The Luc Besson Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Luc Besson Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown November 23, 2025

Just in time for holiday shopping and potentially ideal for those French alt-genre film-fans in your family or friend group comes the Luc Besson 9-Film Collection from Sony, which offers six of the controversial filmmaker's movies on 4K UltraHD with Dolby Atmos tracks and three additional flicks on standard Blu-ray with DTS-HD Master Audio. Besson has a messy, I'll just call it "icky" personal past (a word that feels generous), but for those who can separate art from an artist's alleged and/or admitted misdeeds, this box set makes for a solid albeit flawed gift. The films included in the collection are black-and-white post-apocalyptic drama Le Dernier Combat (The Last Battle, 1983), stylized crime dramedy Subway (1985), theatrical and director's cuts of off-kilter romance The Big Blue (1998), proto-Wick assassin thriller Le Femme Nikita (1990), underwater documentary Atlantis (1991), theatrical and extended versions of the beloved, fan-favorite Leon: The Professional (1994), zany '90s sci-fi epic The Fifth Element (1997), domestic and international cuts of underrated historical biopic The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), and visually striking supernatural noir Angela-A (2005).

A quick overview of the set's less-than-exciting features? A handful of video transfers are minted from upstanding but older masters, some discs are rather light on supplemental material, and the box itself, though quite attractive at a glance, has a small quality issue that traces back to a slightly problematic design. More details can be found in the corresponding sections below, though there isn't anything at all that I'd call a deal-breaker.

"There are two things that are infinite: femininity and the means to take advantage of it." -- La Femme Nikita

"He killed her. One shot to the head. They kept him in jail for two days. They let him go free. They said it was an accident. So, one night I waited for him. 500 feet with a lens. He also had an accident... The rifle is the first weapon you learn how to use, because it lets you keep your distance from the client. The closer you get to being a pro, the closer you can get to the client. The knife, for example, is the last thing you learn." -- Leon: The Professional

"I hate warriors, too narrow-minded. I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. Now a real killer, when he picked up the ZF-1, would've immediately asked about the little red button on the bottom of the gun." -- The Fifth Element

Click on the following links to read each film's full movie review:

• The Last Battle - Dr. Svet Atanasov, 4.5/5.0


The Last Battle, which was initially distributed in the U.S. under its French title, Le dernier combat, is about a mute man trying to survive a post-apocalyptic world. After crashing a mini-plane of his own construction into the busy business district of a large metropolis, he meets a small group of men that have settled in front of a junkyard granting access to an underground storage facility. The group has a leader (Fritz Wepper) who likes to cut off the fingers of anyone that dares to question his authority. He also likes his 'toy' (Maurice Lamy), a weird looking man with a helmet and a pair of diving glasses, whom he has locked in the trunk of an old car. Eventually the man from the mini-plane ends up in an abandoned hospital where he is seriously hurt by another loner (Jean Reno) and saved by a freaky doctor (Jean Bouise) who has been dodging Reno's loner for a while. The two become friends and the doctor shows him something he has never seen before: a woman locked in a cell (Petra Müller)...


• Subway - Dr. Svet Atanasov, 4.5/5.0


Fred (Christopher Lambert), a thief who makes ends meet in the Metro, has stolen some important documents from Helena (Isabelle Adjani), a beautiful young woman married to a rich but exceptionally obnoxious businessman (Constantin Alexandrov). Hoping to finally get rich and walk away from his risky profession, Fred instructs Helena to meet him in the Metro, where he will give her back the documents in exchange for a substantial sum of money. However, when Helena arrives at the meeting spot, Fred runs away because another of his victims, accompanied by his goons, unexpectedly appears. While hiding in the Metro, Fred befriends several strange characters (Jean-Hugues Anglade, Richard Bohringer, Jean Reno and Christian Gomba). He also meets Batman (Jean-Pierre Bacri) and Robin (Jean-Claude Lecas), two crazy cops on a mission to nab the Anglade's thief, "Roller Skater"...


• The Big Blue - Dr. Svet Atanasov, 4.5/5.0


Le grand bleu tells the story of Jacques (Jean-Marc Barr) and Enzo (Jean Reno), two childhood friends who have not seen each other for more than twenty years. Both love the sea. Both used to dive together. Now, Enzo is living in Sicily, where he has been the undisputed free diving world champion for six years. Jacques lives somewhere in the Peruvian Andes, where he has found a job at a remote research station. Enzo asks Jacques to come to Sicily, where the next diving competition is going to take place. Jacques agrees and arrives accompanied by his new girlfriend, Johana (Rosanna Arquette), an insurance agent from New York City. Soon, the two friends begin challenging each other - first above water, then below...


• La Femme Nikita - Dr. Svet Atanasov, 4.0/5.0


Convicted French felon Nikita (Anne Parillaud) narrowly avoids prison when a secret government organization fakes her death and gives her a chance at a new life and identity. Trained as an elite assassin, she transforms from feral street urchin to icy femme fatale, quickly taking to all the skills necessary to impress her handler Bob (Tchéky Karyo) and mentor Amande (Jeanne Moreau). But once she's back in the real world, where a mission can interrupt any moment, she begins to realize she may not be able to juggle a lover (Jean-Hugues Anglade) and the dangerous requirements of her job. Written and directed by Besson with cinematography by Thierry Arbogast, the film also stars Jean Reno (as "Victor the Cleaner," not as Leon from The Professional), Jacques Boudet, Philippe Leroy and Jean Bouise...


• Atlantis - Ken Brown, 3.0/5.0


Though it may not be clear from the rest of his filmography beyond The Big Blue, one of Besson's deepest passions is the ocean. Teeming with life, its watery depths hide visions unseen by most of the walking world, available only to those willing to brave a trip beneath the waves. This "Marine Opera" (as Besson describes it) captures the diversity, breadth and wonder of Earth's underwater life from locations far and wide including the Seychelles, the Arctic, the Red Sea and the Great Barrier Reef...


• Leon: The Professional - Martin Liebman, 4.5/5.0


Hitman Léon (Jean Reno) is the best in the business, a true professional, taking out his targets with stealth and deadly efficiency. His next door neighbor is a young girl named Mathilda (Natalie Portman) who lives a life of abuse at the hands of her detached and uncaring parents. When her family is murdered by a gang led by a man named Stansfield (Gary Oldman) as part of a drug deal gone bad, Léon reluctantly takes her in and soon finds himself with more than he bargained for. Mathilda wants Léon to teach her how to be a "cleaner," or hitman, so she can exact her revenge on Stansfield for the murder of her innocent four-year-old brother. Léon reluctantly agrees but soon finds that Mathilda sees him as more than a mentor and father figure, complicating both their relationship and her drive for vengeance that Léon himself cannot ignore...


• The Fifth Element - Ben Williams, 4.5/5.0


Besson's hero is Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), a former soldier who is reluctantly recruited into a half-baked attempt at protecting the Earth from an alien attack while kicking ass and taking names along the way. On the edge of our solar system, a mysterious entity has joined forces with the evil Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman), a corrupt industrialist who sounds eerily like Ross Perot, in a plot to destroy the planet. Only the mysterious Fifth Element can save the Earth from impending doom. Dallas will have to team up with an eccentric cast of characters including Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), a nonsense-talking runaway with a secretive past, and Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker), an effeminate, hyperactive, intergalactic talk-show host who never shuts up...


• The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc - Dr. Svet Atanasov, 2.0/5.0


One of Besson's most ambitious films follows a young Joan (Jane Valentine) as she witnesses the ravaging of her village by the British and the rape of her sister, which consequently leads her to controversial visions of God. The film then skips forward to Charles VII and his decision to let Joan (Milla Jovovich) lead his armies against the British in Orléans and, eventually, the notorious trial leading to her burning at the stake...


• Angel-A - Dr. Svet Atanasov, 4.0/5.0


Jamel Debbouze plays André, a small-time criminal who lives in Paris and has less than twenty-four hours to repay some old debts. André quickly attempts to get help from the American embassy - as a "green card" holder - and then turns himself in at a local police department, but is unceremoniously thrown back onto the streets. Depressed and terrified, he heads to a bridge to commit suicide. Right before he jumps off, André sees a beautiful woman (Rie Rasmussen). She jumps, and so does he. André saves her life and she immediately vows to help him with his debts. At first, he doesn't believe her, but after a few quick stunts, he changes his mind. The two become friends and eventually fall in love. But the woman has a secret; one that would hurt André enormously...

The Luc Besson Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

• The Last Battle - 4.0/5.0
• Subway 4K - 5.0/5.0
• The Big Blue 4K - 4.5/5.0
• La Femme Nikita 4K - 5.0/5.0
• Atlantis - 3.5/5.0
• Leon: The Professional 4K - 5.0/5.0
• The Fifth Element 4K - 4.5/5.0
• The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc 4K - 5.0/5.0
• Angel-A - 3.0/5.0

The Luc Besson Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

• The Last Battle - 3.5/5.0
• Subway 4K - 5.0/5.0
• The Big Blue 4K - 4.0/5.0
• La Femme Nikita 4K - 4.5/5.0
• Atlantis - 4.0/5.0
• Leon: The Professional 4K - 5.0/5.0
• The Fifth Element 4K - 5.0/5.0
• The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc 4K - 5.0/5.0
• Angel-A - 4.0/5.0

The Luc Besson Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Luc Besson 9-Film Collection box set is a striking one. But... let's talk construction. Housed in a large glossy cardboard box, the bright, eye-catching release presents its nine standard, slipcovered Blu-ray/4K cases at a comfortable angle which allows for easy display and removal. The artwork on the exterior is certainly attractive, and the stripes of color representing each film does draw attention. However, the hinge area of the flip-style lid is quite flimsy and easy to tear or damage, and probably won't withstand much in the way of frequent use. Forum users have also reported everything from scuffed discs to dirty slipcovers and other manufacturing issues, so be sure to thoroughly check your set and swap it for a new box if anything is out of sorts. Thus far Amazon and other retailers continue to be very helpful in these matters. Extras include:

• The Last Battle - No supplemental material
• Subway - Making-of Documentary, Interviews with Cast and Crew, and more
• The Big Blue - Director's Cut of the Film, Making-of Documentary, Interviews and more
• La Femme Nikita - Making-of Featurette, Interviews and more
• Atlantis - Theatrical Trailer
• Leon: The Professional - Extended Cut, Interviews and more
• The Fifth Element - Making-of Featurette, Other Featurettes, Bloopers and more
• The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc - International Cut, Featurettes, Interviews and more
• Angel-A - Making-of Featurette and Theatrical Trailer

The Luc Besson Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The big question. The only question. The real question: at the end of the day, is it worth the price? If you're a fan of Luc Besson's films, especially his classics, then I'd say the answer is a resounding yes. The 9-film box set and its 4K and Blu-ray releases have a few issues, but nothing that should stop anyone from diving in. The video transfers are almost entirely strong, the audio presentations land wonderfully, and there's enough supplemental content to keep you busy for days. Enjoy.