Honestly, if you grew up in the late 90s, you probably remember the sheer confusion of walking into a theater expecting a gritty Bruce Willis action flick and instead getting a neon-soaked, space-opera fever dream. I'm talking, of course, about The Fifth Element. It’s the definitive movie with Chris Tucker and Bruce Willis, a pairing that, on paper, sounds like a recipe for a massive headache.
You’ve got Willis playing Korben Dallas, the ultimate "I’m too old for this" space-cabbie, and Chris Tucker playing Ruby Rhod, a character so loud he makes a jet engine sound like a whisper. It’s been decades, and people still argue about whether Tucker’s performance is a stroke of genius or the most annoying thing ever put on celluloid. But that friction? That’s exactly why it works.
The Weird History of Ruby Rhod
Believe it or not, Chris Tucker wasn't actually the first choice for this role. Director Luc Besson originally wrote the part with Prince in mind. Yeah, that Prince.
Can you imagine?
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The Purple One himself was supposed to be the high-pitched, flamboyant radio host. But as the story goes, Prince took one look at Jean Paul Gaultier’s costume designs—specifically the one with the long tail and the fake fur—and basically said, "No thanks, it’s a bit too much." Prince thought they looked a bit too effeminate, which is hilarious considering what he usually wore on stage.
When Prince bailed, the door opened for Chris Tucker. At the time, Tucker was just coming off the success of Friday, and he brought a frantic, improvised energy that completely caught Bruce Willis off guard.
Why Besson Picked "The Shrimp"
Luc Besson actually had a very specific, almost mean-spirited reason for casting Tucker over other candidates like Jamie Foxx. He once told Entertainment Weekly that he liked how Tucker looked "like a shrimp" next to Willis.
It was a visual gag.
He wanted the contrast. You have the massive, muscular action star who just wants to save the world in peace, and then you have this thin, shrieking ball of energy vibrating next to him. If Jamie Foxx had taken the role, he would have looked like a physical match for Willis. With Tucker, it felt like a babysitting job from hell.
The Chemistry of Chaos
What most people get wrong about this movie is thinking that Willis and Tucker were supposed to be "buddies." They weren't.
Korben Dallas clearly hates being around Ruby Rhod. There's a scene on the Fhloston Paradise cruise ship where Ruby is narrating Korben's every move into a floating microphone while bullets are flying, and the look of genuine exhaustion on Bruce Willis's face? That might not have been acting.
Tucker was known for ad-libbing a lot of his lines. He was loud. He was sweaty. He was fast.
- The "Green" Factor: The word "green" became a cultural shorthand because of this movie.
- The Screams: Tucker’s high-pitched wail when things go wrong is basically the soundtrack of the film's second half.
- The Contrast: Willis plays it so straight that it anchors the insanity. Without Bruce, the movie drifts off into space.
Why The Fifth Element Still Matters in 2026
It’s currently 2026, and we are still talking about this movie. Why? Because it’s one of the few big-budget sci-fi films that doesn’t take itself seriously but also looks incredibly beautiful.
Most sci-fi from 1997 looks like a potato today. But because Besson used practical sets and real costumes by Gaultier, it has this tactile, lived-in feel. It’s messy. The cigarettes are mostly filter. The apartments are tiny pods. It feels like a future humans would actually live in, even if they have to deal with annoying influencers like Ruby Rhod.
Speaking of influencers, Ruby Rhod was basically the blueprint for the modern Twitch streamer or TikTok star. He’s always "on." He’s obsessed with his numbers. He’s a brand first and a person second. In the 90s, we thought he was a caricature. Now? He looks like a documentary.
The Critical Divide
When it first came out, critics were brutal. Some called Tucker the "Jar Jar Binks" of the 90s. He even got a Razzie nomination for Worst New Star.
But the audience didn't care.
The movie pulled in over $263 million. People loved the "multipass" jokes. They loved the blue diva singing opera. They loved the weird, wordless chemistry between Willis and Milla Jovovich.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you’re planning a rewatch or introducing someone to the movie with Chris Tucker and Bruce Willis for the first time, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Background: Jean Paul Gaultier didn't just design the main cast's clothes; he designed all 1,000+ costumes. Look at the flight attendants and the background aliens. The detail is insane.
- Focus on the Sound: The way Ruby Rhod’s voice is mixed is intentional. It’s meant to be "omnipresent" and annoying to reflect the sensory overload of the future.
- Appreciate the Practicality: Notice how few scenes rely purely on CGI. Most of the explosions and the "Great Evil" were done with miniatures and practical effects.
The best way to experience this film today is to find the 4K restoration. The colors—the oranges, the teals, the purples—pop in a way that most modern "gray and gritty" sci-fi movies just can't match. It’s a loud, weird, beautiful mess of a movie that proves sometimes the most unlikely pairings are the ones that stick with us the longest.