Rating: 
Summary: Sooo glad to see this on DVD--more seasons, please!!!!!!!!
Review: If anyone has any doubts about buying a box set of television episodes on DVD (and I had mine), they have been put to rest. This was my first such purchase and this show was a favorite of mine so I am glad I bought this DVD set. I have all the episodes on tape and have seen them many times but the DVD package is outstanding. I have seen details and nuances of the episodes I didn't see on first viewing. Kudos to those who brought these episodes to DVD.
You don't have to be a fan of the show. This show was buried on the USA Network and didn't receive the recognition it deserved but I believe that added to its charm. It wasn't mainstream and this opened the door for it to develop the cult following it enjoys today. I enjoyed the French movie of the same name but if you expect there to be similarities between the show and the movie, forget it! The world of Section One is more ruthless and deadly. The comparisons to Alias and "24" aren't valid. The heroine in Alias isn't a strong enough female action hero and the world she lives in is too black and white. La Femme Nikita also had a harder edge to it than Alias. Alias is too lightweight. Nikita's world was colored in shades of gray and the superiors in Section One were just as ruthless as the terrorists they fought every week! In "24" the terrorism seems more like a "B" story than the main plotline. The main plotlines of "24" deal with political intrigue. Terrorist storylines are interwoven into the political intrigue in "24" but it isn't the main storyline as it was in La Femme Nikita. It also isn't fair to compare Nikita to other kick-ass heroines, i.e., Buffy, Xena or Sydney in Alias. Buffy fights in a world populated by fictional vampires, Xena is a warrior princess and Sydney was recruited for the secret organization she works for. Nikita was not recruited she was forced to join Section One. She was largely a soldier fighting the war against terrorism. Amazingly enough, this show came out before 9/11 and the theme largely running through the show is fighting the terrorists just as ruthlessly as the terrorist wages war on the unprotected population. In Nikita's world, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. A few must be sacrificed sometimes in the war against terrorism. As with many DVD sets, there were a number of extras. Strangely enough, as interesting as it was to hear from the creators Joel Surnow (Executive Consultant), Robert Cochran and Jon Cassar, the audio commentary they all provided during the first episode "Nikita" was distracting. This feature however, can be turned off so that you can enjoy the episode. I turned it on just to hear the commentary and it drove me crazy! They talked incessantly throughout the episode. Also, during the final episode "Mercy" Joel Surnow alone did commentary for that episode and he even put in a plug for his then new series he was working on "24"! I thought this was a tiny bit tacky but then both shows were his creation so perhaps it wasn't so much a shameless plug but maybe pride that he had another creative project on the horizon. Whatever... The deleted scenes were very interesting and only three of the actors (Peta Wilson, Roy Dupuis and Eugene Robert Glazer) were interviewed for this box set. It certainly will be nice to hear from the others for the future seasons, that will hopefully also be released.
Rating:
Summary: UNBELIEVABLY OUTSTANDING!!!
Review: I'm not sure if there are enough words to describe this incredible show. The cast is superb and I couldn't imagine any other actor in each of the character roles. They were all the perfect actors in the perfect roles, especially the two leads: Peta Wilson and Roy Dupuis. Peta is gorgeous, stunning, emotional, and completely believable. Her talent is raw. She accurately illustrates her character Nikita's angst, desperation, and frustration about being forced to live in section one - the agency that supposedly enforces the greater good in an uncivilized and evil world. Roy's character Michael as Nikita's mentor and possibly something more, is handsome, sexy, and very mysterious. We never know what he's thinking or what his motives are. Roy is the perfect actor to play this role - his character is very laconic, yet he compensates for it in his eyes. His eyes say more than words ever could. He literally says so much while saying so little, yet he still remains an enigma. That is incredible acting! The entire cast is outstanding, attractive, and provocative and all their hard work really shows through in the show. This is the type of show that draws you in so much you almost forget you are watching tv - it seems very real at times. And it is extremely provocative. It vicariously addresses many moral issues, while appearing to be only about terrorism, espionage, and almost non-stop action and drama. There are many moral issues hiding underneath each show's plot, which really make you think. For example, is it right to kill 10 people to save the lives of 11? This show covertly addresses many such issues while still remaining entertaining and dramatic. The costumes are also excellent and show an eclectic assortment of attire and hairstyles, most notably in the show's star, Peta Wilson. She has a plethora of various styles throughout the season, yet they all coincide with who her character is. Whoever chose the costuming for this show did an excellent job. Not only is the show thrilling, but the extras are as well. There are nine deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes look at La Femme Nikita with interviews of the cast and crew, two commentaries overlapping the very first and last episodes of the season (of course, you can also watch those episodes without the commentaries), and an Easter egg. As if the show wasn't superb enough on its own (which it is), the extras only make it even better, which I didn't believe was possible! I highly recommend this boxed set, with its unique blend of magnetism, drama, provocation, and thought provoking plots to anyone who appreciates a spectacular, invoking performance.
Rating:
Summary: Bring on the next ones!
Review: I am an European customer, stick region coding up your arse - hail to region free DVDs!!! Love the DVDs, leaves me wanting more, as the next episodes are even better!! hurry up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: want to have the rest of the series too!
Review: Great to have this dvd as I'm a big fan!
Nice te have the interviews with the producer and writers too!
I hope they'll bring out the rest of the series soon I'm looking forward to it.
Rating:
Summary: "Alias" for grown-ups
Review: Nikita is about Section One, a ruthless anti-terrorist organization that sometimes blurs the line bwteen itself and those it fights. Alias called it SD6, but here it's really part of the, um, "good guys." Unlike Alias, Nikita deals with grownup themes and situations, and there's a noticible absenxe of fluff. Section One "recruits" people by drafting them and then killing them if they object (or if they don't perform). Nikita was (wrongly) convicted of murder, and finds herself "listed as dead" and a new Section One recruit. She is NOT happy about it. Peta Wilson is great as Nikita, and stunning to boot. Some guys don't much care for Michael, but the ladies I know tell me that they really dig him, so obviously someone knows what they've doing. The amazing thing about this series is that it was done several years BEFORE 9-11. One note of warning: If you buy this, also buy a TiVo. That way you can get the other 4 seasons as they are played on cable (in the USA, this is currently the Oxygen network). It's that addictive.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good plots, undone by serious casting mistake.
Review: It was the knowledge that this show was made by the creators of the groundbreaking 24 show that drew me to this DVD set. Right away, something felt wrong. The Joel Surnow/Robert Cochran signature of dark story lines, ruthless characters and violent plots is there, but the pilot had me gagging. It was a fatal error to copy the first half of the original French film into the restrictive 50-minute TV format; events happen with almost no impact, and the whole setup seems wrong. An agent with an Australian accent, a quaint oh-so-French name, mixed in with a mostly Canadian cast, set in Toronto locations but passing for an undisclosed U.S. location? The Canadian locales wouldn't be so noticeable if they hadn't cast Peta Wilson as Nikita. While she's hugely attractive and has a to-die-for figure, Wilson's Australian accent throws Nikita's character hopelessly off-balance with everything else. Also, being an ex-model, Wilson's acting ability is somewhat shaky. She improves about halfway through the show and grows more and more watchable, but she is highly self-conscious in the beginning third of the season. This problem is nothing compared to whom they'd cast as her love interest...Roy Dupuis is simply horrible, horrible as Nikita's mentor and action man Michael. Dupuis's Fabio-style mullet, baby-soft eyes and perpetual pout reduce him to a boy-toy character without an ounce of strength. It's a little more bearable to watch him play sadder scenes, but to see him try to take command in the field is simply painful. What this character needed was an actor with a steely core such as Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer in 24) or Michael Weatherly (Logan Cale in Dark Angel). Where Dark Angel succeeded in generating a rich, complex, and fascinating relationship between its main characters in one episode, it took me about 15 episodes of this show until I began to even care what Michael does. There are also some unnecessarily cheesy touches to this show that serve to cheapen its value. The cinematography, for example; some reviewers have called this show noir and not without reason (thanks to the insidious plotting), but the look of this show is all bright, almost kindergarten colours. Add that to the directors' fondness for overusing that post-production slow-motion technique (which looks like a shutter-speed effect) especially in action scenes, and you got one low-budget-looking show. Luckily, the scripts are pretty interesting, and Surnow and co. are never afraid to make the worst happen -- always a good thing when it comes to action-suspense stories. And the supporting cast holds a few gems: Matthew Ferguson is entirely engaging as tech nerd Birkoff, and Alberta Watson is fine as the matronly Madeline. Some terrific guest spots as well, such as Peter Outerbridge (Kissed). You may know him as the sadistic Ronnie Stark from 24's Season Two, but his sensitive guest turn here is highly moving. Felicity Waterman is also great as enigmatic new recruit Karyn, and Surnow favourites Harris Yulin and Tobin Bell (Roger Stanton and Peter Kingsley in 24) show up to lend a touch of class to the acting department, almost successfully offsetting the big black hole that is Roy Dupuis. Surprisingly, veteran Canadian actor Maury Chaykin does a sub-par job playing a Rain Man ripoff character; Chaykin is usually quite good at making unusual choices, but here he's all cliche. La Femme Nikita, the series, obviously doesn't have the budget or innovation of 24. Still, I think most of its problems aren't related to budget, but to choices -- Dupuis being the most glaring mistake. As it is, it's a watchable series, but far from great.
Rating:
Summary: Just a word about episode order
Review: Began watching this set with disc one last night and was in hog heaven! However, the LFN experts will tell you that Friend, listed as episode 2, was really written and produced after Charity and Love. So someone new to LFN might want to switch to disk two immediately after episode 1 to truly experience the creative chronology. Numerous LFN fan websites exist detailing the correct episode order. Hi to all my pals from the old WB LFN message board.
Rating:
Summary: Above and Beyon 5 Stars
Review: There is nothing else worth watching anymore. This show has entertained me for the time it was in season. Being able to purchase the DVD is the most incredible thing ever since USA discontinue the show. Please release the other season!
Rating:
Summary: PLEASE, RELEASE ALL FIVE SEASONS!
Review: I'm with credit card in stand-by waiting for season 2,3,4,5....
Wonderful TV serie and wonderful DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Please bring us the rest of the seasons.......
Review: Nikita is my heroine. I love every single episode & it was so excellent to see it FINALLY released on DVD. I would catch every rerun on TV-now I can get my fix whenever I want! I want to own every season of this incredible series.
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