In association with

Ronin [1998]
from MGM Entertainment
starring Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean
directed by John Frankenheimer

Features:

• PAL
• Widescreen

Editorial 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

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

DVD Special Features

Alternative Ending
'Filming in the Fast Lane' making-of featurette
Feature-length commentary by director, John Frankenheimer
Original Theatrical Trailer
8-page booklet containing exclusive behind-the-scenes information
Soundtrack English 5.1
Subtitles: English/Hard of hearing English

David Mamet wrote this screenplay under the name Richard Weisz, as a gun for hire, much like the masterless samurai of the film's title, who roamed Japan in the 19th century, loyal only to themselves. A group of men with highly developed skills are called to a meeting in a deserted warehouse in Paris. Sam (Robert De Niro), an American, may be ex-CIA. Vincent (Jean Reno), the terminally cool Frenchman, is a mystery. Russian computer whiz Gregor (Stellan Skarsgaard) is presumably ex-KGB, and Spence (Sean Bean), a British demolitions man, and Larry (Skipp Suddith), another American, round out the team. They've been hired by the IRA, through liaison Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), to steal a briefcase of unknown contents somewhere in Europe. As the unit races from one spectacular location on the French Riviera to another, the Tec-9 reigns, the body count mounts, some Russian gangsters get into the act, and the betrayals come fast and furious. In a rare comic moment, Sam stitches up his own bullet wound, an act of tongue-in-cheek Hemingwayism, and asks a friend to finish before he passes out. RONIN features an exceptional cast, sumptuous locations, and the kind of realistic, high-coefficient-of-adversity car chases and action scenes that one expects from a director of John Frankenheimer's skills.

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

• It's a belter!
  A great story which leaves plenty to the imagination, and THAT is a refreshing change! The cast are all perfectly chosen and play their parts perfectly; from the slightly cynical but cautious and methodical de Niro character, to the female lead (Natascha McElhone) who never really seems to be in control, much as she'd like to think she is! It was also a stroke of genius in the surprises department to dump one of the main characters part way through the film.
  It's a fast-paced film with superbly filmed... more info

• brilliant!!
  What a terrific film. I started watching this late round my fiance's thinking i would probably be asleep before the end but i couldn't even shut my eyes because of how gripped i was! Not normally a fan of films about government or secret agent related agendas i wasn't really expecting much from it on that basis either but I was positively shocked by the brilliant acting and fantastic plot, only reason i wouldn't rate it five would be because even though it was great i think it would tire me out too much to... more info

• A great action film!
  Robert De Nero is one of my favourite actors,and this is one of my favourite films!I think the action scenes have a hard edge to them,but I was enthralled.The gun battles are great,and the car chases are tremendous.I liked Jean Reno's rugged character,playing alongside Robert De Nero's mysterious figure.I'd certainly want these two chaps on my side,in any fight!

• Timeless
  I bought this DVD just because I wanted the film in the right ratio compared to when it's shown on television. Its average price is a fiver now but it's well worth it to have a 70s throwback of an action film with great car chases and other action and where the motivations of these lead characters aren't laboured over 45 extra minutes than the film requires.
  It was great in the cinema and I'm glad I finally own it, though like another reviewer said, where did those ten years go?!

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