8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
A corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration boss and his thugs murder Mathilda's family in a drug deal gone awry. Orphaned by the massacre, Mathilda is forced to take shelter in the apartment of a neighbor, Léon, whom she knows only slightly. He's a loner and first generation immigrant, who also happens to be a professional hitman. He's never had reason to care about anybody and she has no one else to turn to. Together they form a makeshift bond that will forever change both their lives.
Starring: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello, Peter AppelCrime | 100% |
Thriller | 89% |
Drama | 71% |
Melodrama | 39% |
Action | 33% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0
English: DTS-HD HR 5.1
French, French SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A shy contract-killer meets a feisty young girl in Gallic director Luc Besson’s classic "Léon" (1994). The two form an unusual bond and go on to teach each other invaluable lessons about real life. The film arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont. The disc herein reviewed contains the theatrical (100 min) and international (133 min) versions of the film. There are no imposed French subtitles when the English audio track is selected. Region-Free.
Jean Reno as Léon
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Luc Besson's Léon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont.
I don't see any drastic differences between the German Blu-ray release of Léon, courtesy of Kinowelt, and this new French release. While viewing the film, I noticed the same minor specs and dots that I saw popping up on the German release, which we reviewed awhile ago. In fact, as far as I am concerned, these two releases are practically identical.
This being said, the color-scheme is solid – yellows, blues, reds, and blacks are all natural looking and strong. I looked carefully to see whether some of the indoor scenes might reveal stronger (or weaker) color saturation but, to my eyes, the colors looked the same. I did not detect any overly disturbing DNR manipulating either. If anything, there is a bit of digital noise that is easy to detect, mostly during the second half of the film, but I would not say that it is something that would detract from your viewing experience. I also noticed a bit of mild edge-enhancement popping up here and there. The contrast boosting that I spotted on the German release is also noticeable on the French release. As a result, there are quite a few scenes that tend to look a bit rough. Nonetheless, even with all of the minor issues noted above, this transfer is very much a serious upgrade over every single DVD release of Léon that I have seen. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD HR 5.1 (Original version), English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 (International version) and French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 (original version). For the record, Gaumont have supplied optional French and French HOH subtitles for the main feature.
While the German Blu-ray release of Léon offered an English DTS-HD HR 7.1 track (as well as a German DTS-HD HR 7.1 dub), the French release offers only an English DTS-HD HR 5.0 track (as well as French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 dub).
I really wish Gaumont would have provided an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track instead of an English DTS-HD HR 5.0 track. Still, what I heard last night, while I was viewing the film with the English DTS-HD HR 5.0 track, sounded quite good. The dialog was crisp, clear and very easy to follow. I did not detect any dropouts, cracks, or hissings either. The bass was also solid. Once again, I think that there is probably a bit of room for improvement here but, overall, this is a very aggressive audio track that will surely impress many of you. Don't be discouraged by the fact that there isn't an English DTS-HD Master Audio track of some sort!
The German release of Léon had the following supplemental features - an isolated music score, a theatrical trailer, a photo gallery and three featurettes - "Jean Reno – The Road to Leon", "Natalie Portman – Starting Young" and "Leon – A Ten Year Retrospective". Strangely enough, these are not included on the French disc. Gaumont have only provided two trailers for the main feature (both in PAL).
For whatever reason, Luc Besson's Léon has not yet received a Blu-ray treatment on this side of the Atlantic. I suspect that at some point in the future we will see a domestic release. Until then, however, the French Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Gaumont, remains the only option for those English speaking fans of the film who are not yet Region-Free. Recommended.
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