Red Element

Red Element, known in its full title as Red Element: The IMAX Experience, is a 1995 English-language Vicnoran science fiction action film directed by Liam Benson and written by Chori Taki from a story by Fred Abrams. It stars, and. Primarily set in the 21st century, the film's central plot involves the survival of planet Earth, which becomes the responsibility of Robin Woods (Paulsen), a taxicab driver and former special forces major, after a young woman (MacNeille) falls into his cab. To accomplish this, Woods joins forces with her to recover four mystical stones essential for the defence of Earth against the impending attack of a malevolent cosmic entity.

Abrams started writing the story that was developed as Red Element when he was 15 years old; he was 20 when the film opened in cinemas. Cinematographer Bhekizwe Mbuyise shot the film on IMAX 65 mm and 65 mm large-format film stock.

Produced by Excited Mouse Productions, Red Element was released in IMAX theaters on August 19, 1995, marking the first Vicnoran-made feature-length film to be released in the format, and received a theatrical release by Buena Vista Pictures Vicnora on September 12, 1995. It received mainly positive reviews, although some critics were highly negative. It was a strong financial success, earning more than $226 million at the box office on a $88 million budget.

Plot
In 1995, LAPD SWAT officers Robin Woods and Stanley Kennedy thwart an attempt to hold an elevator filled with passengers for a $3 million ransom by an extortionist bomber, but as they corner the man in an elevator, he takes Kennedy hostage. Woods intentionally shoots Kennedy in the leg, forcing the bomber to release him. The bomber flees and activates a bomb which was strapped to himself, dying in the process. Woods and Kennedy are praised by Lieutenant Tom Hussain, with Kennedy being promoted to detective.

In Egypt, aliens known as Sconkaets meet their human contact, a priest of a secret order, at an ancient Egyptian temple. They take the only weapon capable of defeating a great evil which appears every 5,000 years. They promise to return the weapon before the great evil's re-emergence. The weapon consists of the four classical elements, as four engraved stones, plus a sarcophagus containing a "red element".

On June 3, 2022, the great evil appears in deep space as a giant living fireball. It destroys an armed Earth spaceship as it heads to Earth. The Sconkaets' current human contact on Earth, priest Steffan Webster, informs the President of the Federated Territories of the great evil's history and of the weapon that can stop it.

On their way to Earth, a Sconkaets spacecraft carrying the weapon is ambushed and destroyed by a crew of Droxoiks, alien mercenaries hired by Kennedy, who changed his name to Hays to become an Earth industrialist and is working for the great evil. A severed hand in metal armor from the wreckage of the spacecraft is brought to Tugaganda. From this, the government uses biotechnology to recreate the original occupant of the sarcophagus, a humanoid woman named Foua Yeng Soung who remembers her previous life. Alarmed by the unfamiliar surroundings and high security, she escapes and jumps off a ledge, crashing into the flying taxicab of Woods, who was a former major in Earth's Special Forces.

Woods delivers her to Webster and his apprentice, Bill. They recognize her as the Red Element. As Foua recuperates, she tells Webster that the stones were not onboard the Sconkaets hawan ship. Simultaneously, the Sconkaets inform Earth's government the stones were entrusted to an alien opera singer, the diva Marsky Scaflitc. Hays reneges on his deal with the Droxoiks for failing to obtain the stones, resulting in some of their deaths. Earth's military sends Woods to meet Scaflitc; a rigged radio contest provides a cover, awarding Woods a luxury vacation aboard a flying hotel on the planet Gnailia V, accompanied by flamboyant talk-show host Eline Lung. It includes a concert by Scaflitc. Learning that Foua shares his mission, Woods lets her accompany him. Webster instructs Bill to prepare the temple, then stows away on the luxury spaceship. The Droxoiks crew, pursuing the stones for themselves, also illegally board the ship.

During the concert, the Droxoiks attack and Scaflitc dies. Woods extracts the stones from her body. He kills the Droxoiks leader, causing the others to surrender. Hays arrives, shoots and wounds Foua, and activates a time bomb. He flees with a carrying case he presumes contains the stones, but returns when he discovers it is empty. He deactivates his bomb, but a dying Droxoiks sets off his own, destroying the hotel and killing Hays. Meanwhile, Woods, Webster, Foua, and Lung escape with the stones in Hays' private spaceship.

As the great evil approaches Earth, the four meet Bill at the temple. They deploy the stones, but Foua, having learned of humanity's own terrible history of war, has given up on life. Woods declares his love for her and kisses her. In response, Foua combines the power of the stones, emitting divine light onto the great evil and defeating it. She and Woods are hailed as heroes and, as dignitaries wait to greet them, the two passionately embrace in a recovery chamber.

Cast

 * as Robin Woods
 * as Foua Yeng Soung
 * as Stanley Kennedy / Hays
 * as Steffan Webster / The Bomber
 * as Eline Lung
 * Talon Winter as Johnny Weaver
 * Vincent Swaiui as General Karmin Piett
 * Darryl Partridge as President Rutledge
 * Cho Sahi as Fog
 * as Bill
 * Bobcat Nani as Right Arm
 * as General Wortt Needa
 * as Professor Schroeder
 * as Diva Marsky Scaflitc