Chris Tucker is Ruby Rhod

The Fifth Element, to me, is a perfect film. Not necessarily artistic or rewarding, but an amazing science fiction epic teeming with zany characters, explosions and aliens, and my favorite - Bruce Willis playing John McClane in space. Willis might be flamed for taking the same role with dysfunctions into a quirky film, The Fifth Element should have been Die Hard in Space.

Even though I would have rather seen Korben Dallas been the central show-stealer, that role is handed on a silver platter to Chris Tucker's metro sexual diva Ruby Rhod. Chris Tucker lends his natural pitch inflation to the character which gives him a feeling of spunk when he graces the screen. Albeit, the character is generally annoying as fuck, it's hard to not enjoy the screen time you spend with him.


In many Hollywood scripts, roles are written exclusively for a single actor they have in mind. While this practice seems flawed unless you are backed behind a project and budget they can't refuse, I would say it's safe to assume that Luc Besson wrote this role for the hyper Negro Chris Tucker. While Chris Tucker's stand up comedy only manages to be moderately funny, he has found a way to transfer all his personality into a single character that is hilarious and awkward.



No doubt that Ruby Rhod is the Jar Jar Binks of this actioner, but if their were two key differences, it would be comedic timing and helpfulness. Several highlight scenes include Rhod's impromptu rap about the recent winner of a vacation of a lifetime and his almost-remix of Lionel Richie's All Night Long, and when Rhod manages to kill an alien with a gun on accident.


Whether it be the annoying "BzzZZZZZZ" that emanates from his scrawny chest, or the flamboyant hair that suits his outrageous costumes, Chris Tucker has created a personal character from the depths of pseudo-homo eroticism hell. Ruby Rhod is arguably the most enjoyable character from The Fifth Element, other than the ultra-sexy Milla Jovovich.

-mAQ