Jean-Paul Belmondo, who also co-produced the film and performed many of his own stunts.

Critics often describe it as a blend of rugged action and cynical humor, carried largely by Belmondo's "smoldering intensity" and charisma. Critical Reception & Legacy Kino Lorber Studio Classics - Facebook

( Le Professionnel ), released in 1981, is a quintessential French action thriller that solidified Jean-Paul Belmondo's status as a major 1980s action icon. Directed by Georges Lautner, the film is an adaptation of Patrick Alexander's 1976 novel Death of a Thin-Skinned Animal . Production Overview Director: Georges Lautner.

After two years of imprisonment and forced labor, Beaumont escapes and returns to Paris. He contacts his former superiors and boldly informs them that he still intends to complete his original mission—assassinating N'Jala during his upcoming official visit to France—while simultaneously seeking revenge against those who abandoned him.