8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
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 5.1 (96kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
I like these calm little moments before the storm.
It's the "calm little moments" that elevate Léon above and well beyond the plethora of
both "Hitman" action-oriented movies and most any general Action picture out there. Director
Luc Besson's (The Fifth Element)
magnum opus blends hard-hitting action with both revenge-oriented drama and heartfelt
sincerity in the film's superbly-developed relationship between killer and child. Léon
understands that human complexities, drama, and consideration for the calm moments in
between the action sequences are what make or break a film and separate the best of the genre
from the doldrums of repetitive video-game style run-and-gun action that's barely recognizable
one from another. Léon not only tells a story to compliment the action, but it constructs
a powerful and moving tale that delivers real people with real feelings, real motivations, real skills,
and most importantly, real souls to accentuate the purpose of the action. It doesn't hurt, either,
that Besson proves himself a master craftsman of action in Léon, and the two combined
make for one of the strongest films of its kind.
Any time is a good time for some trigger time.
Léon arrives on Blu-ray with another strong 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer from Sony. The film's bright exterior city shots look fantastic with superb clarity and attention to detail and color. The grocery store that sits adjacent to Léon's apartment building features an abundance of colorful products in the window, and the fine detail surrounding the store on the brick façade; pavement; and even a grimy, beaten, and graffiti-laden telephone booth look marvelous. Likewise, interior shots of both Léon's and Mathilda's apartments look appropriately worn, beaten, and generally run down, with a coat of grime and various scuffs, dents, and cracks on the walls. The image also enjoys strong clarity and detail on a myriad of objects. Whether cereal boxes and milk cartons or the fine lines, ridges, and general wear on the bluing of Léon's impressive weapons collection, the transfer allows even the smallest of nuanced imagery to stand out nicely. Color reproduction is solid, too; the green leaves on Léon's prized plant are expertly and realistically rendered, as are any other number of hues throughout, from Mathilda's blue eye shadow in one scene to the pink and red color on Léon's pig-styled oven mitt. Sharpness is solid, though the image can appear slightly soft in several shots. Blacks are generally strong throughout, and flesh tones never veer too far towards either the red or ghastly ends of the spectrum. Rounded out by a moderate layer of film grain, Léon makes for another winning transfer from Sony.
Léon shoots up Blu-ray with a high-quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. While the film's themes compliment the action to perfection, it's the action itself that defines the soundtrack. Léon does feature a nicely-done mix outside the bullets; it delivers some exceptional supporting atmospherics during the somewhat ethereal opening musical number. The sounds of the city are nicely realized throughout, but they never overpower the rest of the track, instead working in conjunction with music, dialogue, and additional sound effects to create a pleasant atmosphere. Still, there's no denying that the hard-hitting action of Léon is what makes this track, and from the first action piece on, it's clear that this lossless DTS track means business. Léon's first hit on the fat man features exceptionally reproduced gunfire. Loud, aggressive, and featuring pinpoint placement of both shots and impacts in flesh and solid objects, each shot hits a target with a power and precision that accentuates the artistry of the action and the violence of the moment. Later, heavier machine gun fire and several explosions are heard and felt all around the soundstage, and explosions are delivered with a hefty rattling bass that doesn't overplay its hand. Still, much of Léon is dialogue-driven, and in that department, the soundtrack never falters. Léon makes for another well-above-average soundtrack from Sony.
Aside from the inclusion of the 109-minute theatrical version and 133-minute extended cut of the film, this Blu-ray release of Léon features only a small handful of extras. 10 Year Retrospective: Cast and Crew Look Back (480i, 25:10) is exactly as it sounds, a "virtual gathering" that sees the cast -- spread all over the world -- coming together to recall a vast amount of interesting information revolving around the world of Léon. Participants include Producer Patrice Ledoux, Actress Maiwenn, Casting Director Todd Thaler, Actor Jean Reno, Director of Photography Thierry Arbogast, Actress Natalie Portman, Costume Designer Magali Guidasci, Actor Frank Senger, Editor Sylvie Landra, Actress Ellen Greene, and Actor Michael Badalucco. Jean Reno: The Road to 'Léon' (480i, 12:25) takes a closer look at Jean Reno's performance in a challenging role, framed around the actor's history and how it prepared him to tackle the demands of the lead character in Léon. Natalie Portman: Starting Young (480i, 13:50) takes an interesting look at the film's young character and the equally young actress that portrayed her. Also included is a text-based "Fact Track" that plays over the extended version of the film; BD-Live functionality; and 1080p trailers for The Da Vinci Code, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Angels & Demons, Felon, 12, District 9, and Moon. No digital copy, on-disc or otherwise, is included.
Léon is an exceptional film on every level: thematically, emotionally, and technically. The star of the film isn't the action but rather the meaning behind it, an engrossing look at the loss of innocence, the quest for vengeance, and the search for purpose in life. Few Action films cover such a broad spectrum of emotion as Léon, and its deeper philosophical overtones are supported by a trio of exceptional performances, notably from Gary Oldman in a trademark performance, all of which accentuate the action many times over. Sony's Blu-ray release is technically solid. Both picture and sound quality are very good, and the included supplements are few in number but rather high in quality. Highly recommended.
1994
Mastered in 4K
1994
Supreme Cinema Series / Mastered in 4K
1994
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Director's Definitive Edition | Ultimate Collector's Edition
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