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Little Nikita
Columbia/Tri-Star // PG // September 17, 2002
List Price: $24.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
I went into this movie having seen bits and pieces of it on Television so I had a bit of an idea on the subject matter. FBI agent Roy Parmenter (Sidney Poitier) is interviewing Jeff Grant (River Phoenix) for his entrance into the Air Force Academy. While reviewing Grant's file, Parmenter discovers that his parents Richard (Richard Jenkins) and Elizabeth (Caroline Kava) are dormant Soviet spies, `sleepers', who have come to the United States and started a life with their son, Jeff who has no idea they are Russian spies.
Parmenter tells Jeff about his parents after several other sleepers have already been murdered by renegade double agent Scuba (Richard Lynch). Scuba wants money from the KGB and if he doesn't get it, he will kill every sleeper on his list, the including the Grants. The former boss to all these agents is Constantine (Richard Bradford), who is sent to San Diego to collect Scuba and take him back to Russia. Scuba is finally captured, by Parmenter, whose partner was murdered by Scuba some 20 years prior, so he has a personal reason for wanting Scuba too.
The plot is a bit dry and uninteresting. The method for Jeff finding out about his parents identity was a let down. The parents motivations and intentions also weakened the story. The parents wanted to cease all ties with Russia and the KGB and continue to be good American parents to Jeff. Loretta Devine, as Jeff's teacher Verna McLaughlin, is hilarious in the scene where she is caught in bed with Parmenter by Jeff. "No problem," she says when Parmenter apologizes, "I'll just go topless for the whole student body!"
Lynch is such a powerful actor as Scuba. I really wanted to see more of him on the screen looking really sinister and evil. Sidney Poitier is always delivering a top-notch performance and he does a great job as FBI agent Roy Parmenter. River Phoenix is somewhat inconsistent here but has some memorable moments. I really wanted to care more about these characters, but I just wasn't feeling it. Chalk it up to a thin plot, forgettable characters, and an aging story. The concept and story have a lot of potential. I think a more developed script and re-worked plot-line could make this into a first-rate thriller.
VIDEO: You are given the choice between 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen or the chopped Pan & Scan Full Screen version. The colors are good but a bit muted and the picture is a bit soft - probably a consequence of the film age. There is also a noticeable amount of dust and even some spots on the film that they failed to clean up.
AUDIO: Quality is fairly dull and lacks any punch, but is only a dual stereo channel Dolby Digital track. English, French, Spanish, and Korean subtitles are included.
MENUS: The menu designs are static and poorly done. One of the worst I have seen.
BONUS MATERIALS: Trailers: "Little Nikita", "Race the Sun" and "To Sir, with Love".
Final Thought: Little Nikita is an aging film that seems more like a made for TV movie now since its 15 years old. Sidney Poitier is really the main reason this film doesnt sink to the bottom.
Parmenter tells Jeff about his parents after several other sleepers have already been murdered by renegade double agent Scuba (Richard Lynch). Scuba wants money from the KGB and if he doesn't get it, he will kill every sleeper on his list, the including the Grants. The former boss to all these agents is Constantine (Richard Bradford), who is sent to San Diego to collect Scuba and take him back to Russia. Scuba is finally captured, by Parmenter, whose partner was murdered by Scuba some 20 years prior, so he has a personal reason for wanting Scuba too.
The plot is a bit dry and uninteresting. The method for Jeff finding out about his parents identity was a let down. The parents motivations and intentions also weakened the story. The parents wanted to cease all ties with Russia and the KGB and continue to be good American parents to Jeff. Loretta Devine, as Jeff's teacher Verna McLaughlin, is hilarious in the scene where she is caught in bed with Parmenter by Jeff. "No problem," she says when Parmenter apologizes, "I'll just go topless for the whole student body!"
Lynch is such a powerful actor as Scuba. I really wanted to see more of him on the screen looking really sinister and evil. Sidney Poitier is always delivering a top-notch performance and he does a great job as FBI agent Roy Parmenter. River Phoenix is somewhat inconsistent here but has some memorable moments. I really wanted to care more about these characters, but I just wasn't feeling it. Chalk it up to a thin plot, forgettable characters, and an aging story. The concept and story have a lot of potential. I think a more developed script and re-worked plot-line could make this into a first-rate thriller.
VIDEO: You are given the choice between 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen or the chopped Pan & Scan Full Screen version. The colors are good but a bit muted and the picture is a bit soft - probably a consequence of the film age. There is also a noticeable amount of dust and even some spots on the film that they failed to clean up.
AUDIO: Quality is fairly dull and lacks any punch, but is only a dual stereo channel Dolby Digital track. English, French, Spanish, and Korean subtitles are included.
MENUS: The menu designs are static and poorly done. One of the worst I have seen.
BONUS MATERIALS: Trailers: "Little Nikita", "Race the Sun" and "To Sir, with Love".
Final Thought: Little Nikita is an aging film that seems more like a made for TV movie now since its 15 years old. Sidney Poitier is really the main reason this film doesnt sink to the bottom.
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