Leon and The Fifth Element

Since 1999, Luc Besson's contributions to the world of cinema have been exclusively comprised of writer and/or producer credits. Perhaps this is due to the failure of his last directorial effort, the Milla Jovovich vehicle, The Messenger. Or perhaps it's just because he doesn't want to repeat himself. Since 1999, many of the films he's shepherded to the screen involve reclusive European hit men, insurmountably villainous adversaries, and death-defying action sequences (think Kiss of the Dragon, The Transporter, and the upcoming Unleashed). But whatever his apprehensions are about returning to the director's chair, the re-release of Leon (formerly The Professional) and The Fifth Element proves that his legacy is already completely assured.

At the time of its theatrical run, The Professional was an unknown quantity among American moviegoers and quickly disappeared amidst the heavyweight releases of the holiday season (with a paltry $19 million in domestic receipts). Later rediscovered on home video and reconstructed to include footage deemed too racy for American audiences (most involving the furtive romance between Leon and Mathilde), the rechristened Leon (the director's preferred title) went on to achieve cult fame amongst in-the-know action fans.

In addition to Sony's superlative "Superbit" presentation, the movie disc features both Dolby Digital and DTS audio tracks, subtitles in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French (of course), as well as a "fact track."

The second disc boasts three featurettes, some scattered previews (none for Leon) and not much else. While the majority of these features are basic, industry-standard addenda for pretty much all DVDs, the fact track is a welcome addition that deserves implementation across the entire medium. Rather than attaching a cloying commentary track -- which, due to Besson's French patois, might have been indecipherable anyway -- the DVD producers assemble various tidbits of behind-the-scenes information and present it "Pop-Up Video" style, across the frame as the action unspools. What the audience gets is a full filmgoing experience but with the added benefit of after-the-fact perspective. This feature provides the edge that makes this version preferable to previous DVD incarnations.

While Leon suffers from a dearth of extras, particularly for an anniversary edition, The Fifth Element more than compensates. The "Ultimate Edition" combines previous releases of the film -- that is, the bonus-less "Superbit" version and the virtually bonus-less regular version -- and adds more than two hours of extras. The effects, the creatures, the characters, the costumes, and the action are all explored in voluptuous detail. There's test footage, behind-the-scenes materials, and interviews with everyone...except Besson (perhaps that pesky language barrier proved a problem again).

Besson is clearly a child at heart and these films reflect a perennial adolescence that few filmmakers ever dare reveal. Further, they suggest that a little more optimism and wonder -- both as filmmakers and audience members -- is what movies need more of these days. The Fifth Element and Leon are both classics and provide a streak of adolescent creativity that will sustain their genres through countless imitations, re-makes and rip-offs.

So toss out those old versions, head down to your local retailer, and pick up these magnificent new versions. -- Todd Gilchrist