Interview Jean Reno lasts 6:44, and Interview Eric Serra lasts 10:03 and these two featurettes are in HD. While most of the interior footage was shot in France, the rest of the film was shot on location in New York City.

There’s a safety in the realisation that Leon is unable to pose any kind of threat to a 12 year old child. The cinematography is wonderful, and he presents a vision of New York, in terms of colour and composition that we rarely see in films set in that city. The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, Dog Day Afternoon, Goodfellas; all films that I haven’t seen. In that case, you’re likely wondering just why this new release of a 25-year-old film would be worth your time.In 2011, director Olivier Megaton told reporters that he and Besson used the script for Mathilda as the basis for Colombiana, a film about a young cleaner played by Zoe Saldaña.

The surround track is vibrant and effective, keeping the dialogue clear throughout, while emphasising the action, making for an immersive presentation.The plot centers on Léon (Reno), a professional hitman who reluctantly takes in twelve-year-old Mathilda Lando (Portman) after her family are murdered by corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration agent Norman Stansfield (Oldman). She’s out getting groceries the day the crooked DEA agents pay her father a visit, looking for some missing dope, and wind up killing her family.

format in the audio menu, but the rest of the extras are conventionally in the extras menu, and it looks like they are taken from previous releases.Little girls with guns is a oft-repeated trope in anime, and in the years since Leon came out, I have seen shows like Gunslinger Girl, and Phantom Requiem for the Phantom, which I now realise cribbed liberally from Leon when it comes to imagery and character. But don’t just simply label Leon as a gun-toting actioner, for Luc Besson crafted something utterly beautiful with this ’94 offering as he explored the relationship and burgeoning bond between the movie’s two protagonists. Hal Hinson, of The Washington Post, also praised Oldman's acting, saying "Reno plays it minimally; Oldman splatters his performance all over the screen. Leon is presented as the Director’s Cut in this release, running to 132:45, but you can also play the Theatrical Version from the main menu which lasts 110:09. That’s because Leon is a hitman, and getting on the authorities’ radar, even crooked authorities isn’t in his interest.

Besson on: His promise to make only 10 films, Working with Natalie Portman, Jacques Mayol, directing". For those 4K hounds who are looking to expand their collection with a cleaned-up piece of iconic filmmaking, this new release of Leon looks nothing short of stunning. There is an extended version of the film, referred to as "international version", " version longue", or " version intégrale".

Léon, after discovering her plan in a note left for him, rescues Mathilda, killing two more of Stansfield's men in the process. The image quality of this Blu-ray is astounding, and if the audio glitch is confined to the check disc, then this is another must own release. Léon: The Professional [a] is a 1994 English-language French action-thriller film [6] [7] [8] [9] written and directed by Luc Besson. Whether you’re rewatching the movie for the hundredth time or checking Leon out with fresh eyes, the film is a classic that still holds up just as a well in 2019 as it did back in 1994.