The Professional
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: November 18, 1994 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
3
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Ah, monsieur, you can lead a Frenchman to the Big Apple, but you can't make him a New Yorker -- and that's exactly what makes The Professional so fascinating. Read full review
90
Washington PostHal Hinson
Oldman is the least inhibited actor of his generation, and as this deranged detective, he keeps absolutely nothing in reserve. Read full review
80
The A.V. ClubJoshua Klein
Few action films can claim such complexities without conceding the bang-bang stuff that brings in the big money. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Besson's visuals are, as always, vibrant and decidedly European. He fills the frames with odd-angled shots and alarming riots of color that catch you off-balance. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
With some surprisingly strong character interaction, there's a lot to like about this movie, at least for those willing to look beyond all the bloodshed. Read full review
70
TimeRichard Schickel
This is a Cuisinart of a movie, mixing familiar yet disparate ingredients, making something odd, possibly distasteful, undeniably arresting out of them. [5 Dec 1994, p. 93]
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Besson has a natural gift for plunging into drama with a charged-up visual style. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Christopher Harris
Takes its viewers on a bouncing high-wire act between intense violence and sugar-sweet tenderness, with some light-hearted comedy along the way. Read full review
60
VarietyLisa Nesselson
Widescreen lensing favors tight close-ups, and multiple shoot-'em-ups are edited with panache. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
The sheer oddness of the New York world constructed for this film--where cops and crooks are literally interchangeable, and Oldman and Danny Aiello are stranded in roles that pick over the leavings of earlier parts--ultimately seems at once too deranged and too mechanical. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
Luc Besson is a masterly director of stylish, thrilling, and humorous action set pieces, and this film's bravura opening and closing sequences are two of the year's best. Read full review
30
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
Lacks the sexy elan of "La Femme Nikita" and suffers from infinitely worse culture shock. [18 Nov 1994, p.C18] Read full review
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