There’s this strange belief that movies today are little more than remakes or IP extensions. Not only is this incorrect (there are plenty of original stories being released in theaters and online every week), but it’s almost entirely positioned as a new phenomenon, as if Hollywood just suddenly started tapping nostalgia because they are at a loss for ideas. Not only is this not new, but there was a period in the 1990s in which titles released with big name casts that were theatrical versions of television programs from the 1960s and 1970s: The Avengers (1997), Lost in Space (1998), My Favorite Martian (1999), The Addams Family (1991), Wild Wild West (1999), Mission: Impossible (1996), and The Mod Squad (1999) made up just a few. One such title that, frankly, doesn’t get the sort of love it deserves is the 1997 Phillip Noyce-directed The Saint starring Val Kilmer (Real Genius), Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), and Rade Šerbedžija (Snatch) in an adaptation of the Roger Moore-led series from the 1960s (itself a novel adaptation). Paramount Pictures is offering fans of The Saint, some 29 years after its theatrical release, a chance to experience the thrilling crime adventure with a first-time 4K UHD edition in a limited edition steelbook, accompanied by the same features as past releases.
Raised as an orphan in a religious facility, the clever John Rossi (Adam Smith) uses his wits to undermine the cruelty of the operators of Saint Ignatius Orphanage. Now, as an adult, and going by the name Simon Templar (Kilmer), he uses those same wits to steal for profit. His latest endeavor puts him in the path of Ivan Tretiak (Šerbedžija), an oil business man who’s working to undermine the current Russian president in order to take the country for himself. Tretiak hires Simon to steal a formula for cold fusion developed by Dr. Emma Russell (Shue), but, against his own intentions, Simon finds himself falling for Emma, requiring him to make a choice between the score or her, the fate of Russia and the future of free energy hanging in the balance of his decision.
The following home release review is based on a 4K UHD steelbook retail edition provided by Paramount Pictures via Alliance Entertainment.
Premiering the same year as Dr. No (1962), The Saint was a crime series that, itself, was somewhat based on a series of novels written by Leslie Charteris that first published in 1928. So, in terms of adaptations, it’s an adaptation of an adaptation of a book series. Looking backward on it now, it’s certainly a film that feels like a riff on a James Bond adventure down to the gadgets, spy craft, and romance, although this one deviates by placing its lead in a variety of costumes and makeups to obfuscate his identity. (Side note: Ian Fleming first published Casino Royale in 1953, so Charteris has 007 beat by more than a decade.) Simon is about as morally gray as James, he just does what he does for the money instead of for Queen and Country. As I sit here drafting this review listening to the original theatrical release soundtrack (I saw this one in theaters, kids), it’s nice to see that the film largely holds up. As a vehicle for Kilmer, it emboldens him to lean into his character work that his looks famously often prevented him from utilizing (explored in the 2021 documentary VAL). A figure like Simon allowed Kilmer to incorporate accents, disappear into characters, and generally transform himself based on situational need — and we reap the benefits of it. This is largely what makes the film a great deal of fun as Simon needs to be someone that we root for as he’s no white-hat hero, but a thief and opportunist. In the changing times of entertainment, however, it’s difficult to deny that the plotline of Simon and Emma is quite gross seeing as he’s lied to her at near every chance and yet she keeps giving him opportunities, despite these manipulations and obfuscations. She may have been the first to locate him, to identify who he is and trap him, but that doesn’t mean she knows enough about him to run away together. This is, of course, the romance element of the tale, one which puts notions of romantic love up higher than reality and, thanks to Shue and Kilmer, we really want it to work for these crazy kids, especially as they’ve been instrumental in changing energy for the world. While the love story doesn’t feel natural or organic beyond what the genre requires, the characters are so much fun that one is willing to forgive it or, at the very least, consider it emblematic of a type of storytelling from the past. Gratefully, the story remains engaging, the action is clever, and the performances understand the genre and meet the need.
Seeing as this is a steelbook review, let’s get into that.
Rather than using the multi-character style of the poster from the previous Blu-ray, the cover features Kilmer’s Simon prominently, with Simon and Emma paired together (much smaller) in the bottom right corner and scenes from Russia in the front left. This image was on the original poster for the film and is frequently the menu art, so fans will be familiar with it. The back is more minimal with a lone lightning bolt with its own halo featured in the center. Inside, alongside the inset two-disc holder (on the right side), features a series of Polaroids with Simon in his different costumes/characters. Overall, it’s a simple design that captures what fans remember more than anything.
Packshot of the 4K UHD Blu-ray Combo limited edition steelbook of THE SAINT. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Regarding the 4K UHD presentation, there’s no included information on how Paramount conducted their restoration/remaster, no sense of what tools were used on what materials and who oversaw it. Considering that the only element that changes with this edition is the video presentation, it would be nice to know how it was created. While the technical elements have never looked better thanks to the enhanced detail afforded by the greater data creating the image, the bitrate on this edition is wildly unsteady. This won’t matter to the average viewer as there’s no apparent distress in either picture or sound that will harm or distract from the experience; however, for those who understand that the more solid the bitrate, the better the on-disc presentation through your home entertainment system, knowing that it rarely holds in any specific range for very long matters. For instance, the opening sequence (the flashback) is in the 30 Mbps range; then, once in the “present,” it jumps into the 50 Mbps range and then moves up and down for the remainder, peaking at 100 Mbps but rarely holding in the 70s or 80s for long. Again, for the layperson who just wants a special edition, you’re not going to notice or care about the oscillating bitrate. But considering that the only thing on the 4K UHD disc is the film — no commentary, no trailer — one wonders if a dual-layer 66 GB disc was used instead of a 100 GB, as the smaller size would require the film to have additional compression to fit. But, without any available information with the release, this is merely conjecture.
Unfortunately, there are no new special features on this release. No retrospective interview with the remaining living cast, writers, or director. All that is included, and solely on the Blu-ray disc, is the previously available feature-length commentary track with Noyce, as well as the original theatrical trailer. This was previously included on past releases of The Saint, which means that the big pull for this edition is the case itself and whether or not you want to see it in 4K UHD.
Perhaps it’s due to affection for the soundtrack (featuring Sneaker Pimps, Orbital, Daft Punk, David Bowie, & Duran Duran, to name a few), just how fantastic Šerbedžija is at playing evil with a gleeful glimmer in his eye, or how much one misses Kilmer, but The Saint remains a solid action-adventure-crime-romance that delivers on everything it promises. It certainly contains elements which feel like extensions of other tales, often done better in the others, but the truth is more likely that it’s hard to do any kind of spy-adjacent tale without getting 007 comparisons. It’s likely not going to wow modern audiences, but it’s certainly going to continue to tickle those of us who welcomed Simon Templar into our hearts so long ago and hoped that maybe we’d see him again.
The Saint Legacy Blu-ray Special Features:
- Feature-length commentary track with director Phillip Noyce
- Original theatrical trailer
Available on 4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition Steebook and digital August 25th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Paramount Pictures The Saint webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
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