Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Anne Parillaud stars as La Femme Nikita (or just plain “Nikita” on the title card), a feral young heroin addict convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, before a shadowy government organization swoops in and procures her for an elite training program. Her old life is over as she is polished into a resourceful super-agent, ready to do whatever her bosses ask whenever they call, even if it means killing at a moment’s notice. It’s essentially a dual role for Ms. Parillaud and she nails both, thanks in large part to her expressive big blue eyes that exude pure joy during the calm, normal moments of her new reality but just as powerfully the fear of dying and the toll that her lies exact upon her love life.

The story is familiar territory for writer/director Luc Besson (Léon: The Professional, The Fifth Element), who gravitates toward formidable yet vulnerable female protagonists and the strangely chivalrous men who want to help, although here with a far greater focus on his reluctant heroine. The premise is solid, remade as it was as Point of No Return and later revisited as two different TV series, a recipe for intense personal drama and explosive action.

Nikita has been restored from the original camera negative for its 4K debut and we’re soon reminded of the captivating camerawork, especially throughout the beautiful European scenery. The 2.35:1 image is crisp and stable, even in scenes of smoke or mist, and the vintage grain is evident throughout. There’s an enjoyable depth and vibrancy to the colors and the detail lurking in the shadows is pleasingly resolved, as on her handler’s dark suits.

The default soundtrack is the native French 5.1, followed by the French 2.0, then the English 5.1 dub option, all in DTS-HD Master Audio. The story begins with a respectable if not epic shootout, and there’s copious surround activity as heavily armed police close in on a drugstore robbery, although the low end feels woefully clipped. Music, however, displays fine fidelity and separation, and the surround channels are routinely incorporated for smaller sonic elements and atmosphere.

The movie has available subtitles, naturally, and as a word guy, I find myself fascinated by the differences between the original dialogue, the English subtitles, and the further changes made for the English dub, ostensibly to improve the lip synch. Check it out if you have the time.

The single 4K disc arrives in a steelbook case with no HD Blu-ray, no digital copy, and it contains no extras whatsoever, not even a trailer. Quel dommage.

ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY
STUDIO: Sony, 1990
ASPECT RATIO: 2.35:1
HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, HDR10
AUDIO FORMAT: French, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
LENGTH: 117 mins., R
DIRECTOR: Luc Besson
STARRING: Anne Parillaud, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Tchéky Karyo, Jeanne Moreau, Jean Bouise, Jean Renoana