Search
What's Hot
Day-by-Day Fall Schedule
Idol Winner Speaks!
Jim Parsons Comes Out
Game of Thrones Star's Sex Stare

Ronin

1998, Movie, R, 121 mins

Ronin: Review

RONIN
starstarstarstar
A throwback to morose, washed-out-looking, '70s thrillers (think THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, THE FRENCH CONNECTION and DAY OF THE JACKAL), by director John Frankenheimer, who's been there and done that. Five professional killers converge in Paris, summoned by the tight-lipped Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), who answers to the ruthless Seamus (Jonathan Pryce) and reveals only that she wants the men to steal a closely guarded metal briefcase. Jacks-of-all-trades Sam and Vincent (Robert De Niro and Jean Reno) are, respectively, an American ex-CIA operative and a French coordinator of mysterious pedigree. Eastern European Gregor (Stellan Skarsgard) is a computer specialist. The Englishman Spence (Sean Bean) specializes in weapons and Larry (Skip Sudduth), another American, is the driver. The mercenaries don't know what's in the briefcase, don't trust each other and think Deirdre is in over her head. Deirdre is clearly troubled by the assignment, vicious Russian gangsters -- led by the volatile Mikhi (Feodor Atkine) -- are gumming up the works, and one of the five betrays the rest, so the mission dissolves into a bloody, vengeance-driven game of cat and mouse. Frankenheimer pretty much ignores everything that's happened in the action and thriller genres since 1975, and mostly that's a good thing. It's a relief to see car chases that don't look like high-gloss bumper-car exhibitions, action sequences that aren't aquiver with ultrafast cuts, and professional killers who aren't wisecracking comedians. Frankenheimer, whose GRAND PRIX raised the bar for high-speed auto footage, delivers some brisk action sequences, but his real interest lies in the casually cruel compromises and betrayals that go with the mercenary territory. The question, of course, is whether contemporary thrill junkies can get past the fact that this somber tale delivers no knee-jerk adrenaline rush or cheap moral redemption to justify sitting through the nastiness. leave a comment --Maitland McDonagh
Are You Watching?
Ronin
Loading ...
Advertisement

Our Partners

Advertisement

Related Websites

You might be also interested in the following websites:

Most Popular TV Shows

  1. American Idol
  2. NCIS
  3. Big Bang Theory
  4. Voice
  5. Person of Interest
more popular tv shows

Most Popular Celebrities

  1. Jessica Simpson
  2. Khloe Kardashian
  3. Kate Middleton
  4. Maria Menounos
  5. Kim Kardashian
more popular celebrities

Most Popular Movies

  1. Avengers
  2. Battleship
  3. The Dictator
  4. Dark Shadows
  5. What To Expect When You're Expecting
more popular movies

Top Videos

  1. Revenge
  2. So You Think You Can Dance
  3. Modern Family
  4. Days of our Lives
  5. The Big Bang Theory
more top videos