The Film
Before director Luc Besson turned Liam Neeson and Scarlett Johansson into killing machines, his muse was a young Natalie Portman. This was long before Portman was an Oscar winner, back when she was just 13 -- and she was an even bigger bad-ass than the both of them put together.
That's because in Léon: The Professional, Portman plays Mathilda Lando, a cute, cigarette-smoking, Transformers-loving 12-year-old. When Mathilda is unexpectedly orphaned by corrupt DEA agents (including an especially evil Gary Oldman), she clings to neighbor/hitman Leone "Léon" Montana (Jean Reno), in order to learn the tricks of his trade and get her revenge.
This isn't a feel-good Hollywood film where the little scamp helps the bad guy become a good guy. Well, it could be seen that way. Whatever way you look at it, Léon: The Professional is a definitely classic, with a little heart, a lot of thilling moments, and several stellar performances.
The Picture
According to Sony, this re-release has been remastered for 4K. I can't say how it compares to the previous Blu-ray, which Enid Burns reviewed back in 2009. What I can say is that this is a gorgeous 2.40:1 image. Facial lines, pores, the reflection on Leon's glasses, and Mathilda's cartoony leggings all look great. There's an occasional soft scene, but it's hard to find too many faults here, especially when you consider that this is a 21-year-old film. It's very clean, the skintones are slightly warm but pretty accurate, and the detail is sharp. It's a really enjoyable version and I can't imagine that this film (or many other older films) would look much better.
The Sound
We gave the 2009 Blu-ray release 3.5 stars for the audio. Is it possible to improve upon that? Well, sure. After all, everything is better with Dolby Atmos. The dialogue is clear throughout, the soundtrack is engaging, and the action is awesome. It does have a few scenes where the soundtrack swings in from above and bullets or broken glass rains down. The final scene in the apartment building is also a standout, thanks to those height channels. Overall though, it doesn't pack the same immersive punch that you'd get from something like San Andreas or one of the newer Atmos releases. Of course, Léon: The Professional just doesn't have that type of track, but it's still pretty excellent. If you aren't equipped yet, this Blu-ray will default to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, which is still a step up over the previous 5.1 offering.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
Léon: The Professional is one of my favorite Luc Besson films. It's an intense, interesting movie that's just as enjoyable today as it was in 1994. Much of that has to do with Natalie Portman, Jean Reno, and the chemistry between the two. The Dolby Atmos makes for a nice reason to upgrade, as long as you don't expect the same immersive experience from other current Atmos releases. Otherwise, you may want to upgrade just for the video alone. It's excellent.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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