Stars: Bridget Fonda, Gabriel Byrne, Harvey Keitel, Dermot Mulroney, Anne Bancroft

Director: John Badham

Summary: A woman awaiting execution for murder is transformed into an assassin.

In a grim future America, Maggie (Bridget Fonda), a beautiful young street punk, is about to be executed for killing a cop during a robbery, and is given the choice between death or becoming a government assassin. She accepts the latter and is trained in all manner of martial (and feminine) arts. She ably carries out her deadly assignments, and is groomed to become a powerful killer. Maggie is given a new identity, becomes the seductive Claudia, and is sent to Venice, California, where she begins her new life. But the training takes only too well: the formerly amoral murderess proceeds to fall in love with a photographer (Dermot Mulroney) and develop a conscience. Now she wants out, but the government isn't about to let her go without a fight. Director John Badham's remake of French director Luc Besson's LA FEMME NIKITA is a stylish and thrilling adaptation, featuring a solid performance from Bridget Fonda.

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Set in 221 BC, The Emperor and the Assassintells of Ying Zheng (Li Xuejian) and his obsession to unite seven Chinese kingdoms and become the first Emperor of China. The film mixes spectacular battle scenes with court intrigue, counterpointed by the King's complex relationship with the only woman he has truly loved, the Lady Zhao (Gong Li). From protocol-ridden palaces to wide open grasslands, this is a visually striking film, both beautiful and at the same time burdened with the horrors of the period.

Though this was the most expensive film ever made in China, director Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine) nevertheless retains a tight reign on character and psychology, recalling Kurosawa's Ran(1985) and Kagemusha(1980). The cast, particularly the two leads, are magnificent and both production design and score are first rate. While the unfolding story has similar appeal to Gladiatorand Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it can be as confusing and jarringly edited as the original (pre-director's cut) version of The Last Emperor(1987), and for the same reason--despite its 154 minutes--the film was cut by approximately 30 minutes prior to release. The full version may eventually reveal a masterpiece, though in its present form it is still an exceptionally powerful and compelling drama.

On the DVD:The Emperor and the Assassin's original 1.85:1 image is transferred anamorphically, and while not up with the finest DVDs is still sharp and detailed. Strangely, despite the film being presented in DTS theatrically, the DVD offers mere three-channel Dolby Pro-Logic. No more than adequate, this is a serious disappointment when at least Dolby Digital 5.1 would be the accepted norm. The film can be watched with the original Mandarin soundtrack, with or without English subtitles, or dubbed into English. The extras are a 4:3 trailer and a serious, comprehensive commentary by director Chen Kaige. For anyone wanting to know how to mount such a large-scale production, there can be few better guides than Kaige.--Gary S. Dalkin

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Interactive Menu, Production Notes, Scene Access
Subtitles:	Arabic, Dutch, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Year:	1993
Release Date:	May 24, 1999
Runtime:	104 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 012819
Keywords:	Action, Assassin, Point, General, Wide, Screen, Return, Adventure
Genre:	Action/Adventure