Luc Besson’s sophomore feature gets a welcome Blu-ray release that showcases the stylish visuals fantastically.
Fred (Christopher Lambert) has gate-crashed a socialite’s party, stealing from their safe, and is now being chased through the streets of Paris. Despite his infatuation with the wronged Héléna (Isabelle Adjani), he keeps hold of some delicate documents that Héléna’s husband wants back. Fred hides out in the labyrinth of the Paris underground system, meeting all manner of strange characters, all while being pursued by a bunch of heavies.
Fast-paced and slick, Besson revels in portraying the subterranean criminals as a close-knit community, with characters such as a roller-skating handbag thief (Jean-Hugues Anglade) and a double-agent florist (Richard Bohringer) being portrayed as sympathetically as possible. The Parisian Métro system makes for a stunning location, and all the dizzying set-pieces cover for the fact that the plot points hit in such a scattershot fashion that they don’t all get resolved. It’s never less than thrilling, however, and can certainly not be accused of being style over substance. Lambert is roguish but likeable, even if his budding relationship with Héléna is less than believable.
The new 4K steelbook presents the film in the best light and is packed with new extras, including interviews and an engrossing, unmissable ‘making of’ feature.
