Rating: 
Summary: Stylish, sexy and fun
Review: The story of a woman "redeemed" by a secret government branch from street thug to assassin. Though remade in America, the original has a powerful ending, and is not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Original
Review: The Bridget Fonda remake pales beside this the Luc Besson original. Although Fonda is good, she's reprising a role played superlatively by Anne Parrilaud.A harsh, brutal movie with sets ranging from the stark to the sumptuous Nikita launched Besson into the English speaking world. But do yourself a favour and watch in French. The English language track doesn't do the film justice. For those who don't speak French (et mon francais c'est terrible) the English subtitles are better than the English language dubbing. END
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Luc Besson Film !
Review: If you like European movies this one is quite excellent. The movie "The Killer" with Brigit Fonda is actually the remake of Nikita. Although B. Fonda did a very good interpretation in the U.S. version, the original European one is much more refined, sensitive and strong. The soundtrack is from Eric Serra, who always can capture the essence of the movies he makes the soundtrack. The French actress Anne Parrilaud was so brillant and envolved with her interpretation of "Nikita", that she got the "Cesar" price, equivalent to the "Oscar" in Europe. I highly recommended it. END
Rating:
Summary: Best French action movie... Ever!
Review: This is absolutely a great movie, way better than the english version with Bridget Fonda, although that is good too. Its unbelievable what this poor girl goes through. The transformation of what kind of person she was before the agency got her, to what she becomes when they're done with her is amazing. A must see! END
Rating:
Summary: a nifty, fast paced thriller
Review: Luc Besson ("The Fifth Element") directed this intricate, action packed film that keeps one's interest after many viewings. Anne Parillaud is the punky cop-killer who gets reprieved and trained as a government agent. She's perfect for the part: Strong and rambunctious, with a sensitivity that develops as her character matures. Some of her lessons are taught by Jeanne Moreau, who tells her that "There are two things that have no limit: Femininity, and the means of taking advantage of it"...well, if you look like Parillaud, that's probably true ! As the two men in her life, Tcheky Kanyo as Bob, her mentor, and Jean-Hugues Anglade as Marco, her fiancée, are terrific. The cinematography by Thierry Arbogast uses great camera angles and lighting without getting too "arty", and though there's a great deal of violence, it's essential to the plot...and what a marvelous ending. It's the kind of ending I appreciate. I had to sit through the abysmal Hollywood remake of this a few years ago...titled "Point of no Return", it's one to avoid...see the original instead !
Rating: 
Summary: A lot better
Review: The "Nikita" hardcore can celebrate MGM's rerelease of the French action film, a single-disc affair that should erase memories of the studio's botched first DVD, from three years ago. The initial "La Femme Nikita" DVD failed director Besson miserably, with visuals just a step up from the VHS. The new special edition looks a lot better, although some digital artifacts remain. Flesh tones seem true and the handsome French interiors get back their luster. Audio wasn't bad on the first disc, and it sounds about the same on the new DVD. The film comes widescreen only (2.35:1), with the 16x9 enhancement. A new 20-minute featurette interviews the key actors, but not Besson. The director's music man, Eric Serra, has his say on an interesting 5-minute extra, "The Sound of 'Nikita.' " An easter egg reveals one of Besson's working methods. Ann Parillaud, who played Nikita, looks a lot more relaxed these days. The actress recalls training with weapons and martial arts for a year before filming began. She found karate "violent, painful and scary," but became obsessed with the firearms. Jean Reno, who went on to international stardom, says he played his popular Victor the Cleaner character without reading the script -- Besson had him walk right into the film. The DVD also includes a pointless "interactive map" that explores Nikita's habitats. A goofy trailer and a poster gallery complete the package.
Rating:
Summary: Row 8, Plot 30
Review: Luc Besson (The Transporter, The Fifth Element, The Professional) directs this masterpiece. To be honest, I do not even know why he made Point of no Return, and should have instead force fed the public La Femme Nikita. I guess he felt the need to cater to his American audience, I will never know why. Leon, The Professional was a brilliant movie, no need to dumb it down for us Americans, just release what you intended to us.
Speaking of Leon, the Professional, Jean Reno is in a fifteen to twenty minute sequence where he appears as "the cleaner." He is brilliant, fast, and strait to the point. Then as quickly as he is in the movie, he's out of the movie. Though he was under utilized, it was still a brilliant performance.
Anne Parillaud (Innocent Blood and The Man in the Iron Mask) plays the title character Marie/Josephine/Nikita, and plays the role to perfection. She starts off as a drug addict, and very strongly looks the part. Her transformation half way through the movie was beautiful, as she was, surprisingly, if you saw her look as a drug addict, you would have never thought she was pretty. Nikita quickly develops into a love story, and her show of emotion looks extremely real, not over done, and not fake. She was brilliant in this role.
Marc Duret plays Rico, the man who saves Nikita from death, sets her up for training, and transforms her into what she is. He also wishes to be her love interest, as well as her commanding officer, but she shuts that down almost from the beginning. He does a fabulous job in his role though.
This is a very, very good movie, and extremely under rated. As much as I would say Leon: The Professional is one of the most under rated action movies ever, La Femme Nikita is even more under rated then The Professional. This movie deserves one good viewing, or rental, but it belongs in my DVD collection, exactly where it is.
Grade: A-
Rating:
Summary: One of the most important films of the nineties
Review: From the moment the title "Nikita" appears on the screen and you hear Eric Serra's loud, cool, industrial-sounding score, you know you're in for a ride. "La Femme Nikita" is one of the most important films of the nineties, an outstanding thriller that revolutionized French cinema.
Anne Parillaud stars as Nikita, a young punk who kills three cops while trying to get drugs. She is sentenced to life in prison, but instead of going to jail, she finds that her death has been faked. She is given a new identity, and trained by the government as an elite assassin. After three years of training, she is allowed back on the streets, free to enjoy life, with one condition - whenever the government needs her, she be there. The consequence of not responding to a call is death.
The cast is terrific. Parillaud is very good. Jean-Hugues Anglade is very amiable as Nikita's loving husband, Marco. Tcheky Karyo is great, playing "Bob", Nikita's mentor and often unintentional tormenter. Jean Reno - who would later become famous for starring in director Luc Besson's "Leon" - steals the show for his brief appearance as inhumane "cleaner" Victor.
Luc Besson's direction is without flaw. While he clearly has a sense of artistry, he knows exactly how to capture scenes on film. His script is also intelligent. It begins as a violent action film and becomes a suspenseful thriller, tinged with romance.
Then there's Eric Serra's score. I myself have been a fan of Serra's work ever since hearing his work on "GoldenEye", and I would say "Nikita" may be his best score. It is perfect, sometimes booming, sometimes exciting, sometimes hip and sometimes sad.
"Nikita" - which oddly received an extended French title, "La Femme Nikita", for its international release - is one of the best thrillers made. Luc Besson knows how to make movies, and it shows here. The film's American remake, "Point of No Return", couldn't begin to compete with this film, and although the popular TV series inspired by this film may have been great, it still can't compare to the original. A true, top-notch thriller.
Rating: 
Summary: Riveting Action
Review: Director Luc Besson gets it. Besson, a Frenchman no less, understands what separates a juvenile, mindless action movie from a truly smart, devilishly suspensful cinema experience. Using a clever hybrid of European sensuality and sophistication, along with American notions of wild gunplay and bloodshed, Besson weaves an absorbing tale of murder and betrayal. His characters are chilling and relatively simple, while the world they inhabit is explicitly cosmopolitan in its cross Atlantic treachery. Besson sees the tools this setting offers and pushes them to the figurative hilt. The intriguing story centers around Nikita, a lithe and skillful street urchin played by the violently harried Anne Parillaud. An urban nomad, Nikita is picked up by the mysterious Rico, a role assumed by the ashen faced operator Marc Duret. Rico's motives are unclear at first, but it soon becomes clear that he is not some agent of charity, he is dedicated to molding Nikitas mind in a certain, deadly way. Using her own isolation and his own psychological tricks, Rico, with the help of others in the "group", Rico begins to train Nikita in the arts of death and stealthy assassination. Benefitting a shadowy branch of the French government, Nikita will become an undercover killing machine, moving in and out of various international locales and dispatching her targets ruthlessly. Along the way, Rico must break her spirit, an extremely difficult task, and then rebuild her, teaching her the suave arts of high society and the brute tactics of international murder. Although Nikita resists, she soon gains a reliance on her new teachers, especially Rico, who has a feeling about her. His support is rewarded as Nikita takes to the field for the first time, and the audience is treated to a ripping good action scene. Nikita assumes a somewhat normal life, striking up a relationship, living a life unknown to her. Of course, as she gallavants around the continent, she is forced to pull off daunting and extreme hits, which are portrayed lovingly by Besson. The strange connection between Nikita and Rico begin to strain as Nikita feels the emotional considerable stress of living two lives at once. Her position becomes more untenable as she becomes wrapped up into a violent spiral of severely unethical murder, including the murderously adriot personage of Jean Reno, who wields his 9mm like some kind of quasi-mythical broadsword. His extreme mission and its repercussions soon toss Nikita into a very dangerous position, and theres only one way out. You guessed it, shooting. La Femme Nikita is one of those movies that just never stops impressing the viewer with its sheer audacity. The spirit it conveys, one of shady slaughter and grand stage is just mesmerizing, and the simple but layered characters bring their own murderious tint to the whole spectacle. A great example of what a smart action movie can be.
Rating:
Summary: The original is still the best
Review: After years of remakes and cable shows, I see this film today and there is a combined sense of romance and danger that can't be recreated by anyone but Besson. BLACK CAT was decent, POINT OF NO RETURN was sickening and the cable show constantly cheapens and makes light of the character's weaknesses and sexuality. The story, yes. The action, yes. The cinematography, you know it. But the one thing that keeps me coming back for this film is it's aura and Anne's unique and powerful screen presence.
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