Ronin
(R, 2:01:34, Released 1998)
| Genres: | Action & Adventure |
| Release Date: | Sep 25, 1998 |
| DVD Release Date: | May 15, 2001 |
| Starring: | Jean Reno, Jonathan Pryce, Natascha McElhone, Robert De Niro, Sean Bean, Stellan Skarsgård |
| Directed by: | John Frankenheimer |
| Synopsis: | 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 centerpiece 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 |
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Other Top Reviews
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November 22, 2009
I think that this film had a lot of potential and by all means should have been great. You have a great cast including Robert De Niro, Sean Bean, and Jean Reno. The story is also fairly interesting, but the end result is a overly drawn out and boring.
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November 9, 2009
this is a good action movie.should
seethis one.very exciting -
November 1, 2009
best cars chase ever
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October 21, 2009
Good movie, De Niro and Skarsgård is good as always :)
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September 29, 2009
Too much spy. Poor Robert De Niro.
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September 25, 2009
excelente si te gusta la accion y las carreras en atos persecuciones
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September 22, 2009
Best car pursuit ever. Robert De Niro and Jean Reno make a fantastic couple in this film without undermining the rest of the cast.
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September 17, 2009
Good action. Good cast.
57/100 -
September 14, 2009
a very good action thriller
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September 14, 2009
De Niro and Reno are brilliant together in this samurai influenced French heist thriller. Skarsgard also does well as an unlikely bad guy. This film is almost perfect but unfortunately Sean Bean ruins it by putting on one of the worst performances ever! Still, highly recommended!
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September 12, 2009
1998 - Ronin returns to the gritty, rustic and deadly serious actioners of the Seventies. I'll admit I didn't really like Ronin when I first saw it, but it grew on me. No one can deny Ronin's importance as a real action picture. So if you have not seen it then watch it.
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September 8, 2009
Its canny, i dont understand what it has to do with samurai tho
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September 3, 2009
Absolutly amazing car chases. De Niro is class as always. But I'm still not sure why it was called Ronin. good watch.
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August 25, 2009
Well this is one of the great action movie to be watch ...truly awesome :)
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August 21, 2009
intense with twists of betrayals & lots of action...
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August 15, 2009
Some incredible action scenes in this one.. some of the best car chase scenes in any movie.. but the plot is typical fare and prevents the movie from being really good.
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August 12, 2009
Had everything going for it with a good story basis and great cast, but it ended being confusing and shit. The car chases were fantastic through the little streets of Paris and it actually made a Peugeot look half decent. De Niro and Reno tried to save this, but it was just fucked. Still have no idea what they were chasing after!
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August 7, 2009
Fun and interesting for the most part, but Frankenheimer's direction is pretty clunky (even in the much-lauded car chases) and the music and sound design are B-movie quality at best.
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July 24, 2009
Bobby D, need to see this movie again to give a proper rating
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July 18, 2009
Real darkhorse of a movie here, came outta nowhere, the car chases are the best I've ever seen and the gun fights also rock bigtime. The story is basic but the cast is a real gem and possibly the best line up for along time. Great action that grips you to the end. Love Beans short role.....'bit of rasberry jam back there eh..bit of rasberry jam' lol lol brilliant.
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July 16, 2009
Deirdre: You're scared!
Sam: Of course I'm scared! You think I'm reluctant because I'm happy? -
July 16, 2009
Great action and great car chases.
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July 14, 2009
Own it on Laser Disc
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July 13, 2009
Another excellent plot twister. Another strong performance from De Niro
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July 11, 2009
A brilliant film. Smart, thrilling and explosive. It's stylish, well-crafted and original. Spectacular non-stop action and suspense. Filled with explosive gun battles and exhilerating car chases. Action films dont get any better than this. It's a pure adreniline-rush. Excitment you can cut with a knife. Robert De Niro and Jean Reno are at their absolute best, their perfectly cast. A pulse-pounding ride that is really entertaining. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. A masterpiece. It ismade with real epic scope and is delivered expertly.
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July 10, 2009
One of your better heist movies with DeNiro in top form. It contains a very good car chase as well.
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July 10, 2009
Pretty terrific film i gotta say, DeNiro nail that part of his character, he's the shit in this one and is never wrong!
Ronin is the Japanese word used for Samurai without a master. In this case, the Ronin are outcast specialists of every kind, whose services are available to everyone - for money. Dierdre (undoubtedly from Ireland) hires several Ronin to form a team in order to retrieve an important suitcase from a man who is about to sell it to the Russians. After the mission has been completed successfully, the suitcase immediately gets switched by a member of the team who seems to work into his own pocket. The complex net of everyone tricking everyone begins to surface slowly, and deadly... -
July 5, 2009
best... at d 1st i couldnt understand what ronin is about... hehehe...
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July 4, 2009
John Frankenheimer's resume may not look that impressive, but in 1998, a gem of a film known as Ronin shines out to the public.
The pacing for this 2 hour movie is a tad slow, however the characters and story make it worth the watch. Stealing a case sounds really simple, and it is, but the double crossing keeps things interesting and entertaining.
There is a decent amount of action, which comes in the form of gun fights and car chases. Let's talk about these car chases; the second one to be more specific. Absolutely superb. There is no slow motion or constant carnage and explosions. Just a little of the latter. It is just pure real time adrenaline. Everything ranging from the camerawork, to the editing, and to the driving is just fantastic, and this makes both car chases, but more the second, some of the greatest chases ever caught on film.
The casting is also nicely done. Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, and everyone else fit perfectly into this story and style of film. Michael Lonsdale and the ice skating phenom, Katarina Witt, also show up for some small roles.
Ronin is one intriguing crime thriller with great characters and car chases. Watch it and ask yourself "What's in the case?"
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July 1, 2009
Good chase scenes, but I remember this film being 2 hours of boredom.
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June 14, 2009
This movie is hard. So hard.
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June 10, 2009
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 warri...
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June 9, 2009
Great movie - nice suspense, great acting, good story.
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June 6, 2009
(1997)The cold war maybe over, but a new world order keeps a group of covert mercenaries-whose skills in surveillance, reconnaissance & attack r legendary-employed by the highest bidder.These operatives for hire, known as Ronin, are assembled in France by a mysterious client for an extremely dangerous mission; steal a top secret suitcase. This seemingly easy task soon proves explosive as other underworld organizations vie for the same prize. But to get the job done, this ragtag group of misfits, led by an ex-CIA agent named Sam (De Niro), must do something they've never done before-trust each other! featuring some of the most exciting car chases, this movie's a Knockout!
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June 3, 2009
"Your ally could become your enemy"
A freelancing former US intelligence agent tries to track down a mysterious package that is wanted by both the Irish and the Russians.REVIEW
A slam-bang actioner that pulls no punches, takes no prisoners, and never slows down for a minute--except for an excruciating scene in which Robert DeNiro directs the removal of a bullet from his own abdomen. Director John Frankenheimer hasn't been in form this good since "The French Connection"; this is the best heist movie in years. The fine ensemble cast generates an on-screen tension that cracks and sparks until the inevitable betrayal and, amazingly, doesn't fall apart afterward. If for no other reason, "Ronin" is worth seeing for its stunning location cinematography. All its high-speed car chases were filmed on location in France, with the actual cast. DeNiro's performance is one of understated excellence, and Natasha McElhone blazes white-hot as a terrorist whose motives and loyalties are kept as secret as the contents of the locked suitcase so desperately sought by all. -
June 2, 2009
i watched this whenever it came out but i couldn't really appreciate it..........i was like 12.....see it like maybe 5 years ago and liked it......WHATS IN THE CASE......my guess is a limited edition beany baby.........haha..........lol.....
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June 1, 2009
De Niro and Reno are one amazing dupla!! the plot has some weaknesses but the perfomances overcome all possible difficulties
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June 1, 2009
I didn't much care for this film. It was okay, but it was incredibly underwhelming.
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May 23, 2009
This is a spetacular action movie.
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May 23, 2009
Great to see 10 out of 10
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May 22, 2009
Not Deniro's best but it is still a classic.
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May 21, 2009
me gustan este tipo de peliculas
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May 15, 2009
seen it just dont remember it
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May 14, 2009
robert de niro was fantastic
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May 13, 2009
Increased a half star. Love the cast.
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May 8, 2009
A suspense per suspense...
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May 7, 2009
Best action film to come in years. Goes back to the gritty feel of 70;s action films.
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May 5, 2009
The Irish guy is sick!
(Is the Sean Bean's shortest role in a film?)
