Strong and Moving!

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

'Ronin (1998)' features some of the best car chases ever committed to film, with insanely fast choreography making you squirm on the edge of your seat and furious practicality compounding the intensity and danger of every moment. The usually wide frame also captures an unspoken but uneasy camaraderie, brought about by a group of disparate hired guns coming together to do their disreputable work, and a sense of 'lost soul' melancholy, aided by the wonderfully wistful but appropriately eclectic and exciting score. The picture does have its problems, though, including a generally poor pace and a late-game revelation that threatens to tear some slight holes in the plot, as well as make the already questionable thematic symbolism essentially moot - as does an exposition scene that only serves to further push the piece's already heavy-handed conceptual metaphor. Overall, though, this is an old-school action-thriller that feels pulpy and palpable and has quite a bit of meat on its bones, especially when the tyres start to spin and those chases, which are literally some of the best I've ever seen, tear across the screen. 7/10

A freelancing former U.S. Intelligence Agent tries to track down a mysterious package that is wanted by the Irish and the Russians. Ronin has Robert De Niro at his best and is a throwback to the early and late 1980's and 1990's action movies that we loved. The action was amazing with some terrific car chases, foot chases and lots of shooting, explosions and great perfomances from it's talented cast. The movie also has some insane twists that go back and forth as of why is this package so important and who really wants it the most. I think that Ronin is one of De Niro's most underrated works from the late 1990's and one that will please fans of the action genre alot in the end. (10/10) (A+)

This movie is solid. The actors, especially Deniro, Reno, Natasha and Sean all play their role to perfection. A well written action movie in France. You will have to pay close attention to the dialogue and its subtext to fully understand the movie. Of course it is not perfect and yet I have watched it several times.

John Frankenheimer's Ronin is a sleek, smashing good spy flick from the mid 90's that features a killer cast of actors, a terse, palm sweating narrative and one of my favourite, and best car chase sequences ever put on celluloid. The setting: post cold war Europe, the paranoia dying into a dull roar, and previously employed spooks from various backgrounds now find themselves outcasts with no direction to turn in, no higher power to guide their every clandestine move. Several of these individuals work as mercenaries, stealing.g whatever they can for whoever will hire them at whatever price. They include vague, enigmatic Sam (Robert Deniro), Vincente (Jean Reno), feisty Irish Deidre (ever gorgeous and underrated Natasha Macelhone), slightly sinister Gregor (excellent Stellan Skarsgard) and Spence (a twitchy Sean Bean). "You ever kill anybody?" Spence naively asks Sam. "I hurt someone's feelings once", Sam dryly intones. Such is the blanket of deception the characters are steeped in, each one not knowing the history of their peers, who will be allies and who will slit their throat first chance they get. They are tasked with stealing a mysterious briefcase, the contents of which we never see, a plot twist which any thriller with class benefits from choosing. Off they go, on a merry chase across Europe, double crossing, killing and dodging each other to advance one step ahead towards an empty goal that they themselves may not have a clue about. The cast also displays nice work from Jonathan Pryce, Skipp Sudduth and Michael Lonsdale in asly turn, reminding us that he appeared in another excellent spy flick the generation before, The Day Of The Jackal. The title ties into the forty seven Ronin of ancient Japan, exiled warriors who share the fate of the lost combatants we see here. It's a fine tuned exercise in suspense, espionage and intelligent entertainment that sees the troupe careening through the narrow streets of picturesque French city Nice in compact cars that could quickly become coffins, navigating a clinical assassination attempt in a Russian ice rink, and all kinds of intrigue in between. The actors all inhabit their roles with a weary, going through the motions quality that amps up the realism by being laid back, a nice touch which makes the high octane aspects pop all the more. Low key goes a long way in ratcheting up tension, as demonstrated nicely by this classic cloak and dagger entry that many thrillers these days could learn a thing or two from.