Every year for the last 5+ years, I have watched The Fifth Element on either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. Sometimes both, if I fall asleep in the middle and have to watch the rest the next day. I want to start each year believing that love is the crucial ingredient for saving the world, so this film is my recharger.

As heroines go, Leeloo Minai Lekarariba-Laminai-Tchai Ekbat De Sebat (Milla Jovovich) is a sad waste of space. She excels at being half-naked and getting rescued. Not much of a supreme being, if you ask me. If you think she's a badass warrior woman, then please explain that ridiculous "thermal bandages" episode. She's wish fulfillment for Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) and eye candy for the audience. I do like her, and I like Bruce Willis so I like Korben, but I wouldn't give her any stars.

Here's what earns this movie any stars at all. When Cody and I finished watching the movie this year, he said "That's as many black people as I've seen in a science fiction film." After racking my brain for a challenger in mainstream cinema, I had to admit that The Fifth Element may win.

There are four men of African descent in speaking roles. Chris Tucker, who is African-American, plays Ruby Rhod. He gets more screen time than anyone other than Willis and Jovovich, and steals the second half of the movie. (Why wasn't he on the poster?!) Tommy 'Tiny' Lister plays the President of the Federated Territories. Tricky, who is English and of African descent, plays Gary Oldman's henchman. The Mangalore commander Aknot appears to be a man of African descent when he is camouflaged as a human. Also, several women who appear to be of African descent play flight attendants, and model Gin Clarke plays an assistant to the Diva, a famous singer. Another man is on the spaceship's ground crew at the airport.

The sexualized flight attendants and the dope-smoking spaceship mechanic aren't a big step forward for anyone, but there are more people of color in The Fifth Element than in any movie I've reviewed so far on Heroine Content. Numbers aren't enough, but the complete lack of diversity in casting is a major problem in action films. At least in this one, there is some representation.

I give The Fifth Element 3 stars for being ahead of its genre in casting people of color. Then I take one away for how it treats Leeloo and the flight attendants, and it winds up with 2 stars.