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Ancient curses, all-powerful monsters, shape-changing assassins, scantily-clad stewardesses, laser battles, huge explosions, a perfect woman, a malcontent hero--what more can you ask of a big-budget science fiction movie? Luc Besson's high-octane film incorporates presidents, rock stars, and cab drivers into its peculiar plot, traversing worlds and encountering some pretty wild aliens. Bruce Willis stars as a down-and-out cabbie who must win the love of Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) to save Earth from destruction by Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman)and a dark, unearthly force that makes Darth Vader look like an Ewok. --Geoff Riley ... Read more

Reviews (535)

Wild, Giddy Space Opera...
The story goes that director Luc Besson began writing THE FIFTH ELEMENT in his teens, incorporating all the Sci-Fi elements he loved into one over-the-top, grand space opera...sort of an "E.E. 'Doc' Smith 'Skylark' Meets Flash Gordon and Barbarella" hybrid with sex, intergalactic action, and even some pseudo-religious overtones tossed in...in other words, a teenage daydream come true! Critics panned the end result for this very reason, sneering at Bruce Willis' Earth-saving (yet again!) Korben Dallas, and Besson's then-girlfriend, clothing-optional Milla Jovovich, as the innocent demigod, Leeloo.

The critics were wrong!

THE FIFTH ELEMENT is, in the best sense of the word, a classic 'B' movie, a space opera where a prologue vaguely similar to STARGATE leads to a future Earth where traffic jams occur thirty stories above the ground, humanity is ruled by beefy 'Tiny' Lister Jr., and where the Ultimate Evil is served by everyone's favorite villain, Gary Oldman, sporting a Southern accent! If this DOESN'T convince you that this is a 'popcorn' flick, not to be taken too seriously, there is Chris Tucker, sporting a blond hairdo, as the Galaxy's favorite media personality, promoting himself as he hits on his adoring female fans; Ian Holm, as the monk who knows 'the Secret', forced, despite himself, to become an active participant in the adventure; and some of the most ... ugly alien mercenaries you'll ever see, terrorizing a space resort, until they meet their match in Bruce Willis' 'DIE HARD in Space' protagonist! Yippee-Ki-Yay, indeed!

The FX are astonishing, the comedy, broad and sly, the heroics, macho, and as Leeloo, sent to save Earth, Jovovich manages to be both naive and sexy, with broken English and a gymnast's grace.

Bruce Willis is a joy, as always, to watch, and he carries the film with charm and self-depreciating humor, whether dealing with endless phone calls from his mother, driving his sky taxi recklessly (cabbies change very little in the future!), taking on terrorists single-handed, or falling for the exotic Leeloo. When he blows away a roomful of hostage-holding aliens, then asks, "Does anyone else want to negotiate?", you KNOW Besson picked the right guy for the lead!

If you want Profound Science Fiction, watch 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY again...but if you want to kick back and just have fun, look not further...THE FIFTH ELEMENT delivers!

Star Wars Fans can love this movie too!
I grew up with Star Wars, and still love it today, but times, tastes and styles do change. It doesn't make one "better" than another, just different. I, for one, absolutely love this movie! It's fun, flashy, thin in spots and hopelessly romantic, but also very positive about the future (if a bit crowded). Futuristic New York is enough to give you vertigo! The visuals, set designs, aliens and costumes are amazing - if you don't like this movie's look, you are probably dead.

Mila makes Leeloo "perfect" as the Supreme Being out to protect all mankind - innocent and wise all at once; and you just can't fault Bruce for doing what he does so well, a cynical wisecracking working stiff just looking for that "one perfect woman". But the secondary characters are what truly makes this one fun: "Weddings?" - Ian Holm delivers classic straight lines and Chris Tucker is just high-energy comedy as Ruby Rhodd (that trashy radio guy) - I roll on the floor every time I watch this - and it's definitely one to watch over and over for the incredible detail and sheer visual magic.

Buy widescreen and see the whole thing!

QUITE A TRIP
It's entirely possible that Luc Besson was on some kind of drugs when he scripted this way-out, wacky, but extremely entertaining scifi thriller. His vision of the future is both impeccably original and wildly humorous. Cars spinning through space; police cars that still squeal tires when there's nothing to squeal them on! Like a wild video game, the vision of this future is great.
Bruce Willis is fine as Corbin Dallas; he evinces his usual cool macho, with that underlying bit of sensitivity. Milla Jovovich, red hair and all, does a good job in conveying the enthusiasm, innocence and naivete of the newly born. Notice the sadness in her eyes as she views the word "War"; her reactions are poignant. Gary Oldman as Zorg is all out ham and he pulls it off, showing what a versatile actor he is. The usually stoic Ian Holm has never been livelier than in his role as Father Cornelius. He looks like he's having the time of his life and after all the stuffy, laconic roles he's played, he cuts loose and is wonderful. And Chris Tucker---what a character. Tucker is manic, frantic and annoying---but he is also very very funny. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Note too the capable performances of Tiny Lister (usually a mindless body bag) and Brion James (also a lot looser than in his usually villainous roles).
THE FIFTH ELEMENT is a strange movie indeed, but I found it to be one of the most unusual scifi films in some time.

Silly.
If only they had another director (perhaps Ridley Scott, using a little "Blade Runner" flair), this movie could have had the potential to be very good. Instead, director Luc Besson ("Leon," aka: "The Professional") chose to formulate this sophomoric piece of sour eye-candy that even the geekiest science fiction aficionado would despise. Aside from the poor direction, Hudson Hawk paired with an androgynous (and extraordinarily annoying) Chris Tucker sidekick, is enough to drive anyone to mercilessly strangle a kitten.

the unperfect movie
Give me a break! Milla Jovovich as the perfect woman, a god?! This movie would have not seen the light of day if she was a black woman. I mean there are far better looking white women than this lady, indeed, in a white mans world, would such a film be fashioned in the way that it has been. Outside of the whole white supremacy view, I thought this movie was koo with its special effects, although Judge Dredd did the same exact scenery in its earlier day, so, nothing new in that department. I also didnt care for how the black man was depicted as a wimpy feminine sambo, but this is what white america views as a great film, who cares if they made Tiny lister a black president, that was probably the only good thing about the whole cast arrangement, thats if that didnt have some personal insult to it as well. lmao! The insecurities of ppl who are in denial about such, will always be revealed in some way. As this movie made so brutally clear, dont get me wrong, racist ppl do not bother me in the least bit, I just like show them up, on their hidden agenda's, say what u want, but I would have prefered the perfect being to be nonhuman, as our species has proven to be something less than perfect, to say the least. pun intended ... Read more

Reviews (99)

Long film
I have not seen the shorter version, and can give no comparision between the two cuts.
I bought the movie because I was impressed with Luc Besson's other films, such as La Femme Nikita and Leon. The story is about 2 divers, deep free diving divers. Very deep, very dangerous. The competitiveness and relationship between these 2 men is most definately love-hate, with Reno's charactor not being able to be himself without his competition and friend.
Very long, as stated perviously, with 49 minutes of footage added, the picture moves along at a fair pace. This is not an action move. Even the dive sequences are not fast paced; they move to where you are moving with them, down to their deep depths which they are certain will challenge them, but not kill them, or at least fairly certain. With Arquette's character, we are introduced to the love interest. Reno warns his friend to avoid her and concentrate on his work, but he is in to her in a very big way.
I am not sure who to recommend this film to, but it is definately worth a look.

Unfortunately, the Director's Cut left me feeling empty.
Well, I've read the other reviews and I find myself most decidedly in the minority. The movie is good, but it's not great. On the other hand, neither is it terrible. My first experience with The Big Blue was the American version, cut shorter and with Bill Conti's score in place of Eric Serra's. The Director's Cut (D.C.) is both longer and darker.

Okay, I'll say it. I like the American version better. Period. It was, perhaps, my all-time favorite movie. But things have since gone downhill. Eric Serra's music is good, don't get me wrong, but I don't feel that it has the emotional impact of Conti's. Yes, we're talking about something very subjective here. If the D.C. is your first experience with this film, then you'll be lucky enough to enjoy it without having to compare and contrast. However, for me, something was missing in this new release. I found many of the extra scenes superfluous to both the story and the character arcs. For example, there's an added humorous scene midway through the film that exists, supposedly, to show that Enzo likes to take chances and flex his masculinity. I agree; the scene depicts just that. But there are plenty of other scenes that do the same thing; this one is redundant. (On a side note, the endings of each version are virtually identical -- don't let someone tell you otherwise. Ultimately, this movie is about a man's struggle to choose between Humanity and Nature, and that message remains unchanged from one version to the next.)

Regarding the scoring, there are points in the D.C. where a given scene just didn't work for me with Serra's music (sometimes Besson chose no music at all, and the silence that falls over the action is absolutely stifling). I don't believe that Serra's score did the movie justice. Conti was able to capture the flavor of the film much more easily, yet without being disrespectful to Besson's message. At best, Serra hit the mark only five times out of ten.

To be fair, I can't honestly say that my take on the D.C. is based solely on its own merits, as I saw the American version first. I'd suggest that you watch both and decide for yourself. Of course, it might prove difficult to find the older one these days (outside of rental stores, that is).

In short, I was disappointed that they didn't come out with a DVD that had both the American and Director's versions. I realize that'd be more expensive, but it would've been a nice touch (and I'd have paid extra for it). I'm glad I saw the D.C., but I'd much rather own on DVD the American version and I regret that I now think less of the movie than I had previously. I would have given it two and a half stars, but it wasn't bad enough to warrant a solid two, considering how much I loved the American version; despite its flaws, this is still a pretty cool movie.

ETMR - The Big Blue
1. Humanity: Many critics claim the central themes portrayed by the two male protagonists are the search for freedom and the proclamation of one's individuality. Yet both Jacques and Enzo are undeniably not free, having self-imposed chains tied both to the sea and their fantasies about the sea. In what ways does the film express the dangers of escapism and sentimental loneliness?

2. Implications: All three characters are tied to their worlds. Enzo is trapped in his status as the best, Johanna cannot move beyond her desire for a normal life with Jacques, and Jacques is unwilling to depart from the last words of his father. Do you think this film romanticizes these issues, or criticizes them?

3. Evolution: Besson (the director) stresses the super-human qualities of both men. Do you think these qualities are tied to their fate with the sea, or do they have a choice about their fate?

4. Realism: There is a magic realism in the film that cannot be ignored, form the magnetic pull of the ocean, to the unhuman mysteries beneath. Without these magical elements, does the movie stand on its own as a piece of reality?

5. Stageplay: Much of the acting in the film is overdramatized, from the sensual yet sentimental plumbings of Johana, the deaf silence from Jacques, to the heavy and bawdy nature of Enzo. Do the actors work together in a cohesive whole, or do they jarr the story and create separate entities upon themselves?

Please put the Original US Version on DVD!!!
Like many others who discovered this well overlooked film many years ago, I was greatly disappointed in the Director's Cut. For starters, the US Version's Music Score surpasses the European Score by leapyears and this Director's Cut uses that cheesy synthesizery European Score. :-( Secondly, the additional footage simply adds a little more pointless skin in the form of nudity, but adds little or nothing to the overall story except about 50 minutes of your time. It feels like it's dragging compared to the original US Version and often gives you more information than you wanted - sometimes it's best to not tell the audience everything and let them fill in the blanks themselves. The original US Version is one of my favorite films of all times, but this updated Director's Version doesn't make my cut because the extra stuff is pointless and long and the European Soundtrack is horrible!!!

Universal Truth: Review from Power vs. Force by D.R. Hawkins
[Refers to original theatrical release.] "We've made [kinesiological] calibrations of various kinds of records of athletic achievement, including movies. Of all the movies about sports studied, the French film 'The Big Blue' produced the highest calibration. This is the story of Jacques Mayol, the Frenchman who held the world record for deep-sea diving for many years (until very recently). The movie calibrates at the extraordinary level of 700 (universal truth), and has the capacity to put viewers in a high state of consciousness -- the manager of one movie theater that showed it described audiences wandering out lost in silence or crying with joy they couldn't describe." David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D, from "Power vs. Force", page 173 ... Read more

Reviews (339)

One of the greatest films ever.
I think this film is a masterpiece. Luc Besson has beautifully directed this achievement and it is probably his best film (Fifth Element aside). The best thing about this film is the different emotions you feel. You feel hatred, happiness, worry, and sadness all for one character. Leon is a professional (hence the title) cleaner, or hitman. He is a very alone person who has no friends. He does have a soft spot for the 12 year old girl Mathilda(wonderfully portrayed by Natalie Portman). When Mathilda's family is killed, she stays with Leon, but she wants revenge. Leon begins teaching her the tricks of the trade which provides some very funny moments. They begin to get very close, and he feels love for the girl. I will not ruin the whoile story for you but it really is a must see.Jean Reno was born for this part and Gary Oldman plays the eccentric bad guy very well. This movie does have some explosive action scenes, but it is really more of a drama. Yes there is a directors cut which in my opinion isn't much better than the regular and the regular is 10 bucks cheaper. Buy this film either way and you will be wonderfully happy with your purchase.

Best Film Ever Made. Natalie Portman is Perfect.
This movie has, what I beleive, the best performance from a child actor ever, from a 12-year-old Natalie Portman. Her character Mathilda shows the innocence of a kid, and the depth of a person out for revenge. Why she didn't get an Oscar is beyond me. And this was her first movie.

The story is really good. A hitman named Leon (Jean Reno) helps a girl named Mathilda after her family is shot down by corrupt DEA officers led by Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman). When she finds out about Leon's job as a "cleaner" she asks to be trained as a hitman to avenge her little brother's death. Despite Leon's concerns he teaches her anyway, but over the course of his teachings, Mathilda develops feelings for him. This is something the uncut version explores a little deeper.

I suppose some of the scenes were taken from the American release for their subject matter. A scene where Mathilda wants to take her love for Leon to the next level really gives a good insight into Leon's past. It dosen't lead to anything between the two, so I don't see why they cut it. Other scenes included are Leon giving Mathilda some on the job training when he goes on his hits. I can see where some groups in America could have protested that, but it makes their relationship more deeper and complex.

An outstanding film, you really should see this version to get the whole story. I highly recommend it, it is my favorite of all time. Luc Besson's masterpiece can be fully appreciated on this release. I've been hearing rumors about a sequel in the works. I can only pray it's true, but this film is a tough act to follow.

Natalie Portman in her best role!
I don't usually like to watch movies about hit men or cops and robbers. I remember I got interested in this movie because of two things: Luc Besson's movie the Fifth Element, which was so wildly different and fascinating that I wanted to see what else this French director had done; and secondly, seeing Natalie Portman for the first time in the Star Wars: Phantom Menace movie.

Behind all of the dense make up and bad script and horribly non-existent directing from George Lucas in Phantom Menace, I sensed in Natalie Portman one heck of a terrific young actress struggling to come up with a meaningful performance. In "Leon - The Professional", working with a superb director, her acting talent is on full display.

When one thinks of modern day child actors, Anna Paquin comes to mind, in "The Piano", because she aced out some terrific adult actresses in 1993 to win the Oscar. Well, Natalie Portman, at age 12, had Anna Paquin beat by a mile in this movie, since her character takes up about half of the movie. If not for the truly unusual and off-beat story line of this movie, Portman would have gotten a lot more attention for her role in this movie, I think.

If you just focus on Portman's facial expressions and the way she carries herself in this movie, she goes through an amazing acting range in this movie, from hurt, terrified, bored, stuck up, cool and calculating, manipulative, sweet, child-like, and pubescent sexual allure.

As mentioned by other reviewers, the uncut version restores scenes that basically give a harder edge to Natalie Portman's character. The additional scenes of her assassin training with Leon and her efforts to attract and get closer to Leon definitely put her character in a harsher light. I remember from my first viewing of the cut U.S. version that Mathilda came across as a much more sweet and innocent child. The uncut version shows her more to be a hardened child of the mean streets of New York. Given the usual Hollywood propensities, it's not that surprising that these scenes got cut for the U.S. release. The uncut version does show the fullest acting range of Natalie Portman, even if they make her character less sympathetic.

Basically, the movie skates close to, but avoids the pedophilia controversies of the "Lolita" movies by having the character of Leon adhere to a strict code of ethics that firmly blocks all of Mathilda's advances. Even at the end, when he kisses her good-by and says that he loves her, it is clearly in the vein of being her protector and a big brother/father surrogate figure.

All in all, this was a great movie. Jean Reno was just so hauntingly sad as the loner-assassin Leon. Gary Oldman was definitely over the top in his portrayal of the crazed DEA agent - you almost expected his Dracula fangs to come out and his eyes to glow red when he popped those pills into his mouth.

So all of you Natalie Portman fans, this movie is a definite must-see. All of you Phantom Menace/Attack of the Clones haters who think that Natalie Portman can't act, you've got to see this movie to understand that no, Natalie Portman is a terrific actress. It's just really, really tough to play opposite total stiffs like Hayden Christiansen and Jake Lloyd, working with an idiot director like George Lucas.

Got Milk?
There's hardly anything I can say that will do justice to the splendor of 'Leon - The Professional'. The insanity of both the action sequences and Gary Oldman's performance... the touching love story of 2 lonely outcasts... the fantastic cinematography... the heart-breaking tragedy... the pulsing score... the violent life of a shy, milk-drinking, plant-loving hitman... the soul of an innocent little girl... the blistering, chaotic, blood-drenched fury that lives in all 3 of these characters...

...Wow...

...It's just a vortex of beautiful destruction. All these things crammed into one amazing film. A remarkable cast giving remarkable performances, and a very visual director shoving this seething powerhouse of a film right in our faces...

Like I said, there's nothing I can say. So, just believe me when I tell you that this is a very great film.

Great cinematic masterpiece
REALLY GREAT! IT WAS DONE LIKE A FOREIGN FILM, BUT I REALLY LOVED THE WAY IT WAS DONE. AND THE ACTING WAS GREAT! ... Read more

Reviews (535)

Unpretentious Scifi/action fun
OK - so the 5th Element isn't 2001, or even Aliens. As noted in other reviews, there's certainly a lot in this movie that seems to be superfluous or never adequately explained. This is a fantastic ride, despite these minor flaws (if, unlike me, you see these things as flaws).

If you hate Bruce Willis, then take a pass on this one. "Corbin Dallas" is a mix of his roles in Die Hard & The Last Boyscout, but much, much lighter in mood. Think "Hudson Hawk suffering from depression."

Gary Oldman does his usual bang-up job as villain, and Milla-whatshernameovich's Leelo stands out from her initial introduction until the final minutes of the film. Their strong performances more than compensate for the bizarre and fortunately brief appearance of Luke Perry.

There's a bit of a forced moment when Leelo "realizes the horror of human war" by speed-viewing Time-Life magazine photographs, but this is fortunately over fairly quickly. Despite this attempt to inject some sort of meaning or conscience into the movie, the fun soon resumes.

The visual effects are quirky but excellent, ranging from the cheesy "Taxis of the Future" to the ethereal "Cruise Ship of the Future." The opera scenes also carry a heavy visual impact. I must admit, however, that I may feel this way due to my affinity for the color blue, and the fact that this scene arrived just as the majority of the Christian Brother's kicked in.

The soundtrack has to be mentioned. I would despise much of the music on its own, but it is so cleverly intertwined with the visual aspects that it lends an enormous weight to the film. Of course, the aria is unforgettable, but in a strange way, so is the weird dance/house/acid/funk thing during the "robbery attempt".

The one, truly unfortunate aspect of the film is the Chris Tucker character. In fact, I have to consider the Fifth Element to be a masterpiece simply because I didn't kick it out of the DVD as soon as he appeared. However, to punish (in a small way) the powers-that-be for encouraging him in any way, I'm deducting one star from the total.

In summary, if you have to have meaning & depth in your motion pictures, go watch Das Boot, or better yet, read a book. The Fifth Element may not be Clarke&Kubrick, but it's a great deal more entertaining.

"What mission?" "To save the world."
What is a great movie anyway? Something with a deep inner message, complicated plot, hours of intellectual oddessy? Or could it simply be something that brings a smile to your face and quenches your need for some action, romance, and sweet special effects?

If you feel it to be the latter, this is the movie for you. A non-stop roller-coaster ride from start to finish, the fifth element is everything a great action flick SHOULD be. It has a beautiful girl, a world in peril, a grim but likeable anti-hero lead, and tight special effects and musical score to ice the cake. Granted, this movie is a little weird, and some parts you will either love or hate (I personally love the bad guy with a sourthern accent but find I myself a little bugged by the radio personality who can't seem to shut up).

Many have said it before, but I'll say it again. All DVD versions of this film have PERFECT picture and sound. PERFECT. 10 out of 10. And no extras whatsoever. But hey, you give a little, you lose a little.

So my action movie loving friends, definitely give this one a rent. And check out "the Transporter" too. Created by the same guy who made this movie. It is also not too deep but very slick.

QUITE A TRIP
It's entirely possible that Luc Besson was on some kind of drugs when he scripted this way-out, wacky, but extremely entertaining scifi thriller. His vision of the future is both impeccably original and wildly humorous. Cars spinning through space; police cars that still squeal tires when there's nothing to squeal them on! Like a wild video game, the vision of this future is great.
Bruce Willis is fine as Corbin Dallas; he evinces his usual cool macho, with that underlying bit of sensitivity. Milla Jovovich, red hair and all, does a good job in conveying the enthusiasm, innocence and naivete of the newly born. Notice the sadness in her eyes as she views the word "War"; her reactions are poignant. Gary Oldman as Zorg is all out ham and he pulls it off, showing what a versatile actor he is. The usually stoic Ian Holm has never been livelier than in his role as Father Cornelius. He looks like he's having the time of his life and after all the stuffy, laconic roles he's played, he cuts loose and is wonderful. And Chris Tucker---what a character. Tucker is manic, frantic and annoying---but he is also very very funny. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Note too the capable performances of Tiny Lister (usually a mindless body bag) and Brion James (also a lot looser than in his usually villainous roles).
THE FIFTH ELEMENT is a strange movie indeed, but I found it to be one of the most unusual scifi films in some time.

Silly.
If only they had another director (perhaps Ridley Scott, using a little "Blade Runner" flair), this movie could have had the potential to be very good. Instead, director Luc Besson ("Leon," aka: "The Professional") chose to formulate this sophomoric piece of sour eye-candy that even the geekiest science fiction aficionado would despise. Aside from the poor direction, Hudson Hawk paired with an androgynous (and extraordinarily annoying) Chris Tucker sidekick, is enough to drive anyone to mercilessly strangle a kitten.

the unperfect movie
Give me a break! Milla Jovovich as the perfect woman, a god?! This movie would have not seen the light of day if she was a black woman. I mean there are far better looking white women than this lady, indeed, in a white mans world, would such a film be fashioned in the way that it has been. Outside of the whole white supremacy view, I thought this movie was koo with its special effects, although Judge Dredd did the same exact scenery in its earlier day, so, nothing new in that department. I also didnt care for how the black man was depicted as a wimpy feminine sambo, but this is what white america views as a great film, who cares if they made Tiny lister a black president, that was probably the only good thing about the whole cast arrangement, thats if that didnt have some personal insult to it as well. lmao! The insecurities of ppl who are in denial about such, will always be revealed in some way. As this movie made so brutally clear, dont get me wrong, racist ppl do not bother me in the least bit, I just like show them up, on their hidden agenda's, say what u want, but I would have prefered the perfect being to be nonhuman, as our species has proven to be something less than perfect, to say the least. pun intended ... Read more

Reviews (84)

A tour de force!
Why haven't this film been praised in America? It is one of the best films I have ever seen! I know that most people don't like watching foreign films with English subtitles, which is why they miss out on great stories and actors.

La Femme Nikita is the story of a street-smart woman (played by Anne Parillaud) who is kidnapped and trained to become a professional assassin. She has to give up her identity and become the big Government secret. The film has a lot of interesting action scenes -- enough to satisfy the James Bondesque film era. The difference, of course, is that we get to watch a great heroine in action for a change. Also, you will enjoy the strong Pygmalion theme in the film.

I know of people who have seen The Point of No Return (the American version of this film) with Bridget Fonda and the USA Network series based on this film, but the original is always the best. Give this amazing French film a whirl and embark on the experience of great foreign films.

A very different French Foreign Legionnaire
Nikita (Anne Parillaud) is a drug-addicted street urchin who commits murder during a robbery attempt. She is convicted, imprisoned, and executed by lethal injection. Nikita awakens in a Government facility, learns that her family attended her burial, and learns that she has a choice -- become a (disposable) Government agent/assassin or die. Nikita reluctantly chooses life. Nikita is trained in weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, and charm. Nikita accepts all of her training with apathy and disdain, but Nikita survives her training and becomes a Government agent/assassin. And Nikita's missions continuously tear her life apart ...

French director Luc Besson's film "La Femme Nikita" is the basis for the American remake "Point of No Return" starring Bridget Fonda, and also for the "La Femme Nikita" television series. Luc Besson's version is *superior*. Anne Parillaud grows throughout her transformation from hostile street urchin to reluctant Government agent/assassin, combining toughness with *fragile femininity*. Jean-Hugues Anglade plays Nikita's friend Marco who loves and emotionally supports his woman of mystery. Jean Reno ("The Professional") plays 'The Cleaner', the assassin who arrives when one of Nikita's missions goes horribly wrong.

Eric Serra's wonderful jazz score, the European setting, the flowing French dialogue, and Anne Parillaud's tough but fragile femininity combine to make "La Femme Nikita" a memorable film.

Nikita
After a bloody shootout at a pharmacy where all of her gang memeber friends are killed, Nikita (Parillaud), high on drugs, kills a policeman in cold blood and is captured and judged for the murder. However, instead of the gas chamber, she gets recruited to a top secret government agency to be trained as an agent.

At first, she's confused with the situation, but soon enough she's back to normal, not caring for anything around her and acting like the social misfit she is. All the while there's Bob (Karyo), the agent assigned to her case. He treats Nikita like he couldn't care less for her, yet finds her rather amusing and interesting. Even when his superior tells him that she'll never make it, he insists that she has the stuff to be a good agent.

After a while, Nikita comes around and accepts her fate. She continues her training up to the point that three years pass. She's now ready to go back to the real world and Bob chooses her birthday to take her out to a restaurant on what turns out to be more of a mission than a date.

Once outside, Nikita meets Marco (Anglade), who works as a cashier at a supermarket. They fall in love and move together, but their happiness is continuosly interrupted by Bob and the missions he sends Nikita on.

Will Nikita be able to balance her double life? Will Marco figure the whole thing out?

Besson threads an interesting story using well developed characters (the movie revolves around these three characters basically) and interesting set ups for Nikita's missions. The action scenes are well crafted and the acting is really good.

There's a brief appearance by Jean Reno (The Crimson Rivers, León) as another hit man.

This film was the basis for the Peta Wilson TV series and also for an American remake starring Bridget Fonda.

Riveting Action
Director Luc Besson gets it. Besson, a Frenchman no less, understands what separates a juvenile, mindless action movie from a truly smart, devilishly suspensful cinema experience. Using a clever hybrid of European sensuality and sophistication, along with American notions of wild gunplay and bloodshed, Besson weaves an absorbing tale of murder and betrayal. His characters are chilling and relatively simple, while the world they inhabit is explicitly cosmopolitan in its cross Atlantic treachery. Besson sees the tools this setting offers and pushes them to the figurative hilt.

The intriguing story centers around Nikita, a lithe and skillful street urchin played by the violently harried Anne Parillaud. An urban nomad, Nikita is picked up by the mysterious Rico, a role assumed by the ashen faced operator Marc Duret. Rico's motives are unclear at first, but it soon becomes clear that he is not some agent of charity, he is dedicated to molding Nikitas mind in a certain, deadly way. Using her own isolation and his own psychological tricks, Rico, with the help of others in the "group", Rico begins to train Nikita in the arts of death and stealthy assassination. Benefitting a shadowy branch of the French government, Nikita will become an undercover killing machine, moving in and out of various international locales and dispatching her targets ruthlessly. Along the way, Rico must break her spirit, an extremely difficult task, and then rebuild her, teaching her the suave arts of high society and the brute tactics of international murder.

Although Nikita resists, she soon gains a reliance on her new teachers, especially Rico, who has a feeling about her. His support is rewarded as Nikita takes to the field for the first time, and the audience is treated to a ripping good action scene. Nikita assumes a somewhat normal life, striking up a relationship, living a life unknown to her. Of course, as she gallavants around the continent, she is forced to pull off daunting and extreme hits, which are portrayed lovingly by Besson. The strange connection between Nikita and Rico begin to strain as Nikita feels the emotional considerable stress of living two lives at once. Her position becomes more untenable as she becomes wrapped up into a violent spiral of severely unethical murder, including the murderously adriot personage of Jean Reno, who wields his 9mm like some kind of quasi-mythical broadsword. His extreme mission and its repercussions soon toss Nikita into a very dangerous position, and theres only one way out. You guessed it, shooting.

La Femme Nikita is one of those movies that just never stops impressing the viewer with its sheer audacity. The spirit it conveys, one of shady slaughter and grand stage is just mesmerizing, and the simple but layered characters bring their own murderious tint to the whole spectacle. A great example of what a smart action movie can be.

sensitive and dangerous
Sensitive, sophisticated, violent, and exquisite are some of the adjectives that could best describe this tour de force movie by Luc Besson. Unlike most action movies which depend on high body counts and explosives, this movie moves carefully forward as Nikita is transformed from a drug using criminial to a controlled killer. Besides the story, I especially enjoyed the view of french culture. Parisian restaurants, apartments, and gritty streets are beautifully filmed by Besson. Most importantly, the movie contains a female lead character which contrasts Hollywood's obsession with testosterone filled actors who can never enunciate their words. Nikita is played brilliantly. In fact, Nikita hardly speaks throughout the film, yet the viewer can still observe her true character. In my opinion that is an example of brilliant film making. Do yourself a favor and buy this DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (253)

Bashful's DVD Summary #040
Best:

1) The story of Joan of Arc is fascinating and this version is probably the most accurate that we'll ever get (since we have only sketchy information in the history books).
2) There is plenty of gritty battle action with blood and body parts flying.
3) The wide assortment of of medieval weapons used (catapaults, gravity cannon balls, multiple arrow shooters, boiling oil, maces, flails and decapitation devices) were more varied than any other movie. That alone makes this one a classic.
3) The movie explores Joan's later doubts about her voices/visions being from God very well. They use a imaginary devil's advocate character (played by Dustin Hoffman) to allow her to argue with herself. In the process, we're given a lot to think about ourselves.

Worst:

1) Milla Jovovich over-acted at times, especially when the camera was close to her face. That made her character a little scary. (Who knows, however, what the real Joan was like).
2) The only special feature is a very worthwhile 25-minute documentary about the actual historical events surrounding Joan of Arc's life. It would have been good to to have even more background information on this fairly complicated story.

Recommendation:

The low amount of special features is the only reason I don't give this DVD 5 stars. The movie itself is so rich that it requires repeated viewings to catch everything. Both men and women should find something to like in this epic.

Most Beautiful Movie Version of her Story
A very well made historical film about a very controversial character. Excelent acting.

Compelling and moving
I do not know how historically accurate this movie is, but I sat glued to the screen for the whole movie. This movie is not for people who want to see Joan of Arc as a simple saint, and it probably will not please many Christians. Although it is clear that Luc Besson thought that Joan truly believed she was a messenger from God. The issues raised by this movie are not simple, but are extremely moving. What is Good and what is Evil? Is any war a just one? Why did she believe in the goodness of the King of France who eventually sold her out to the English? The movie is as much about the God and Man as it is about Joan of Arc. Was it her destiny all along to be burned at the stake, just as it was Christ's destiny to be crucified? The movie seems to suggest so. Some other reviewers didn't like Milla Jovanovich's acting. I thought she was excellent.

Unexpected yet unremarkable
Decent effort, somewhat uneven in quality. Not what you might expect from a Joan of Arc film.
At first glance this looks like it might be a Braveheart knock-off. It has all the elements-A zealous hero leading her people to glory, martyrdom, gritty medieval battles, scheming monarchs, etc.
However, Joan of Arc is portrayed as impulsive, bull-headed, and more than slightly bonkers. While this will undoubtedly annoy viewers who are hoping for a reverent medieval tale of glory and martyrdom, it does add an element of ambiguity to an otherwise unremarkable movie.
Jovanovich's performance is intense, but rather monotone. The film would have been better if she had been able to change up her routine from time to time. Dustin Hoffman is the real star of this movie despite limited camera time, offering a brilliant performance as Joan's needling conscience. The interplay between Hoffman and Jovanovich makes for some of the best moments of the film.
Besson's cinematography and Hoffman's performance make this movie worthwhile, but by no means extraordinary.

bloomin awful
Why did I watch this travesty at all?? Awful movie, screeching demonised Joan of Arc? Watch the miniseries instead with Peter O'toole and Lelee whatshername. It's much better than this thing. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Slow and boring
The film borrows heavily from Mad max 2: The Road Warrior, yet misses everything that made that one exciting.
The film is extremely slow and even amateuristic at times.
Becomes quite a bit better the second half of the film.

French Director Luc Besson's Definitive Sci-fi Cult Classic
Owing perhaps a little to the earlier and very influential 'The Road Warrior', Besson's film is a minor masterpiece in its own right. Despite a few apparent flaws and an ending that is a little too happy, Besson and the film's star Pierre Jolivet have crafted a unique view of one person's survival in a brutal post-apocalyptic world.

'Le Dernier Combat' presents a believably dead world where a few humans struggle to survive and even fewer retain a sense of humanity. The director fills the movie with striking imagery that grabs your attention and doesn't ever let go. At one point during a rainstorm it begins to downpour fish; later during another rainstorm two of the film's characters get caught in a hailstorm of rocks! Scenes such as the very unusual opening shot, Jolivet drowning his sorrows with several bottles of liquor, his escape on a makeshift glider and many others never leave the memory once viewed. My personal favorite: two of the characters share a bottle of wine at dinner and, as is the civilized custom, each takes a sip from their glass and nod approvingly; cut immediately to an empty wine bottle balanced on a pedestal that someone is using as a target to hone their skills with a sword. It provides a brilliant parallel between the two types of people struggling against each other here.

What sets 'Le Dernier Combat' apart from others in the post-apocalyptic film genre is the fact that there is no dialogue spoken at all. Contrary to the criticism that it is a novelty, instead the absence of dialogue draws you into the movie, helping you become intimately connected to the survivors and sharing their experiences as if they were your own. Moments of suspense, despair, isolation, melancholy, elation, defeat and great joy are all conveyed superbly by the cast without the benefit of speaking. There is a singular moment where two of the characters say "Hello" to one another with the aid of what I believe is helium, but beyond that you won't hear a word spoken in this film.

Most deserving of it's cult status, the movie is best seen on the big screen due to it's being filmed in CineScope. The DVD release from Columbia Tristar is presented in widescreen and it is an absolutely clean and error free copy that will please any fan of 'Le Dernier Combat'. Though Luc Besson has had many other film successes since this was released in 1983 this one gets my vote for his best.

Unique science fiction
This film, Luc Besson's first, is a fascinating work: originally released in 1983, it's black and white, and with almost no dialogue until close to the end of the film. In the near future, buildings are mere rubble, and the few people who are left (mostly) cannot speak. The lead male actor, Pierre Jolivet, who also co-wrote the script, wanders around searching for--something, anything that will let him connect to what remains of humanity.

While some may say this is a pointless exercise, I disagree. What would you do given those circumstances? The obvious retort to that question is, Yes, I understand, but why make that into a film? The answer: because it DOES capture the imagination of the viewer. Close to the end of the film, Jolivet finds more than he had dared to think possible. And you know this is true because you can feel, through his gestures and actions, through the course of the film, what he feels, where his head is. And where his heart is. Those he meets, too, are looking for the answer to--why are we still alive? What are we doing here, anyway? And when one of them finds another, Who are you? And who am I to you?

The translation of the film is The Last Battle--to discover these who's and why's. What these survivors are fighting is the easy but ultimately fatal way out of becoming as desolate, as isolated as a single piece of rubble each of them roams around in.

I won't give anything away about the ending, but let's say that, cliched as it sounds, hope springs eternal. The manner in which this message is conveyed is far from cliched. It's a great ending to a captivating film.

Luc Besson's first and one of his best
"Le Dernier Combat" takes place in a grim post-apocalyptic future and is Luc Besson's first feature. Even though it won a lot of praise from critics, it has rarely if ever been available in the U.S. If you like Besson, read the history of this outstanding film and buy it. (Columbia will also be releasing a new edition of "Subway.") ... Read more

Reviews (43)

This was the same guy that directed La Femme Nikita?
Ok. Even though I am doing a review of the DVD, I saw the video version and it was dubbed as well. I am giving the movie an extra star just because DVD quality and subtitles usually add to the overall quality of foreign movies.

I doubt it. This is a stupid movie. Christopher Lambert is trying to be hip but looks lost. Adjani is cute but she is one of those timeless beauties, and 80s fashion never worked for her. Jean Reno is usually cool. Besson did figure out how to use him properly in Nikita and The Professional. In this one he drums. THere are also plots about Subway robbers and whacky whacky homeless people who start their own 80s pop band.

If you want dumb fun, watch Repo Man. Watch Repo Man over and over again. If you want a Luc Besson movie - just pretend that he didn't have a career before La Femme Nikita. It will be much better for you in the long run.

This is a WEIRD film....
I now wonder why I purchased this flick, a definitely shadowy tale about the romance and adventures of a petty criminal who only gets meaner as the film goes on, and the spoiled young wife of a middle aged businessman. There really is no one to root for in this film, not Christopher Lambert, whose Fred is a raunchy-looking, sociopathic hothead who loves to pull guns on people the first chance he gets, or any of the other characters, most of them living, (LIVING!) in the bowels of the Paris Metro, (which looks an AWFUL lot like Anysubway, Anywhere!) There's "The Roller", a purse-snatcher on roller skates; a black muscleman who suffers insults to his intelligence begrudgingly; the cold and terse Helena, played by Isabel Adjani, who ALSO seems fond of pulling guns on people; numerous inept cops named after American pop culture icons, ("Batman and Robin", "Tom & Jerry", etc.,) the police chief that seems a WEE bit too fond of coffee and a smarmy flower peddler who looks like he walked right out of a Martin Scorcese movie. NONE of these people could be even remotely called "loveable", their behavior makes that impossible. The criminals are a little TOO vicious, especially for petty ones, and the police are buffoons.

Fred manages to get and retain the attention of Helena by extorting her for some papers he had palmed from her personal home safe. She eventually meets him and pretty much gets sucked into the world of the oddballs living in the tunnels, walkways and hidden compartments of the subway. This all leads up to a finale: a concert to be put on by the musically adept among the denizens where tragedy finally strikes after an hour and a half of mischief and police ineptitude.

I wouldn't recommend ANY teenager see this movie because of the gawd-awful influence it may exert on them, but for somebody studying criminology, it may be entertaining...

There is ONE scene with Adjani and her character's husband at a swanky soireé at an associate's home, where Helena, (Adjani,) smarts off to a fair-thee-well. It's probably the best scene in the film. And the sound production is pretty good too, as it was in its initial VHS version 16 years ago. However, there ain't much ELSE to recommend this odd bird, lemme tell ya!

A PLUNGIN IN THE PARIS SUBWAY SO STRANGE...
THIS STORY RECOUNT ALMOST A TRIVIAL FOLLOW-UP BEHIND A man who love a pretty woman because he has just look she when he has robed his bag and he is forced to keep himself in this famous VAST SUBWAY witch is many more strange than it appear ! VERY GOODS ACTORS ! Good MOVIE good ambience WITH MANYS BEAUTIFULS ACTION THRILLER and many entertainment ! Sure ! ... A good MOVIE ! ONE OF THE FIRST TIME WITCH APPEAR JEAN RENO !

I love this film
I love this film.
It is just full of strokes of genius, visually, musically, and rythmically.

Like Blues Brothers or Pulp Fiction, it has some magical sense of timing that defies description, but lifts the whole to a new level.

Subway
This is definatly a movie on my top 5 list. Beautiful storyline, beautiful characters and a real knock out! Seriously, if you are considering buying this, buy it. It's a real joy!! ... Read more

Reviews (84)

A tour de force!
Why haven't this film been praised in America? It is one of the best films I have ever seen! I know that most people don't like watching foreign films with English subtitles, which is why they miss out on great stories and actors.

La Femme Nikita is the story of a street-smart woman (played by Anne Parillaud) who is kidnapped and trained to become a professional assassin. She has to give up her identity and become the big Government secret. The film has a lot of interesting action scenes -- enough to satisfy the James Bondesque film era. The difference, of course, is that we get to watch a great heroine in action for a change. Also, you will enjoy the strong Pygmalion theme in the film.

I know of people who have seen The Point of No Return (the American version of this film) with Bridget Fonda and the USA Network series based on this film, but the original is always the best. Give this amazing French film a whirl and embark on the experience of great foreign films.

A very different French Foreign Legionnaire
Nikita (Anne Parillaud) is a drug-addicted street urchin who commits murder during a robbery attempt. She is convicted, imprisoned, and executed by lethal injection. Nikita awakens in a Government facility, learns that her family attended her burial, and learns that she has a choice -- become a (disposable) Government agent/assassin or die. Nikita reluctantly chooses life. Nikita is trained in weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, and charm. Nikita accepts all of her training with apathy and disdain, but Nikita survives her training and becomes a Government agent/assassin. And Nikita's missions continuously tear her life apart ...

French director Luc Besson's film "La Femme Nikita" is the basis for the American remake "Point of No Return" starring Bridget Fonda, and also for the "La Femme Nikita" television series. Luc Besson's version is *superior*. Anne Parillaud grows throughout her transformation from hostile street urchin to reluctant Government agent/assassin, combining toughness with *fragile femininity*. Jean-Hugues Anglade plays Nikita's friend Marco who loves and emotionally supports his woman of mystery. Jean Reno ("The Professional") plays 'The Cleaner', the assassin who arrives when one of Nikita's missions goes horribly wrong.

Eric Serra's wonderful jazz score, the European setting, the flowing French dialogue, and Anne Parillaud's tough but fragile femininity combine to make "La Femme Nikita" a memorable film.

Nikita
After a bloody shootout at a pharmacy where all of her gang memeber friends are killed, Nikita (Parillaud), high on drugs, kills a policeman in cold blood and is captured and judged for the murder. However, instead of the gas chamber, she gets recruited to a top secret government agency to be trained as an agent.

At first, she's confused with the situation, but soon enough she's back to normal, not caring for anything around her and acting like the social misfit she is. All the while there's Bob (Karyo), the agent assigned to her case. He treats Nikita like he couldn't care less for her, yet finds her rather amusing and interesting. Even when his superior tells him that she'll never make it, he insists that she has the stuff to be a good agent.

After a while, Nikita comes around and accepts her fate. She continues her training up to the point that three years pass. She's now ready to go back to the real world and Bob chooses her birthday to take her out to a restaurant on what turns out to be more of a mission than a date.

Once outside, Nikita meets Marco (Anglade), who works as a cashier at a supermarket. They fall in love and move together, but their happiness is continuosly interrupted by Bob and the missions he sends Nikita on.

Will Nikita be able to balance her double life? Will Marco figure the whole thing out?

Besson threads an interesting story using well developed characters (the movie revolves around these three characters basically) and interesting set ups for Nikita's missions. The action scenes are well crafted and the acting is really good.

There's a brief appearance by Jean Reno (The Crimson Rivers, León) as another hit man.

This film was the basis for the Peta Wilson TV series and also for an American remake starring Bridget Fonda.

Riveting Action
Director Luc Besson gets it. Besson, a Frenchman no less, understands what separates a juvenile, mindless action movie from a truly smart, devilishly suspensful cinema experience. Using a clever hybrid of European sensuality and sophistication, along with American notions of wild gunplay and bloodshed, Besson weaves an absorbing tale of murder and betrayal. His characters are chilling and relatively simple, while the world they inhabit is explicitly cosmopolitan in its cross Atlantic treachery. Besson sees the tools this setting offers and pushes them to the figurative hilt.

The intriguing story centers around Nikita, a lithe and skillful street urchin played by the violently harried Anne Parillaud. An urban nomad, Nikita is picked up by the mysterious Rico, a role assumed by the ashen faced operator Marc Duret. Rico's motives are unclear at first, but it soon becomes clear that he is not some agent of charity, he is dedicated to molding Nikitas mind in a certain, deadly way. Using her own isolation and his own psychological tricks, Rico, with the help of others in the "group", Rico begins to train Nikita in the arts of death and stealthy assassination. Benefitting a shadowy branch of the French government, Nikita will become an undercover killing machine, moving in and out of various international locales and dispatching her targets ruthlessly. Along the way, Rico must break her spirit, an extremely difficult task, and then rebuild her, teaching her the suave arts of high society and the brute tactics of international murder.

Although Nikita resists, she soon gains a reliance on her new teachers, especially Rico, who has a feeling about her. His support is rewarded as Nikita takes to the field for the first time, and the audience is treated to a ripping good action scene. Nikita assumes a somewhat normal life, striking up a relationship, living a life unknown to her. Of course, as she gallavants around the continent, she is forced to pull off daunting and extreme hits, which are portrayed lovingly by Besson. The strange connection between Nikita and Rico begin to strain as Nikita feels the emotional considerable stress of living two lives at once. Her position becomes more untenable as she becomes wrapped up into a violent spiral of severely unethical murder, including the murderously adriot personage of Jean Reno, who wields his 9mm like some kind of quasi-mythical broadsword. His extreme mission and its repercussions soon toss Nikita into a very dangerous position, and theres only one way out. You guessed it, shooting.

La Femme Nikita is one of those movies that just never stops impressing the viewer with its sheer audacity. The spirit it conveys, one of shady slaughter and grand stage is just mesmerizing, and the simple but layered characters bring their own murderious tint to the whole spectacle. A great example of what a smart action movie can be.

sensitive and dangerous
Sensitive, sophisticated, violent, and exquisite are some of the adjectives that could best describe this tour de force movie by Luc Besson. Unlike most action movies which depend on high body counts and explosives, this movie moves carefully forward as Nikita is transformed from a drug using criminial to a controlled killer. Besides the story, I especially enjoyed the view of french culture. Parisian restaurants, apartments, and gritty streets are beautifully filmed by Besson. Most importantly, the movie contains a female lead character which contrasts Hollywood's obsession with testosterone filled actors who can never enunciate their words. Nikita is played brilliantly. In fact, Nikita hardly speaks throughout the film, yet the viewer can still observe her true character. In my opinion that is an example of brilliant film making. Do yourself a favor and buy this DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (253)

Bashful's DVD Summary #040
Best:

1) The story of Joan of Arc is fascinating and this version is probably the most accurate that we'll ever get (since we have only sketchy information in the history books).
2) There is plenty of gritty battle action with blood and body parts flying.
3) The wide assortment of of medieval weapons used (catapaults, gravity cannon balls, multiple arrow shooters, boiling oil, maces, flails and decapitation devices) were more varied than any other movie. That alone makes this one a classic.
3) The movie explores Joan's later doubts about her voices/visions being from God very well. They use a imaginary devil's advocate character (played by Dustin Hoffman) to allow her to argue with herself. In the process, we're given a lot to think about ourselves.

Worst:

1) Milla Jovovich over-acted at times, especially when the camera was close to her face. That made her character a little scary. (Who knows, however, what the real Joan was like).
2) The only special feature is a very worthwhile 25-minute documentary about the actual historical events surrounding Joan of Arc's life. It would have been good to to have even more background information on this fairly complicated story.

Recommendation:

The low amount of special features is the only reason I don't give this DVD 5 stars. The movie itself is so rich that it requires repeated viewings to catch everything. Both men and women should find something to like in this epic.

Most Beautiful Movie Version of her Story
A very well made historical film about a very controversial character. Excelent acting.

Compelling and moving
I do not know how historically accurate this movie is, but I sat glued to the screen for the whole movie. This movie is not for people who want to see Joan of Arc as a simple saint, and it probably will not please many Christians. Although it is clear that Luc Besson thought that Joan truly believed she was a messenger from God. The issues raised by this movie are not simple, but are extremely moving. What is Good and what is Evil? Is any war a just one? Why did she believe in the goodness of the King of France who eventually sold her out to the English? The movie is as much about the God and Man as it is about Joan of Arc. Was it her destiny all along to be burned at the stake, just as it was Christ's destiny to be crucified? The movie seems to suggest so. Some other reviewers didn't like Milla Jovanovich's acting. I thought she was excellent.

Unexpected yet unremarkable
Decent effort, somewhat uneven in quality. Not what you might expect from a Joan of Arc film.
At first glance this looks like it might be a Braveheart knock-off. It has all the elements-A zealous hero leading her people to glory, martyrdom, gritty medieval battles, scheming monarchs, etc.
However, Joan of Arc is portrayed as impulsive, bull-headed, and more than slightly bonkers. While this will undoubtedly annoy viewers who are hoping for a reverent medieval tale of glory and martyrdom, it does add an element of ambiguity to an otherwise unremarkable movie.
Jovanovich's performance is intense, but rather monotone. The film would have been better if she had been able to change up her routine from time to time. Dustin Hoffman is the real star of this movie despite limited camera time, offering a brilliant performance as Joan's needling conscience. The interplay between Hoffman and Jovanovich makes for some of the best moments of the film.
Besson's cinematography and Hoffman's performance make this movie worthwhile, but by no means extraordinary.

bloomin awful
Why did I watch this travesty at all?? Awful movie, screeching demonised Joan of Arc? Watch the miniseries instead with Peter O'toole and Lelee whatshername. It's much better than this thing. ... Read more

Reviews (84)

A tour de force!
Why haven't this film been praised in America? It is one of the best films I have ever seen! I know that most people don't like watching foreign films with English subtitles, which is why they miss out on great stories and actors.

La Femme Nikita is the story of a street-smart woman (played by Anne Parillaud) who is kidnapped and trained to become a professional assassin. She has to give up her identity and become the big Government secret. The film has a lot of interesting action scenes -- enough to satisfy the James Bondesque film era. The difference, of course, is that we get to watch a great heroine in action for a change. Also, you will enjoy the strong Pygmalion theme in the film.

I know of people who have seen The Point of No Return (the American version of this film) with Bridget Fonda and the USA Network series based on this film, but the original is always the best. Give this amazing French film a whirl and embark on the experience of great foreign films.

A very different French Foreign Legionnaire
Nikita (Anne Parillaud) is a drug-addicted street urchin who commits murder during a robbery attempt. She is convicted, imprisoned, and executed by lethal injection. Nikita awakens in a Government facility, learns that her family attended her burial, and learns that she has a choice -- become a (disposable) Government agent/assassin or die. Nikita reluctantly chooses life. Nikita is trained in weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, and charm. Nikita accepts all of her training with apathy and disdain, but Nikita survives her training and becomes a Government agent/assassin. And Nikita's missions continuously tear her life apart ...

French director Luc Besson's film "La Femme Nikita" is the basis for the American remake "Point of No Return" starring Bridget Fonda, and also for the "La Femme Nikita" television series. Luc Besson's version is *superior*. Anne Parillaud grows throughout her transformation from hostile street urchin to reluctant Government agent/assassin, combining toughness with *fragile femininity*. Jean-Hugues Anglade plays Nikita's friend Marco who loves and emotionally supports his woman of mystery. Jean Reno ("The Professional") plays 'The Cleaner', the assassin who arrives when one of Nikita's missions goes horribly wrong.

Eric Serra's wonderful jazz score, the European setting, the flowing French dialogue, and Anne Parillaud's tough but fragile femininity combine to make "La Femme Nikita" a memorable film.

Nikita
After a bloody shootout at a pharmacy where all of her gang memeber friends are killed, Nikita (Parillaud), high on drugs, kills a policeman in cold blood and is captured and judged for the murder. However, instead of the gas chamber, she gets recruited to a top secret government agency to be trained as an agent.

At first, she's confused with the situation, but soon enough she's back to normal, not caring for anything around her and acting like the social misfit she is. All the while there's Bob (Karyo), the agent assigned to her case. He treats Nikita like he couldn't care less for her, yet finds her rather amusing and interesting. Even when his superior tells him that she'll never make it, he insists that she has the stuff to be a good agent.

After a while, Nikita comes around and accepts her fate. She continues her training up to the point that three years pass. She's now ready to go back to the real world and Bob chooses her birthday to take her out to a restaurant on what turns out to be more of a mission than a date.

Once outside, Nikita meets Marco (Anglade), who works as a cashier at a supermarket. They fall in love and move together, but their happiness is continuosly interrupted by Bob and the missions he sends Nikita on.

Will Nikita be able to balance her double life? Will Marco figure the whole thing out?

Besson threads an interesting story using well developed characters (the movie revolves around these three characters basically) and interesting set ups for Nikita's missions. The action scenes are well crafted and the acting is really good.

There's a brief appearance by Jean Reno (The Crimson Rivers, León) as another hit man.

This film was the basis for the Peta Wilson TV series and also for an American remake starring Bridget Fonda.

Riveting Action
Director Luc Besson gets it. Besson, a Frenchman no less, understands what separates a juvenile, mindless action movie from a truly smart, devilishly suspensful cinema experience. Using a clever hybrid of European sensuality and sophistication, along with American notions of wild gunplay and bloodshed, Besson weaves an absorbing tale of murder and betrayal. His characters are chilling and relatively simple, while the world they inhabit is explicitly cosmopolitan in its cross Atlantic treachery. Besson sees the tools this setting offers and pushes them to the figurative hilt.

The intriguing story centers around Nikita, a lithe and skillful street urchin played by the violently harried Anne Parillaud. An urban nomad, Nikita is picked up by the mysterious Rico, a role assumed by the ashen faced operator Marc Duret. Rico's motives are unclear at first, but it soon becomes clear that he is not some agent of charity, he is dedicated to molding Nikitas mind in a certain, deadly way. Using her own isolation and his own psychological tricks, Rico, with the help of others in the "group", Rico begins to train Nikita in the arts of death and stealthy assassination. Benefitting a shadowy branch of the French government, Nikita will become an undercover killing machine, moving in and out of various international locales and dispatching her targets ruthlessly. Along the way, Rico must break her spirit, an extremely difficult task, and then rebuild her, teaching her the suave arts of high society and the brute tactics of international murder.

Although Nikita resists, she soon gains a reliance on her new teachers, especially Rico, who has a feeling about her. His support is rewarded as Nikita takes to the field for the first time, and the audience is treated to a ripping good action scene. Nikita assumes a somewhat normal life, striking up a relationship, living a life unknown to her. Of course, as she gallavants around the continent, she is forced to pull off daunting and extreme hits, which are portrayed lovingly by Besson. The strange connection between Nikita and Rico begin to strain as Nikita feels the emotional considerable stress of living two lives at once. Her position becomes more untenable as she becomes wrapped up into a violent spiral of severely unethical murder, including the murderously adriot personage of Jean Reno, who wields his 9mm like some kind of quasi-mythical broadsword. His extreme mission and its repercussions soon toss Nikita into a very dangerous position, and theres only one way out. You guessed it, shooting.

La Femme Nikita is one of those movies that just never stops impressing the viewer with its sheer audacity. The spirit it conveys, one of shady slaughter and grand stage is just mesmerizing, and the simple but layered characters bring their own murderious tint to the whole spectacle. A great example of what a smart action movie can be.

sensitive and dangerous
Sensitive, sophisticated, violent, and exquisite are some of the adjectives that could best describe this tour de force movie by Luc Besson. Unlike most action movies which depend on high body counts and explosives, this movie moves carefully forward as Nikita is transformed from a drug using criminial to a controlled killer. Besides the story, I especially enjoyed the view of french culture. Parisian restaurants, apartments, and gritty streets are beautifully filmed by Besson. Most importantly, the movie contains a female lead character which contrasts Hollywood's obsession with testosterone filled actors who can never enunciate their words. Nikita is played brilliantly. In fact, Nikita hardly speaks throughout the film, yet the viewer can still observe her true character. In my opinion that is an example of brilliant film making. Do yourself a favor and buy this DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (535)

Unpretentious Scifi/action fun
OK - so the 5th Element isn't 2001, or even Aliens. As noted in other reviews, there's certainly a lot in this movie that seems to be superfluous or never adequately explained. This is a fantastic ride, despite these minor flaws (if, unlike me, you see these things as flaws).

If you hate Bruce Willis, then take a pass on this one. "Corbin Dallas" is a mix of his roles in Die Hard & The Last Boyscout, but much, much lighter in mood. Think "Hudson Hawk suffering from depression."

Gary Oldman does his usual bang-up job as villain, and Milla-whatshernameovich's Leelo stands out from her initial introduction until the final minutes of the film. Their strong performances more than compensate for the bizarre and fortunately brief appearance of Luke Perry.

There's a bit of a forced moment when Leelo "realizes the horror of human war" by speed-viewing Time-Life magazine photographs, but this is fortunately over fairly quickly. Despite this attempt to inject some sort of meaning or conscience into the movie, the fun soon resumes.

The visual effects are quirky but excellent, ranging from the cheesy "Taxis of the Future" to the ethereal "Cruise Ship of the Future." The opera scenes also carry a heavy visual impact. I must admit, however, that I may feel this way due to my affinity for the color blue, and the fact that this scene arrived just as the majority of the Christian Brother's kicked in.

The soundtrack has to be mentioned. I would despise much of the music on its own, but it is so cleverly intertwined with the visual aspects that it lends an enormous weight to the film. Of course, the aria is unforgettable, but in a strange way, so is the weird dance/house/acid/funk thing during the "robbery attempt".

The one, truly unfortunate aspect of the film is the Chris Tucker character. In fact, I have to consider the Fifth Element to be a masterpiece simply because I didn't kick it out of the DVD as soon as he appeared. However, to punish (in a small way) the powers-that-be for encouraging him in any way, I'm deducting one star from the total.

In summary, if you have to have meaning & depth in your motion pictures, go watch Das Boot, or better yet, read a book. The Fifth Element may not be Clarke&Kubrick, but it's a great deal more entertaining.

"What mission?" "To save the world."
What is a great movie anyway? Something with a deep inner message, complicated plot, hours of intellectual oddessy? Or could it simply be something that brings a smile to your face and quenches your need for some action, romance, and sweet special effects?

If you feel it to be the latter, this is the movie for you. A non-stop roller-coaster ride from start to finish, the fifth element is everything a great action flick SHOULD be. It has a beautiful girl, a world in peril, a grim but likeable anti-hero lead, and tight special effects and musical score to ice the cake. Granted, this movie is a little weird, and some parts you will either love or hate (I personally love the bad guy with a sourthern accent but find I myself a little bugged by the radio personality who can't seem to shut up).

Many have said it before, but I'll say it again. All DVD versions of this film have PERFECT picture and sound. PERFECT. 10 out of 10. And no extras whatsoever. But hey, you give a little, you lose a little.

So my action movie loving friends, definitely give this one a rent. And check out "the Transporter" too. Created by the same guy who made this movie. It is also not too deep but very slick.

QUITE A TRIP
It's entirely possible that Luc Besson was on some kind of drugs when he scripted this way-out, wacky, but extremely entertaining scifi thriller. His vision of the future is both impeccably original and wildly humorous. Cars spinning through space; police cars that still squeal tires when there's nothing to squeal them on! Like a wild video game, the vision of this future is great.
Bruce Willis is fine as Corbin Dallas; he evinces his usual cool macho, with that underlying bit of sensitivity. Milla Jovovich, red hair and all, does a good job in conveying the enthusiasm, innocence and naivete of the newly born. Notice the sadness in her eyes as she views the word "War"; her reactions are poignant. Gary Oldman as Zorg is all out ham and he pulls it off, showing what a versatile actor he is. The usually stoic Ian Holm has never been livelier than in his role as Father Cornelius. He looks like he's having the time of his life and after all the stuffy, laconic roles he's played, he cuts loose and is wonderful. And Chris Tucker---what a character. Tucker is manic, frantic and annoying---but he is also very very funny. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Note too the capable performances of Tiny Lister (usually a mindless body bag) and Brion James (also a lot looser than in his usually villainous roles).
THE FIFTH ELEMENT is a strange movie indeed, but I found it to be one of the most unusual scifi films in some time.

Silly.
If only they had another director (perhaps Ridley Scott, using a little "Blade Runner" flair), this movie could have had the potential to be very good. Instead, director Luc Besson ("Leon," aka: "The Professional") chose to formulate this sophomoric piece of sour eye-candy that even the geekiest science fiction aficionado would despise. Aside from the poor direction, Hudson Hawk paired with an androgynous (and extraordinarily annoying) Chris Tucker sidekick, is enough to drive anyone to mercilessly strangle a kitten.

the unperfect movie
Give me a break! Milla Jovovich as the perfect woman, a god?! This movie would have not seen the light of day if she was a black woman. I mean there are far better looking white women than this lady, indeed, in a white mans world, would such a film be fashioned in the way that it has been. Outside of the whole white supremacy view, I thought this movie was koo with its special effects, although Judge Dredd did the same exact scenery in its earlier day, so, nothing new in that department. I also didnt care for how the black man was depicted as a wimpy feminine sambo, but this is what white america views as a great film, who cares if they made Tiny lister a black president, that was probably the only good thing about the whole cast arrangement, thats if that didnt have some personal insult to it as well. lmao! The insecurities of ppl who are in denial about such, will always be revealed in some way. As this movie made so brutally clear, dont get me wrong, racist ppl do not bother me in the least bit, I just like show them up, on their hidden agenda's, say what u want, but I would have prefered the perfect being to be nonhuman, as our species has proven to be something less than perfect, to say the least. pun intended ... Read more

Amazon.com

Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) made his American directorial debut with this stylized thriller about a French hit man (Jean Reno) who takes in an American girl (Natalie Portman) being pursued by a corrupt killer cop (Gary Oldman). Oldman is a little more unhinged than he should be, but there is something genuinely irresistible about the story line and the relationship between Reno and Portman. Rather than cave in to the cookie-cutter look and feel of American action pictures, Besson brings a bit of his glossy style from French hits La Femme Nikita and Subway to the production, and the results are refreshing even if the bullets and explosions are awfully familiar.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (339)

One of the greatest films ever.
I think this film is a masterpiece. Luc Besson has beautifully directed this achievement and it is probably his best film (Fifth Element aside). The best thing about this film is the different emotions you feel. You feel hatred, happiness, worry, and sadness all for one character. Leon is a professional (hence the title) cleaner, or hitman. He is a very alone person who has no friends. He does have a soft spot for the 12 year old girl Mathilda(wonderfully portrayed by Natalie Portman). When Mathilda's family is killed, she stays with Leon, but she wants revenge. Leon begins teaching her the tricks of the trade which provides some very funny moments. They begin to get very close, and he feels love for the girl. I will not ruin the whoile story for you but it really is a must see.Jean Reno was born for this part and Gary Oldman plays the eccentric bad guy very well. This movie does have some explosive action scenes, but it is really more of a drama. Yes there is a directors cut which in my opinion isn't much better than the regular and the regular is 10 bucks cheaper. Buy this film either way and you will be wonderfully happy with your purchase.

Best Film Ever Made. Natalie Portman is Perfect.
This movie has, what I beleive, the best performance from a child actor ever, from a 12-year-old Natalie Portman. Her character Mathilda shows the innocence of a kid, and the depth of a person out for revenge. Why she didn't get an Oscar is beyond me. And this was her first movie.

The story is really good. A hitman named Leon (Jean Reno) helps a girl named Mathilda after her family is shot down by corrupt DEA officers led by Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman). When she finds out about Leon's job as a "cleaner" she asks to be trained as a hitman to avenge her little brother's death. Despite Leon's concerns he teaches her anyway, but over the course of his teachings, Mathilda develops feelings for him. This is something the uncut version explores a little deeper.

I suppose some of the scenes were taken from the American release for their subject matter. A scene where Mathilda wants to take her love for Leon to the next level really gives a good insight into Leon's past. It dosen't lead to anything between the two, so I don't see why they cut it. Other scenes included are Leon giving Mathilda some on the job training when he goes on his hits. I can see where some groups in America could have protested that, but it makes their relationship more deeper and complex.

An outstanding film, you really should see this version to get the whole story. I highly recommend it, it is my favorite of all time. Luc Besson's masterpiece can be fully appreciated on this release. I've been hearing rumors about a sequel in the works. I can only pray it's true, but this film is a tough act to follow.