A Few Words About A few words about...™ Leon: The Professional -- in 4k UHD Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Luc Besson's Leon The Professional, is one of my favorite films of the 1990s. Far more than a simple crime drama, it's one of the strangest "buddy" pictures ever devised.

Starring a superb Jean Reno, and a kid who I thought gave a terrific performance for her age, it's a taught tale, that goes places we may not have expected.

Released numerous times by Sony over the past couple of decades, it arrives on 4k, with a delicate layer of HDR, and the addition of an equally delicate Dolby Atmos track, adding height channels.

Derived from a 4k scan performed in France from the OCN, the resultant Blu-ray UHD is perfect in every respect. The colors, densities, black levels, shadow detail are up to Sony / Columbia quality, and along with a wonderfully velvet, grain structure, gives the appearance of viewing a new 35mm print on a small screen.

4k quality throughout the line, from beginning to end, The Professional is yet another reason to make the move to 4k.

A glorious release.

Image - 5

Audio - 5 (Dolby Atmos)

Pass / Fail - Pass

Highly Recommended

RAH

 

[Mike2001]

Robert, Thanks for the review. Just curious - do you watch on your panel or on your projector now? Do you prefer one over the other?

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

Deleted OP updated

 

[Robert Harris]

Hmmm DTS X really? Kind of surprised since the Sony Supreme Series BLU release contained a Dolby Atmos track. I wonder which audio track is best?

No. Not really. That's what happens when you take phone calls while writing notes on two different 4k releases.

Apologies for the correction, and good catch!

As DTS:X v Atmos, I've never had the opportunity to compare the two for the same project. My general feeling is that while both can fill the stage beautifully, that Atmos is more pin-pointed in its control, and is my personal preference. Similar situation to the two 7.1 variants. As I understand it, those playing a Dolby 7.1 in 5.1, merely lose discreet side channels, while DTS collapses the audio.

The Professional is the one with the cute little digital creatures, right?

 

[Robert Harris]

Robert, Thanks for the review. Just curious - do you watch on your panel or on your projector now? Do you prefer one over the other?

I generally view in projection, and double check on the panel, if I feel that something isn't meeting specs.

I feel that the panel gives me a superior image, but limited in size. I'm also not using a full array speaker system with the panel, but rather decoded L-C-R, with neither surrounds nor a sub.

 

[DavidMiller]

Fantastic to hear I just pre-ordered it yesterday!

 

[B-ROLL]

The Professional is the one with the cute little digital creatures, right?

Meesa thinka thatsa correct

 

[Robert Harris]

Meesa thinka thatsa correct

The one next to the bug-eye sprite looks like the kid.

 

[Michel_Hafner]

Coming months will be expensive with all the must have Sony UHD titles: Leon, Fifth Element, Dracula, Bridge, Close Encounters, Trainspotting 2...

 

[DavidMiller]

Coming months will be expensive with all the must have Sony UHD titles: Leon, Fifth Element, Dracula, Bridge, Close Encounters, Trainspotting 2...

Yeah, Just a 45 day window looks insanely expensive...

Blade Runner (1982) - Warner Bros 09/05/17
The Cabin In The Woods - Lionsgate 09/05/17
The Legend of Hercules (2014) - Lionsgate 09/05/17
Conan The Barbarian (2011) - Lionsgate 09/05/17
Red / Red 2 - Lionsgate 09/05/17
Minions - Universal 09/05/17
ET: The Extra Terrestrial - Universal 09/12/17
Split - Universal 09/12/17
Get Out - Universal 09/12/17
Dracula: Untold - Universal 09/12/17
Van Helsing - Universal 09/12/17
Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - Disney 09/12/17
Starship Troopers - Sony 09/19/17
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Sony 09/19/17
Bram Stoker’s Dracula - Sony 09/26/17
Harry Potter: Sorcerer's Stone - Warner Brothers 10/03/17
Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets - Warner Brothers 10/03/17
Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban - Warner Brothers 10/03/17
Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire - Warner Brothers 10/03/17
Terminator 2: Judgement Day 10/03/17
Batman Begins - Warner Bros 10/17/17
The Dark Knight - Warner Bros 10/17/17
The Dark Knight Rises - Warner Bros 10/17/17
Dunkirk - Warner Bros 10/17/17
Inception - Warner Bros 10/17/17
Interstellar - Warner Bros 10/17/17

 

[AnthonyClarke]

Leon the Professional and Starship Troopers ... both compulsory.
Starship Troopers is changed wildly from the novel (a great Heinlein title, one of my favourite writers from the Golden Age, alongside A E Van Vogt and Gordon R Dickson et al) but is wonderful in its own wacky way.

 

[Carlo_M]

I wonder if they'll have the variable aspect ratio version of The Dark Knight, and if so, if they'll fix the edge-enhancement/ringing that was present in the original Blu-Ray. That film is one of my all-time favorites and it deserves AAA+ treatment on 4K.

On topic: I've preordered Leon on 4K. Really looking forward to this and The Fifth Element in 4K next week!

 

[Tino]

Yeah, Just a 45 day window looks insanely expensive...

Blade Runner (1982) - Warner Bros 09/05/17
The Cabin In The Woods - Lionsgate 09/05/17
The Legend of Hercules (2014) - Lionsgate 09/05/17
Conan The Barbarian (2011) - Lionsgate 09/05/17
Red / Red 2 - Lionsgate 09/05/17
Minions - Universal 09/05/17
ET: The Extra Terrestrial - Universal 09/12/17
Split - Universal 09/12/17
Get Out - Universal 09/12/17
Dracula: Untold - Universal 09/12/17
Van Helsing - Universal 09/12/17
Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - Disney 09/12/17
Starship Troopers - Sony 09/19/17
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Sony 09/19/17
Bram Stoker’s Dracula - Sony 09/26/17
Harry Potter: Sorcerer's Stone - Warner Brothers 10/03/17
Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets - Warner Brothers 10/03/17
Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban - Warner Brothers 10/03/17
Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire - Warner Brothers 10/03/17
Terminator 2: Judgement Day 10/03/17
Batman Begins - Warner Bros 10/17/17
The Dark Knight - Warner Bros 10/17/17
The Dark Knight Rises - Warner Bros 10/17/17
Dunkirk - Warner Bros 10/17/17
Inception - Warner Bros 10/17/17
Interstellar - Warner Bros 10/17/17

What is the source of this list?

 

[Ashly Yeo]

What is the source of this list?

It's in another thread on this forum but here is the link to the source http://www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/070517-0800

 

[DavidMiller]

I have my sources to just like everyone. I have some industry friends that have a facebook group. The list came from there.

 

[Tino]

I have my sources to just like everyone. I have some industry friends that have a facebook group. The list came from there.

So this is not a studio confirmed list then? It's speculation correct?

 

[Tino]

It's in another thread on this forum but here is the link to the source http://www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/070517-0800

Thanks.
Again mostly unconfirmed speculation..which is fine. From the article:

Please keep in mind that TBA titles and dates are ESTIMATES based on best-available information from sources and are NOT to be considered official until the studios in question make their respective announcements.

 

[DavidMiller]

So this is not a studio confirmed list then? It's speculation correct?

Probably, sorry I won't share that kind of stuff anymore.

 

[Tino]

No need to be sorry. I was just curious what the source was.

 

[Michael Osadciw]

Conan the Barbarian 2011? Sigh. You got me excited there for the 1982 version. I'm hoping for Universal to give Conan 1982 a great 4K treatment and restore the botched soundtrack audio present on the Blu-ray (Riders of Doom).

This film's score by Poledouris is one of my favourite. Add to my remaster wishlist the film's score to have the same resolution and dynamics as what's on the CD.