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Amazon.co.uk Review
Robert De Niro stars as an American intelligence operative adrift in irrelevance since the end of the Cold War--much like a masterless samurai, aka "ronin". With his services for sale, he joins a renegade, international team of fellow covert warriors with nothing but time on their hands. Their mission, as defined by the woman who hires them (Natascha McElhone), is to get hold of a particular suitcase that is equally coveted by the Russian mafia and Irish terrorists. As the scheme gets underway, De Niro's lone wolf strikes up a rare friendship with his French counterpart (Jean Reno), gets into a more-or-less romantic frame of mind with McElhone and asserts his experience on the planning and execution of the job--going so far as to publicly humiliate one team member (Sean Bean) who is clearly out of his league. The story is largely unremarkable--there's an obligatory twist midway through that changes the nature of the team's business--but legendary filmmaker John Frankenheimer (Seconds, The Manchurian Candidate) leaps at the material, bringing to it an honest tension and seasoned, breathtaking skill with precision-action direction. The centrepiece of the movie is an honest-to-God car chase that is the real thing: not the how-can-we-top-the-last-stunt cartoon nonsense of Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon) but a pulse-quickening, kinetic dance of superb montage and timing. In a sense, Ronin is almost Frankenheimer's self-quoting version of a John Frankenheimer film.There isn't anything here he hasn't done before but it's sure great to see it all again. --Tom Keogh
Amazon.co.uk Review
Robert De Niro stars as an American intelligence operative adrift in irrelevance since the end of the Cold War--much like a masterless samurai, a.k.a. "ronin". With his services for sale, he joins a renegade, international team of fellow covert warriors with nothing but time on their hands. Their mission, as defined by the woman who hires them (Natascha McElhone), is to get hold of a particular suitcase that is equally coveted by the Russian mafia and Irish terrorists. As the scheme gets underway, De Niro's lone wolf strikes up a rare friendship with his French counterpart (Jean Reno), gets into a more-or-less romantic frame of mind with McElhone, and asserts his experience on the planning and execution of the job--going so far as to publicly humiliate one team member (Sean Bean) who is clearly out of his league. The story is largely unremarkable--there's an obligatory twist midway through that changes the nature of the team's business--but legendary filmmaker John Frankenheimer (Seconds, The Manchurian Candidate) leaps at the material, bringing to it an honest tension and seasoned, breathtaking skill with precision-action direction. The centrepiece of the movie is an pedal-to-the metal car chase that is the real thing: not the how-can-we-top-the-last-stunt cartoon nonsense of Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon), but a pulse-quickening, kinetic dance of superb montage and timing. In a sense, Ronin is almost Frankenheimer's self-quoting version of a John Frankenheimer film. There isn't anything here he hasn't done before, but it's sure great to see it all again. --Tom Keogh
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
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.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Ronin", is for everyone who enjoys Robert DeNiro, a great spy tale, a host of great supporting actors, and some of the more amazing car chases filmed on Europe's very narrow, pre-automotive designed streets. The word Ronin describes a Samurai who has lost his master, and in this film, the word serves as a metaphor for cold warriors that no longer have the same Cold War to fight. The threats are not gone only changed, so the great games that have played host to a variety of films and movies are still available to talented writers and directors who can adapt.
A great deal of the action takes place at high speed on either very narrow urban roads, or wildly twisting mountain stretches that lack the same manner of safety barriers we are accustomed to in The USA, that make the chase scenes all the more amazing. The director and other key players who made the film have racing backgrounds which allowed them to bring a type of realism that goes beyond the typical Hollywood chase.
Jean Reno, Natascha Mcelhone, Stellan Skarsgard, Sean Bean, and Jonathan Pryce all make for a wonderful ensemble cast. The chase is for a case, and the cast that is assembled are allegedly a team in the hunt for a box that no one knows the contents of. The traditional players like the Russians are involved, the CIA, and then the new Russians along with the Irish, and members of agencies that either are active or are not, you never know until the film ends. And even when it does, the DVD offers an alternate ending that changes in a very dramatic manner how the film you just watched concluded.
"Ronin", is a very good film, a definite cut above the average, and well worth the one minute and two hours of your time it will occupy.
24 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
There's no denying it, this is a fantastic film. It's the closest that Holywood's got to making a Luc Besson style film. The acting's great, the pace never gives up, and the car chase scenes are fantastic.
However, to discontinue the original 1-disc version of the DVD in favour of this 2-disc "Special" edition has been a terrible idea.
The special features simply aren't worthy of having their own disc, this has simply been a way for the studios to re-release a 6 year old film at a premium price.
If you can still find the original 1-disc version, save yourself some money, and go for that instead.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Ronin
Great film really good watch some of the car chases are edge of the seat stuff there is one draw-back to the film anyone who has seen it will know what I'm talking about won't... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Anthony Quinlan
A credit to Amazon
I am a great fan of Ronin, I have seen t a fee times but never owned the DVD and the version with the 5.1 soundtrack appealed to me. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Martin
Not one of De Niro's best
I was really looking forward to seeing this film because Robert De Niro was in it, but sadly I thought there was nothing in the storyline and having two car chases in it, does... Read more
Published 6 months ago by M. Taylor
Ronin
This has got to be one of the most exciting films ever made with two fantastic car chases and locations in the South of France and Paris. Highly recommended.
Published 7 months ago by Arljinsci
A really good film.
This is a really good thriller, I loved the location (Côte d'Azur) and the attention to detail of the film making. Read more
Published 12 months ago by S. Swingler
Ronin? You'll be moanin' and groanin'
Lots of big names in the cast, but all this ridiculous guff has to show for it is a couple of car chases through the narrow back streets of Nice and Paris. Read more
Published 14 months ago by George Robinson
The more you put into this film, the more you get out of it
My initial reaction was that there were simply too many twists in the plot for this film's own good. It was hard keep up, and in the end you just gave up trying. Read more
Published 17 months ago by A. P. Monblat
One of De Niros Best and that's saying something!
"A Ronin is a wandering Samurai who has No Master and sells his skills to the highest bidder", so Michael Lonsdale(The Day of the Jackal) explains to Robert De Niro when he has... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Patrick H. Williams
Full of holes...and inconsitancies
The screen fills boastfully with the directors name at the very end of the film and he really doesn't have all that much to boast about. I'm left with nothing but a list of 'why? Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2010 by C. T. DUNCAN
Brooding but excellent actioner!
- ronin: in feudal Japan, Samurai retainers who failed to protect their liege. Dishonoured, they were forced to banditry or become mercenaries. Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2010 by MarmiteMan
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