Those of you that are fans of Luc Besson's 'La Femme Nikita' were likely dissapointed by the previous disc version of the film (it seems everyone was). As you may know, Vidmark and Pioneer have released a new, remastered edition for laser disc and I finally have gotten my hands on a copy. Due to the universally negative comments about the previous disc version of this film, I never saw it so I can't offer a direct comparison, but, I can offer a few observations on this new disc.
The aspect ratio is spot on 2.35:1. I suppose that is the one thing you wanted to hear. The transfer itself is about a B+, or possibly an A-. The colors appear very accurate and nicely saturated. The image is a bit dark from time to time but this appears to be conceptual. Contrast and brightness are otherwise quite good. There is a mild haze of graininess through most of the film, but it's not noticable enough to be objectionable. The letterboxed image is shifted slightly upward in the frame making a larger matte band in the lower portion of the screen for the subtitles, which are rather small and white in color.
The audio is notable not so much for the quality (which is good) as for the creative use of the laser disc capability for multiple tracks. The digital tracks contain the original French soundtrack and the analog tracks carry an English dialog soundtrack that also happens to be full Dolby Stereo. The audio quality is noticably better on the digital tracks with better balance between the dialog, effects and music. The English tracks are eq'd a bit lower than the digital tracks and the dialog is a bit more difficult to hear and the score sounds a bit more muted and less "airy". Still, if you are like me and hate to "read" a movie, the English tracks are a welcome addition. One distraction with the dubbed soundtrack I should mention. The English dialog often deviates completely from the subtitles, particularly with the liberal use of epithets. The meanings aren't so much changed as "Americanized". Some may not like this, but I found the Enlish dialog often superior to the French translation.
All in all, a nice disc for $40 bucks.
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