The Assassin
1993
In a grim future America, Maggie (Bridget Fonda), a beautiful young street punk, is about to be executed for killing a cop during a robbery, and is given the choice between death or becoming a government assassin. She accepts the latter and is trained in all manner of martial (and feminine) arts. She ably carries out her deadly .. Read more
| Starring | Bridget Fonda, Gabriel Byrne, Harvey Keitel, Dermot Mulroney |
|---|---|
| Director | John Badham |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Romance, Thriller |
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The Assassin
In a grim future America, Maggie (Bridget Fonda), a beautiful young street punk, is about to be executed for killing a cop during a robbery, and is given the choice between death or becoming a government assassin. She accepts the latter and is trained in all manner of martial (and feminine) arts. She ably carries out her deadly assignments, and is groomed to become a powerful killer. Maggie is given a new identity, becomes the seductive Claudia, and is sent to Venice, California, where she begins her new life. But the training takes only too well: the formerly amoral murderess proceeds to fall in love with a photographer (Dermot Mulroney) and develop a conscience. Now she wants out, but the government isn't about to let her go without a fight. Director John Badham's remake of French director Luc Besson's LA FEMME NIKITA is a stylish and thrilling adaptation, featuring a solid performance from Bridget Fonda.
| Starring | Bridget Fonda, Gabriel Byrne, Harvey Keitel, Dermot Mulroney, Anne Bancroft |
|---|---|
| Director | John Badham |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 44 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 48 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Feisty Females |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Romance, Thriller |
| Language | DVD: English Blu-ray: English |
| Dubbed | French, Italian |
| Hearing-impaired | English, Italian |
| Subtitles | DVD: Arabic, Dutch, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish |
| Released | DVD: 24 May 1999 Blu-ray: 11 May 2009 Production year: 1993 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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Another example of Hollywood's unfortunate tendency to take fine Continental fare and rework it into sensationalist pap. The original by French director Luc Besson, called Nikita and starring the luminous Anne Parillaud, was a throbbing, stylish look at a convicted murderess who receives secret government training as a hired gun. Remade here with a plodding hand by John Badham and featuring a seemingly ill-at-ease Bridget Fonda, what was once witty, if somewhat vacuous, entertainment has been reduced to a series of one-dimensional thrills. There's a fine supporting cast that includes Gabriel Byrne and Harvey Keitel, but this still ends up as a rather gutless piece.
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Bland Hollywood remake of Luc Besson's Nikita: Fonda plays Maggie, a junkie who kills a cop and is offered the choice... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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8 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Great movie - get it!
If you like great thrilles without meaningless bloodbath rent this out!
Exciting story all along with feelings and real meaning. Brigit Fonda is great in this move - and it is not girly! My husband loved it too! -
Most recent members' review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Dated and weak
I guess when this came out 15 years ago it was a reasonably watchable action thriller. Watched in 2008 it is feels dated and weak - the music is very 80's (and not in a good retro way), the whole style and cinematography feels painfully dated, and there are lines, and entire scenes, that must have been a cliche in their day but are unbearable to watch now - a 'falling in love' montage complete with running along pavements, taking photos at the beach, and rolling around in bed, and no tongues anywhere near their cheeks. Unlike other films of this age neither the plot nor the acting are really good enough to rescue this film. I sat through to the end, in case it improved, but it didn't, and I wish I hadn't.
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News and features
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There's only one Michael Caine
- 01 Nov 2004
Movie fans have slammed Sly Stallone's attempt to put his own spin on Get Carter. A poll by DVD rental firm selectscreen.co.uk found that the 2000 reworking of the 1970s classic was the worst remake of all time. Stallone's ill-fated project was closely followed by the 1998 remake of Psycho and this summer's blockbuster, Thunderbirds. Alfie, another Caine classic, came in at number six. British actor Jude Law takes the lead in the 21st century version, which is at cinemas now. "It proves... Read more
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