DVD A convicted cop killer is sentenced to death by lethal injection. However, after the execution, Maggie awakens to discover it was staged so she can be recruited as a government assassin.
Details
When a group of drug addicts attempt to rob a chemist to fuel their next fix, a police shoot-out leaves most of them dead. One survivor - Maggie - panics when confronted by an officer and shoots him dead in cold blood. Arrested, tried and sentenced, her fate appears sealed.
The lethal injection is administered. Curtains drawn. End of story. Except it isn't. Maggie awakens to discover her execution was staged. The government has plans for her. She is offered a choice: train as a covert assassin, or the next injection will not be a rehearsal.
Under the watchful eye of her handler Bob and the icy, calculating Amanda, Maggie undergoes brutal physical and psychological training. The transformation from twitchy addict to polished operative is central to the film. A new identity is created. A new life is arranged. But freedom comes at a price - she is permanently on call.
As she attempts to build something resembling a normal life with J.P., the assignments keep coming. Each mission pulls her further from the possibility of escape, and closer to becoming exactly what the state designed her to be.
Picture & Sound
The 2.35:1 transfer is bright and colourful, though hardly reference quality. Grain is noticeable and certain scenes appear slightly washed out. Considering this was an early Region 2 release, expectations must be tempered - the encoding is serviceable rather than spectacular.
The Dolby Digital soundtrack is similarly average. There is reasonable rear-channel activity during action sequences, particularly Maggie's test assignment and the hotel explosion, but the mix relies heavily on the musical score. Dialogue is clear and well anchored in the centre channel, though the overall soundstage lacks imagination and impact.
Menu & Extras
Extras are virtually non-existent on this Region 2 disc, which is particularly frustrating when compared to the more generous Region 1 release that offered multiple presentations and additional material. Here, we are left with a bare-bones package.
Overall
This is, of course, a remake of Luc Besson's La Femme Nikita. And therein lies the problem. No matter how much Hollywood gloss is applied, this version never quite captures the raw edge or icy sensuality of the original.
Bridget Fonda delivers a respectable performance, but the magnetic presence that Anne Parillaud brought to the role is missing. Likewise, while Harvey Keitel is perfectly competent as "Victor the Cleaner," comparisons to Jean Reno are inevitable - and not entirely favourable. Reno's quiet menace remains unmatched.
That's not to say this is a bad film. Taken on its own merits, it's a solid early-90s action thriller with a strong central concept and some tense set-pieces. But as a remake, it feels diluted - slicker, safer and ultimately less memorable.
If you haven't seen La Femme Nikita, you may enjoy this perfectly well. If you have, you may find yourself wondering why you didn't just put up with subtitles instead.
Special features
- None
