Léon: The Professional (4K+2D Blu-ray SteelBook) (Manta Lab Exclusive No. 57) [Hong Kong]

[IRON MAN]

Release date: May 3, 2023
Purchase links: Box Set - Full Slip - Lenti - Double Lenti (Pre-order on March 3 at 8 PM - Hong Kong time)
Price: $159.97 (Box Set) - $48.99 (Full Slip) - $49.99 (Lenti - Double Lenti)

Notes: WEA, Exclusive Steelcase designed by Manta Lab features "Full Glossy" Finish and "Debossed Title".
Box Set: 600 Sets, Numbered 1-600. Scratch Resistant Coating, Embossing, Foil.
Full Slip: 1000 units, Numbered 1-1000. Spot Glossy, Scratch Resistance Coating, Embossing, Foil.
Lenti: 1000 units, Numbered 1-1000. 3D Lenticular, Spot Glossy, Spot Matte, Embossing.
Double Lenti: 1000 units, Numbered 1-1000. 2 x 3D Lenticular, Spot Glossy, Spot Matte, Embossing.
Premiums: Booklet, Postcards, Character Cards, Envelope, Exclusive Numbering Sticker, Exclusive Release Front Sticker, Exclusive Release Lenticular Sticker.

 

[larson1977]

View attachment 557520

This is probably my favorite mantalab release. The oc box is stunning, in comparison, the matrix release is so boring.
Looking forward to the fifth element

Same here! Absolutely love this Box

 

[jjswatt2013]

So can we get some update about the group buy? Shouldn't it have shipped by now?

 

[shigualito]

So can we get some update about the group buy? Shouldn't it have shipped by now?

Correct! Me too

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

happy days. this is a good edition of one of my favourite modern films, but it's not a great edition. some real care has been spent on some aspects, but strangely not on others. overall, though, i like this a lot. unboxathon below and on 2 subsequent posts, or just go here for the photo album .

(the videos are in these posts only, as the site is not letting me upload them to HDN in reduced format. )

BTW, to confirm, only the Director's Cut (actually my preferred) is included in this edition. the discs don't seem to have the option of playing the theatrical, which is odd, since my first steelbook bought for this film had both available.

1 / OC box

View media item 28161they have approached the OC with the deliberate aim of being sparse and stark. the way they have treated the front and back images and the lovely gold title make this clear. the front image has deliberately had the sharp focus taken out of it and looks superb. the back image has some spot glossing in the middle for Mathilda and the plant, and the film credits too have a degree of treatment:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) OC box - front and back

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the back image is a bit odd as there is a much better image on the same topic they could have used sitting on my wall :

Spoiler: Leon - wish this had been the back image (on my living room wall)

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the title lettering on the front and also the top and sides has been heavily spot glossed in rich gold , and it looks great:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) OC box - title treatment

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but it's decidedly odd that there is no interior image at all when you open the box up. it just looks like there should be something there:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) OC box - open box and base

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all that said, it's a nice box, and you get all of this when you open it all up.

View media item 28147
couple more posts to follow, one on the slips, and one on the steel.

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

2 / Slips
from some of the imagery above, i was dreading seeing the slips, but they are actually OK. the winner is the double lenti front for me, which i would prefer with the single lenti back. the full slip is the weakest.

my biggest gripe? they all have the same steel of course, but they all have the same booklet and the same steelbook extras (the envelope). no variety at all between the editions . surprised and disappointed by this. yes, it was in the beauty shots, i'm just describing my surprise and disappointment in the approach.

Single lenti

View media item 28145
properly opened up, this is a sharper image that i thought it would be. there's something nice and 'classic movie' about the pose and the treatment:



the back image i really like, and while it's not super exciting, i don't mind the WeEt-style outlining treatment they have given the bricks, the outlines, and other various bits:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) single lenti - details

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the treatment of the printed titles on all of the slips is excellent, and the same is true here:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) single lenti - title treatment & base

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Full Slip

View media item 28135
i don't massively dislike the full slip, but it's definitely one of those editions that makes you go a bit . the image is fine, but the positioning doesn't make it work as a wraparound.

they have compensated by using a lot of title spot gloss and some bossing:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) full slip - details

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again, the printed titles do look great with their spot gloss:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) full slip - titles

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Double Lenti

View media item 28121
i love this front lenti. this video is underselling the front - it's even sharper and crisper than this in hand, and almost seamless. it's a great image, well treated, love it :



in comparison, the back lenti drops the ball. Stansfield seem a little out of focus, slightly less so than the background. the effect isn't ruined, but it's way off the standard of the front:



the focus of this is of course the lentis, but here's a few more shots of this edition:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) double lenti - additional shots

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one more post for the steelbook + the bits you get in every edition.

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

3 / Steelbook + common items
in every edition you get the Manta logo lenti, and this one is one of their best. a cityscape in b+w plus an appearing and disappearing sniper crosshairs. lovely attention to detail :


you also get some stickers in every edition, of the film title, Leon's round specs with crosshairs, and the plant:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) - stickers

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View media item 28113
the steelbook is full gloss with a debossed title. yes, i do wish it had been the poster image, or at least a picture of the actual title character - like the back is. could they not have switched them? but the images are fine and suit the steel well, even if they are backwards. the film credits have also been given a spot treatment:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) - steelbook

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the rest of the artwork is similarly great, with a good inside image and some nice alternate art on the discs:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) - steelbook inside

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the nicely embossed envelope has what feels like less cards and character cards than it should. they are all fine, but i looked twice to see if some had got stuck! i'm not too bothered by collector's cards, but you should get more than this in a release this size:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) - steelbook envelope

View media item 28105

finally, the booklet is just a standard 'shots from the movie' photobook. they have chosen well, but i would have preferred something more substantial, and with more pages. and again, it's the same in every edition:

Spoiler: Leon (Manta) - booklet

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i think the OC is the best bit of this, but if i could only get one edition, i'd just about go double lenti.

 

[IRON MAN]

@steelmybeatingheart Great pics and videos. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Billy Talent]

 

[jjswatt2013]

At the risk of getting ridiculed here, are the group buy purchases going to be shipped this century or what? Feel like it shoulda happened by now.

 

[samdavies]

At the risk of getting ridiculed here, are the group buy purchases going to be shipped this century or what? Feel like it shoulda happened by now.

Century? Yes. Few weeks? No. Shipping invoices haven't gone out and the host is on holiday. Have to wait for word.

 

[larson1977]

@steelmybeatingheart
If just everybody would post like this I wouldn't have to buy these collectibles myself Awesome job

 

[Lenny Nero]

@steelmybeatingheart
If just everybody would post like this I wouldn't have to buy these collectibles myself Awesome job

Yeah, I've seen more here, than of most that I do have... somewhere, in boxes and far away shelves.

 

[yelin0318]

It is almost the end of July. When could we expect the shipping of GB?

 

[StifflersDad]

It is almost the end of July. When could we expect the shipping of GB?

 

[Aniv]

Hey everyone! I'm back in the country now. I have the HDN ID's for most of the orders, but just to be extra careful about the shipping address and ID's, we need to do a quick exercise together.

Could you please take a moment to check the email you used to place the order? It would be really helpful if you could respond with the requested information, so I can verify everything and ensure that the shipping is taken care of this week.

In case you can't find the email in your inbox, don't forget to check your junk/spam folder or reach out to me via PM on the forum. Thanks a bunch!

P.S: We will be doing the same exercise for other Manta GB's that are ready to be shipped this week (Inception, Batman Discless, Dune Extras, Matrix 2)

@arbingers
@Askari23
@BDDB
@Bengaloo
@blusteel980
@CayDI
@Chrisman
@damnernsaduak
@darczap
@Daubt
@davetherave
@Dirk69
@DudleyMan
@Dustin
@El Cid
@eve6insideandout
@GeoRattray
@Halo500
@IcannotSTOP
@Jamon-Jamon
@JGCramp
@jjswatt2013
@Leignel Vincent
@LongJohnSilver11
@Lutzo
@mattrivers95
@Mickle_89
@Mika
@mikeab07
@milky
@MM3
@Nightmarez
@OMRA1080
@pjtb
@Punker76
@R4FFO
@samdavies
@shigualito
@Space Dust
@SteelCollz
@Strife88x
@sunnyx
@TheEvilBread
@Tori10
@tristar6
@Twall97
@yelin0318
@zircon101


if your id is highlighted in green, then you are good to go and should keep an eye out for shipping bill in 48 hours. thanks for the quick response. I will replace the image periodically.

 

[davetherave]

Got your email @Aniv and replied. Cheers!

 

[Daubt]

email reply sent.

 

[shigualito]

Hey everyone! I'm back in the country now. I have the HDN ID's for most of the orders, but just to be extra careful about the shipping address and ID's, we need to do a quick exercise together.

Could you please take a moment to check the email you used to place the order? It would be really helpful if you could respond with the requested information, so I can verify everything and ensure that the shipping is taken care of this week.

In case you can't find the email in your inbox, don't forget to check your junk/spam folder or reach out to me via PM on the forum. Thanks a bunch!

P.S: We will be doing the same exercise for other Manta GB's that are ready to be shipped this week (Inception, Batman Discless, Dune Extras, Matrix 2)

@arbingers
@Askari23
@BDDB
@Bengaloo
@blusteel980
@CayDI
@Chrisman
@damnernsaduak
@darczap
@Daubt
@davetherave
@Dirk69
@DudleyMan
@Dustin
@El Cid
@eve6insideandout
@GeoRattray
@Halo500
@IcannotSTOP
@Jamon-Jamon
@JGCramp
@jjswatt2013
@Leignel Vincent
@LongJohnSilver11
@Lutzo
@mattrivers95
@Mickle_89
@Mika
@mikeab07
@milky
@MM3
@Nightmarez
@OMRA1080
@pjtb
@Punker76
@R4FFO
@samdavies
@shigualito
@Space Dust
@SteelCollz
@Strife88x
@sunnyx
@TheEvilBread
@Tori10
@tristar6
@Twall97
@yelin0318
@zircon101


if your id is highlighted in green, then you are good to go and should keep an eye out for shipping bill in 48 hours. thanks for the quick response. I will replace the image periodically.

View attachment 558921

Email correct

[email protected]

 

[Leignel Vincent]

Two email sent, Aniv.
Thanks

 

[SteelCollz]

Email sent @Aniv