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Ronin

Ronin

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $11.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: entertaining movie- not for those with short attention spans
Review: I can't believe that some people are bored by this movie because of all the "boring parts." I guess anything that isn't a chase scene is boring. I think I outgrew that phase of my life where I wasn't interested in the "talking" parts of movies. Come on people, your attention spans should be long enough to follow conversations, even if they are muffled. Oh yeah - YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT'S IN THE CASE! It's like what Jean Reno's character said at the end - something about "not knowing is the nature of the business. Accept it." [paraphrase] Bottom Line: ignore the reviews, watch the movie and decide for yourself.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great thinking (wo)man's movie.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The scenery and location was real and beautiful at the same time. To me it had a very non-Hollywood feel, and a terrific realism applied to everything; especially the gun fights and the *incredible* car chase scenes. You'll appreciate the detail even more if you listen to the director's comments on the DVD version. One of those movies that, after you watch it, you feel like you've read a book instead of watched a flick.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Dynamite and damp squib
Review: John Frankenheimer is at his strongest when combining human endeavour with automated weight, as "The Train" and "Grand Prix" showed. In Ronin he tries more of the same, but with patchy results. Nothing wrong with the casting, or the fundamentals of the plot. A collection of strong actors strike sparks off each other as they establish interrelationships prior to a big heist. Shades of "Reservior Dogs" perhaps, but here although the director adheres strictly to a real chronology we soon become aware that we are as much in the dark as the protagonists, and that treachery and double-dealing can only be just around the corner. DeNiro seems to be reprising his role in "Heat" and Reno is as reliable as ever as the film gets into gear. The first set piece, a bungled exchange of cash for a cache of arms on the rain-slicked banks of the Seine, sets the tempo and begins to expose the strengths and weaknesses of the characters. We are then quickly brought to the main heist itself, a protracted and violent sequence which includes bravura car stunts done without digital effects, front or back projection and with very little undercranking. Cinema at its gripping, visceral best. But as the plot begins to twist and develop, Ronin seems to lose its edge and quality. Some questionable performances from Jonathan Pryce and others, very uneven pacing and a rash of storyline quirks combine to stall the movie just when one expected more. Perhaps as a traditional three-act structure this would not have happened, but such devices are no longer fashionable. Here, the director has mismanaged foreshadowing, undermined believability and failed to develop the character arcs sufficiently. A second car chase is superficially spectacular but overlong and cliched, borrowing heavily from "To Live and Die in LA". Worse is the lamentable climax at an ice rink, of all places, and a lame coda for DeNiro and Reno that really lets down the ending. The DVD contains an alternative ending which is slightly better. Fans of the genre and the director will admire Ronin, and it is a good film. What a pity it did not aspire to be a great one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best action film of 1998
Review: In a tired genre, Frankenheimer has managed to create new life. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and it was a "thinking" plot, not just a shoot-em-up. De Niro was excellent, but Natascha McElhone was fantastic as an IRA terrorist.

Visual Impact: excellent
Sound: excellent+
Features: excellent
Scene Selection: fair
Price: excellent+


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: RIVETING!
Review: Ronin is a daring movie in the tradition of "The French Connection" with characteristics quite typical of most James Bond films. Characterization is obviously not one of the fine points of the film, but who says that is important? It has powerful action sequences, car chases, and the classic intrigue of international espionage. Spy movies have thrilled audiences since Hitchcock's "Torn Curtain" and will continue to fascinate. The ending was quite believable although not too desirable to many. I personally loved the story. If for nothing else, watch this film for the car chases because the Audi is AWESOME!!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good
Review: The trailer was incredible, but the movie isn't as good. The only reason I watched it is Bobby De Niro, and he was so cool in it. Excellent car chase scenes. Excellent direction. Wonderful performances.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An intelligent espionage thriller
Review: Ronin is quite simply one of the 90's best films. John Frankenheimer did a brilliant job of creating a smart, while thoroughly entertaining espionage thriller. DeNiro, Reno, Pryce and the rest of the cast are clearly in their element in this movie. The car chases set in the south of France are marvellous, you will rewind this sequence over and over!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ROBERT DE NIRO IS GREATEST AGAIN AFTER " HEAT "
Review: What more words to say DeNiro is the best brilliant star to enter crime movies like " Ronin " and " Heat ". NOBODY DOES IT BETTER !

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: I was quite disappointed that this movie was not marketed well when it was initially released in the US. I took a gamble on it because I remembered seeing the poster in the subway, and boy was I glad that I saw it.

The transfer to DVD was excellent, and the audio track with Frankenheimer adds to the detail of the film. I would recommend this movie to anyone who appreicates a good thriller with action (i.e. The Usual Suspects)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Absolutely Brilliant!
Review: This is an absolutely brilliant film, with some stunning car chases. Buy it!


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