Nikita Reviews

Watch in French with subtitles on. Trust me!

This original Luc Besson version is darker and more believable than the american version with Bridget Fonda (The assassin), It must be watched in French with the subtitles on, It is worth the effort. Do not be tempted to turn the English dubbing on cos it will spoil the film. In the French language a lot more emotion and depth is convayed. The plot is good and this is a film worth a look even if you are not the 'usual' foreign film watcher.

La Femme Nikita

This is a brilliant French film, same plot used a few years later by Hollywood for'Assasin' with Bridget Fonda. This is a powerful movie and I do suggest you opt for 'French' in the audio set up as the default English language is really awful. Better to listen to the original French and read the sub-titles (that are there anyway) than to listen to the appalling dubbing with the American Accent.

Pointless movie

Dull and very dated. Can't believe it's rated so highly on this site ... oh and the lip sync / dubbing is awful

Nakita

Well I have to honest and say that I should have seen this film some time ago, perhaps before I had seen the remake 'The Assassin'.

I am a fan of Luc Besson direction, my favourite is Leon, but I have to say that I was not entirely happy with this film. As I have said, I have seen the remake 'The Assassin' directed by John Badham and unusually I think it is better. The films are very similar, but I felt that the remake 'The Assassin' worked better. Obviously it has a better cast list, but it has not gone too 'Hollywood' in it's direction. Luc Besson's original version, Nakita, has aged over time and the scenes appear a bit abrupt, thus the flow of the film in my opinion suffers. I am glad I have watched both and suggest you all do as well, after all an opinion is only 'A' opinion.

French Classic

If your too afraid of foreign films, then NIKITA will hopefully change your mind and improve your french!

From the start of a horrific gun battle to the retraining of a violent individual who comes out as the heroine in the film, you sometimes wonder if this is how the French government trains & selects it's assasins?

The remake with Bridget Fonda was good, but this is so much better with the original soundtrack, direction of a little known LUC BESSON (the Big Blue; The 5th Element..) who grabs you by the shoulders and pushes you into this film as an observer to watch how a Violent woman, is retrained as a government assasin and learns how to deal with her emotions as a trained killer.

The weapons are beautifully shiny and state of the art in their appearance, the location shooting is set all over France & Italy.

You fall in love with the trained killer and want her to succeed in everything she does including the love for a guy she meets at a supermarket checkout who gives her the strength to get through each day.

Then we are introduced to a new character from the French Underworld that you'll instantly recognise, if you are a BESSON fan, who'll up the ante of the action in the film right towards the end.

You'll get used to the subtitles in seconds ( if you want them) the English dubbing is very good, but for the full effect watch it in the original form it was shot in, and switch your mobile off. Tres Bien!!

Besson delivers

As with all of Luc Besson films, from the stunningly unique 'Subway' to the futuristic 'Fifth Element', style comes before substance. The man himself doesn't shy away from it and his films are openly shallow, but if his plots loose their way the audience rarely cares because they are having such a great time admiring the beauty of the piece.

And beautiful this film is, from the dim insanity of the opening shoot out, to the ultra bright lights and sterilised rooms of the government hold Nikita finds herself him.

But Besson always creates wonderful emotion with him characters and there are plenty of absorbing and tearful moments that the actors carry off perfectly to increase the audience absorbed in the film.

A wonderful couple of hours will be had here, even if you have to have a number of strong drinks to recover from the ride.

This is the one to watch. Keep away from the dreadful remake with Bridgit Fonda in The Assassins.

Test of time

A total classic and so influential, but has it stood the test of time?

Tres bien

Seen it before, but still good, watched in french with subtitles on, much better than dubbed. And its got Jean Reno in it.

Scary, shocking, thrilling and sexy

This film is by far the most scary, shocking and thrilling film I've ever seen. Only the French could conceive of such a peverse plan.

Nikita is a hard boiled drop out and cop killer, forced into a 'James Bond' school of hired assassins. Faced with the options, she chooses to tow the line, and gradually the wild cat is tamed before being unleased on the world.

Shocking and touching by turns, this is definately in my top ten films ever made, and I'll never think of my 'cleaner' in the same way again.

Besson went on to take his hired hit-man (Jean Reno) to make an English speaking (US) film 'Leon'. If you can't face the sub-titles, catch Leon instead. Another terrific film although not as hard hitting.