Professional, The (aka Leon) (US)

9 / 10
3 votes cast
Rate this item

From the Director of `La Femme Nikita`
Certificate: R
Running Time: 110 mins
Retail Price: $27.95
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie

Synopsis:
The Professional is a go-for-broke thriller about a professional assassin whose work becomes dangerously personal.

Calling himself a "cleaner," the mysterious Leon is New York`s top hit man. When his next-door neighbors are murdered, Leon becomes the unwilling guardian of the family`s sole survivor- 12-year-old Mathilda. But Mathilda doesn`t just want protection; she wants revenge. Training her in the deadly tricks of his trade, Leon helps her track the psychotic agent who murdered her family.

From the electrifying opening to the fatal finale, The Professional is a non-stop crescendo of action, suspense, and surprises.

Special Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Trailer

Video Tracks:
Widescreen Letterbox 2.35:1

Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 French
Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 Spanish

Subtitle Tracks:
French
English
Spanish

Directed By:
Luc Besson

Written By:
Luc Besson

Starring:
Danny Aiello
Natalie Portman
Gary Oldman
Jean Reno

Casting By:
Todd M. Thaler

Soundtrack By:
Eric Serra

Director of Photography:
Thierry Arbogast

Editor:
Sylvie Landra

Costume Designer:
Magali Guidasci

Production Designer:
Dan Weil

Producer:
Bernard Grenet
Luc Besson

Executive Producer:
Claude Besson

Distributor:
Columbia / Tristar

Your Opinions and Comments

10 / 10

Ok, I`m going to start this review with a probably contentious statement. *cough* here goes.. In my opinion, this is the greatest film ever made. If you want me to justify that in words, I cant. You have to feel this film, you have to sit there and take it all in. In fact, the more you watch it, the more detail you absorb - it just keeps giving!

The story goes like this, Léon, a professional killer (Jean Reno) takes into his care Mathilda (Natalie Portman), a young girl whose family is brutally murdered in the apartment next door by drugs cop gone-bad Norman "Stan" Stansfield (Gary Oldman). Mathilda discovers Léon`s profession and begs for him to train her to become a killer too, so she may avenge her family. There is more, and if you can get hold of the non-US-sanitised director`s cut (known as the `Integral` version) you will experience much more.

DVD wise, all we have in the way of specials is a trailer, and a Fifth Element trailer, but when you have a film this good, who needs them?

posted by pete the gremlin on 30/4/2000 20:25

8 / 10

Up there with the best, veiwing the Intergral version is a must....captivating. I just love the work of Besson, La Femme Nikita being the one I like best, unfortunatley I don`t speak French, so I have to have subs on, which after listening to the Dub it`s a damn good reason for subs being on.....

posted by Acid Puppy on 1/1/2001 20:35

8 / 10

Great movie, Natalie Portman`s first film. Spend the extra 5-10 bucks and buy Leon:the integral director`s cut instead of this bare bones edition.

posted by 72297 on 29/9/2001 06:21