Ronin

Rating:
Summary: Tight film, tight commentary
Review: Ronin is one of the best action films out there and that has a lot to do with the intelligence and attention to detail that was involved with every element.

However, I only discovered my favorite feature of this DVD the other night when we realized we had never watched the Director's commentary. John Frankenheimer delivered an incredibly informative narrative, really getting down to the nitty-gritty of technical aspects of creating a film. He discussed film processing techniques, working with local governmental jurisdictions in France, specific editing and framing techniques, just to name a few. He also covered his overall vision for the movie and it was evident that this was a film in which he takes great pride. These insights were not only incredibly engaging in the context of this particular film, but taught me new things about the nuts and bolts of the film industry. Other reviewers have said that the DVD does not contain enough extra materials, but Frankenheimer's commentary was much more worth my time than any European trailer edits.

As for the film itself....The acting is crazy good (c'mon, DeNiro and Jean Reno!! not to mention everyone else on screen) The chase scenes are some of the best out there (though some of the tension is lost on viewers not aquainted with the ridiculously narrow streets of Europe). Also,unlike many other action movies, the plot is complex enough to keep my interest instead of only providing interludes between gunfire. As for the specific story line: if you haven't seen it, don't waste time expecting me to give you the Cliff Notes! Get the DVD!

Rating:
Summary: A thinking man's Bond film.
Review: This is a wonderful film. The funny thing is, I agree with a a lot of the "negative" things said about the film: the car chases are overdone and not at all the best parts of the film, Jean Reno is a wonderful actor and deserved a more substantial presence, and the movie's withholding-of-information gimmick is more annoying than cute. However, that said, I still think it's a wonderful film. The cast is uniformly excellent, particularly Robert De Niro himself, whose incredible talent and presence is finally showcased to some measure of justice (although in general, I continue to be depressed by his other sub-par projects, like Meet the Parents, but I digress). The story is wonderful and sharp...the endless chess games and betrayals lend it a gritty, realistic feel that has won me over to spy movies in a way I didn't think could happen (the Bond series and Mission Impossible, the closest Hollywood parallels, are just plain intelligence-insulting). This is a thinking man's Bond film, and I truly hope we can get more, especially with the same cast and characters (or most, anyway).

Rating:
Summary: CLOTHED WOMEN in ACTION FILMS ARE INVISIBLE TO MALE VIEWERS!
Review: "An Anti-Action, anti-formula movie" was my initial choice for a tag line for this review...but I wanted something more enticing! If you've gotten this far, you're probably looking for a little clarification. Here it is:

It is indeed rare to encounter a truly original element in any movie. Much rarer still, is to have such originality overlooked completely by the viewing public. When this occurs, it really upsets me. RONIN offers us just such an unheralded moment of cinematic history!

Initially curious to see what percent of Amazon reviewers had commented on the totally unique and unprecedented selection of a female driver, in what is, undoubtedly,the most REALISTIC cinema chase sequence of the past 20 years, systematically, I began scouring the reviews. What I discovered has not ceased to amaze me! I would like to share the results with you, and let you gauge your own reaction.

Out of the 212 reviews that were posted at the time, I carefully went over 70 of them! (About 1/3) Only ONE reviewer used a name clearly belonging to woman. Unfortunately, she restricted herself to only 15 or 20 words, so she really didn't end up saying much of anything! (Of course, there were perhaps 7 or 8 anonymous reviews.)

Of the 70 reviews, 50, or more, made reference to the chase scene .(Between 80 & 90 percent of those comments were basically positive.

Although Robert De Niro and Jean Reno were the only two actors in the film who definitely had more on-screen time than Natascha McElhone,(Dierdre, the chase car driver from HELL!)close to 20 reviewers commented on other actors, whose on-screen time wasn't half that of hers. Only 6 or 7 chose to mention her at all! Probably, more reviewers sited Katarina Witt's 3 or 4 minute cameo spot! (Of course, she was much more scantily clad than Ms. McElhone!)

Finally, out of 50, or so, who did talk about the chase scenes, ONLY ONE linked McElhone to them directly! Amazingly, paraphrasing here the reviewer's words, "The car chase scenes are very authentic. (Except that Natascha McElhone looks like she has never driven fast in her life!)" Well, all I can say is, after having screened the scene at least a dozen times, it seems to me that this reviewer was watching a different RONIN!

Some might argue that THELMA & LOUISE had car chases. These were all together different, because the movie revolved entirely around its title characters. In RONIN, nobody seems to make a big deal out of the fact, and it is actually Dierdre's boss who pointedly barks at her, "YOU DRIVE!"

Is there a lesson to be learned here? Apparently, all this tends to bear out the title of this review..."Clothed women in Action films are invisible to male viewers!" Sad, because RONIN has a lot more to offer than just the chase scenes. It pays yet another subtle tribute to the prowess of women, when an ex-East German operative (Stellan Skarsgaerd) says, "I've hired the very best sniper assassin...She never misses!"

More than anything else, RONIN provides an utterly believable inside-track on the post-Cold War mercenary and the shadowy, detached world he inhabits, reminiscent of the insider's glimpse of real-world spies offered in the classic, The SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD.

If it's John Woo style Action films that make your day...You'll probably find RONIN much too realistic, too cerebral, too noir and too explosionless for your tastes! On the other hand, if you like your Action movies well grounded in reality, RONIN is a near classic, anti-action, anti-formula film, with a most refreshing European aftertaste, that you will find quite engrossing and enjoyable!

Rating:
Summary: Ronin A Departure for DeNiro
Review: That is Robert DeNiro starring in an action movie, though to kids not farmilar with his performances in Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, it's not suprising to see him compromising his art. That's not to say Ronin's a bad film, in fact it's pretty good, but in retrospect it marked the beginning of a long slide for DeNiro that has yet to end. While churning out money-makers at a record pace he has yet to return to form and hasn't given a truly phenomenal performance since Cape Fear. This time he stars as an ex-CIA operative whose left out in the cold after the Cold War has ended. This leads to more than a few car chases and coming from the director of The French Connection, they don't disappoint. Natasha McElphone turns in another steller performance coming off of two of my favorite movies - The Truman Show and The Devil's Own. The locations are some of the best in film for a long time, reminsant of the days when that actually meant something. Buckle in because this is one wild ride and while not much else you're sure to be satisfied with the results.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Movie Is The Name Of The Game
Review: That "Ronin" has a vague ending and entirely obfuscates (i) character motivation and (ii) what's inside the case is probably one of its strong suits. The original draft of the script written by J.D. Zeik is formulaic and chock-full of hackneyed action sequences that really took away from the story. The subsequent rewrite(s) by David Mamet paints an altogether different film, one sparse with violence that is both realistic and smart at the same time. To say that "Ronin" isn't like other action films is a good thing, since being derivative is far from a compliment in most books. The car-chase scenes, of course, stand out and are very good, but I prefer the smaller moments in the film, the ones that build the friendship between Jean Reno's character and Robert Deniro's (although I felt this could've been explored more). If you don't own this film or haven't seen it, well... You're missing out and should be rounded up and put into a special internment camp, where you will be kept until you watch this film and like it... You anti-"Ronin" people disgust me.

Rating:
Summary: Two words for this dvd. Car Chases.
Review: If you have yet to see Ronin then it's a shame since seeing this in a large theater with great surround sound was the optimal environment. However, in this day and age of great home theaters you can still get most of the same effect. Find a great home theater, if you don't own one, and see this with the audio turned up loooooud. The car chase sequences are amazing and on a good sized screen with a surround sound setup it's a very intense ride. The movie otherwise is an above average spy thriller with some nice twists and good performances for the most part. Picture and sound are both very nice on the dvd so kudos to MGM on that front. Extras are a bit lacking but you do get an alternate ending and a few other things so thanks to the studio for at least giving us those.

Rating:
Summary: A Paradox in Spy films.
Review: Ronin tries to entice viewers by revealing as little information as possible about the characters but the omission of each person's motivation regarding the suitcase makes the audience not care. Movies are supposed to convey information to its viewers. Espionage films especially have this duty but Ronin does not do this.

The last line in the script was something to the effect of "No answers, no questions". Clearly Ronin is all about the former: "no answers".

Rating:
Summary: A Thrilling, Interesting, Awesome Spy Movie
Review: When I first heard about Ronin on TV, I knew I had to go see it. I was not disappointed. Great action sequences (including two of the best car chases in film), a solid plot, and outstanding acting by Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, and Jonathan Pryce made this movie my favorite. I have personally seen Ronin seven times, and each time I am amazed by the quality of the film.

There's more to this movie than the action sequences, and it recalls the days when action movies were not just pure action all the time. When I first saw the samurai minature sequence, I thought it was uncessary and boring, but after time, I have come to think it an interesting and important part of the story. Some people might find Ronin a bit boring at times, but it has a strong plotline that is unpredicatble, and just enough action without going overboard.

This DVD doesn't have many extra features at all, although I absolutely loved the director's commentary. Otherwise, it's sorely lacking in features, despite the alternate ending. I wish that MGM would have released this as a special edition - it would have been my favorite DVD of all time - still, I highly recommend it because Ronin is such an awesome movie.

Rating:
Summary: RONIN DVD REVIEW: Riveting but special features....where?
Review: This movie is known as one of the best car-chase movies ever! I agree! This movie is known to be expensive to create and you'll be at the edge of your seat from beginning to end. It's that cool!

De Niro and the others were great in the movie. I was just really hypnotized by the action. The audio was digital 5.1 and some areas sound real good. Especially the engine rev's! The color was pretty good as well. If there was any problem with the movie, I saw some editing cut-to-scene problems like four or five times.

In the extra's department, this is where this DVD is lacking. It comes with a commentary and also an alternate ending. An ending that I'm glad was not included in the movie. But that's it....no trailer, no deleted scenes (aside the ending) and we are left with an awesome movie missing some really cool stuff that should be there...

Oh well....the movie is definitely worth getting on DVD. The color and sounds are brilliant. The store is riveting and I'm really impressed. If you want to own a movie with the best car chase scene ever (some say "Corruptor" has a great car scene chase), then check out "Ronin".

Rating:
Summary: A DVD review
Review: This film is one of my favorite thrillers. The picture and sound are excellent. The alternative ending is better and makes more sense. Although it has just a few seconds added to the original ending it makes a big difference. The commentary is by the director is very good giving a lot of interesting trivia on the actors and the filming. The 'stunning' 8-page booklet isn't that stunning. Only 4 pages of text and not much more information than the director gives in the commentary. An excellent DVD to have in your collection especially if you like thrillers.