uncomfortable lead chemistry: The reviews poisoned the well.
However, on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets has found a second life. Sci-fi fans looking for something that isn’t Star Wars or Star Trek have discovered its unique charm. It is a film that rewards repeat viewings—not for the story, but for the background details. Every frame is packed with aliens, signage, and tech that you missed the first time.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets — A Daring Ode to Worldbuilding, Wonder, and Risk
Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) walks a razor’s edge between cinematic excess and imaginative bravura. It’s a film that refuses modesty — a cartoon of cosmic ambition, drenched in saturated color, kinetic editing, and relentless invention. For anyone who loves science fiction as a genre of wonder rather than merely ideology, Valerian is an essential, if imperfect, modern fable: an argument that cinema can still astonish when it chooses imagination over convenience.
5. Viewing Tips
- Genre: Sci-Fi / Action / Adventure.
- Tone: Expect a lighthearted, visually driven adventure similar in spirit to The Fifth Element or Guardians of the Galaxy.
- Themes: The film explores themes of colonization, environmental responsibility, and partnership dynamics.
Developed based on the title provided.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) is a visually ambitious space opera directed by Luc Besson, adapted from the long-running French comic series Valérian and Laureline. Set in the 28th century, it follows special operatives Major Valerian and Sergeant Laureline as they investigate a mysterious "dark force" at the heart of Alpha, a massive, ever-expanding space station inhabited by millions of beings from across the universe. Core Story & Characters
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a 2017 sci-fi film directed by Luc Besson that stands as one of the most expensive independent productions ever made. Known for its immense, visually dazzling, and diverse world of Alpha, the film focuses on special agents solving a mystery regarding a destroyed planet. The movie features a notable supporting cast, including Rihanna, and is largely celebrated for its innovative special effects despite mixed critical reception regarding its storyline. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) - IMDb
3. Alpha Itself
The city is the true protagonist. Divided into distinct biospheres (from a medieval kingdom to a water world to a techno-futuristic hub), Alpha feels alive. Besson fills every frame with thousands of visible details, alien languages on neon signs, and creatures designed by the late Mézières himself.
1. The Big Market Sequence
This is the film's crown jewel. Valerian must retrieve a converter from a creature in a parallel dimension. To do so, he dons a special suit that allows him to exist in "our" dimension while his hand reaches into the other. The editing is frantic, the colors are neon-drenched, and the choreography (mixing live-action with motion-capture) is flawless. Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets
