Ronin [Blu-ray] [1998] [US Import]

Ronin is, in my opinion, is John Frankenheimer's best film - even picked up a few awards along the way. Robert De Nero's take on Sam is excellent, and even Sean Bean does well in this, as the crazy gun toting Spence. The star of the movie has to be Natascha McElhone as Deirdre; desperate to get that case no matter what. Was really pleased to see Jean Reno in this, his French flair being a centrepiece.

If you don't know what Ronin is about then prepare for a whirlwind plot, dodgy plans and wasted opportunities (by the gang, not direction), oh and probably the best car chases I've seen in the 90s. The best one being in Paris, closely followed by the one in Nice.

The film has a lot of twists and turns, and is a pleasure to watch, with De Nero, Reno and Bean this is an all star cast, with a great landscape and storyline.

The blu-ray is a total let down, only the film and the trailer is included. This is a joke as the Definitive Edition has an alternative ending, so why can't this BD? After all, it's only a 2hr film, and it's in MPEG-2 running at a steady 20Mbps - AVC would have been so much better. The uncompressed PCM is a blessing though, and it's commendable of Fox to use it. I would have liked MORE extras though, they should have included them no matter what definition they were in. The alternative ending is as good as the original, some have even argued better, so why oh why did they omit it?

Not a very good BD, if you have a passion for this film, then get it, it's all you could ask for movie wise. Otherwise if you want extras, and are not fussed about HD then do get the Definitive Edition, which is nearly a tenner cheaper and richer in content. The difference between the two transfer wise is noticeable, but only to the avid eye, and the sound is obviously better on blu-ray.

4/5 for the film, 2/5 for the blu-ray extras, 4/5 for HD transfer.

Ronin is one of my all time favourite films. I decided to replace my dvd copy with the blu-ray. Big mistake. I can't see any improvement in picture quality over the dvd. And the special features are inferior, lacking the 'making of' documentary.

If you don't have it, buy it by all means, it is a great film. But if you are thinking of upgrading from dvd I would save your cash.

An action espionage thriller directed by none other than the masterful John Frankenheimer, an all-star stellar cast what more can you ask for? All i can say is that the acting is great (especially from a beautiful Natascha McElhone), the tension and suspense magnificently controlled, the action sequences (particularly the car chases) breath-taking and the music, cinematography and script exceptional. If you want a good film to see on a friday/saturday night, this is the one. A well-crafted severely underated film.