Bruce Willis' 126-Minute Sci-Fi Classic Is Officially a Netflix Hit

Some sci-fi movies like to drown you in their own rules and lore, and expect you to keep up, and then there's one where John McClane drives a flying taxi, the farting bloke from Slow Horses has possibly the greatest haircut ever committed to film, and one of the Rush Hour guys spends most of his screen time screaming while dressed like an intergalactic leopard. Nearly 30 years later, it still feels completely new and fresh.

The Fifth Element is currently streaming on Netflix in the United States, so we've got another chance to see Luc Besson's (Lucy) wonderfully bonkers sci-fi saga. Bear with us, though, because this is a wild ride. New York, the twenty-third century. The Earth is about to be destroyed by a huge ball of fire racing toward the planet. Cornelius, an old monk, knows how to stop the burning sphere: the Fifth Element, the Supreme Being, who unites the four basic Elements – air, water, fire and earth – must be summoned for it is the only being who can stop Evil. Cornelius gets a hand from Korben Dallas, a taxi driver and former secret agent, and from Leeloo, an alien in the shape of a beautiful, carrot-top young woman. Adventures galore await the trio as they set off to save humanity and fight the horrendous Zorg and his allies, the dreadful Mangalores.

The cast is led by Bruce Willis (Die Hard) as Korben and Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil) as Leeloo, alongside Gary Oldman (The Professional) as Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg, Ian Holm (Alien) as Father Vito Cornelius, Chris Tucker (Rush Hour 2) as Ruby Rhod, Luke Perry (Beverly Hills, 90210) as Billy, Brion James (Blade Runner) as General Munro, and Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. (Friday) as President Lindberg.

How Good Is 'The Fifth Element'?

Critics weren't completely sold when The Fifth Element arrived in 1997, and its Rotten Tomatoes score still reflects that divide. The movie currently holds a 70% critics' score, compared with a much stronger 87% audience score from more than 250,000 ratings. It was a huge gamble at the time, with a budget of almost $100 million, but it ended up bringing in $263.9 million and being a massive success, all things considered.

The Fifth Element is streaming now on Netflix in the United States.