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Ronin (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:59
Fresh:40
Rotten:19
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: This is comparable to French Connection with great action, dynamic road chase scenes, and solid performances.
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: 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... 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 Yank, 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 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, and asks a friend to finish before he passes out. RONIN features an exceptional cast, sumptuous locations, and the kind of realistic car chases and action scenes that one expects from a director of John Frankenheimer's skills. [More]
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Jonathan Pryce, Natascha McElhone
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Jonathan Pryce, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgaard, Sean Bean, Katarina Witt
Director: John Frankenheimer
Director: John Frankenheimer
Screenwriter: J.D. Zeik, David Mamet
Producer: Frank Mancuso
Composer: Elia Cmiral
Reviews for Ronin
But despite some attempts to make this a deeper than usual actioner, Frankenheimer's film is just your typical actioner.
It was like sitting at home on a lazy Saturday afternoon, watching one of those old-fashioned action movies where you don't care about the plot because it's so much fun simply watching car chases and big stars shooting at each other.
Frankenheimer propels this tale of intrigue through its tightly plotted paces with such conviction that he even makes an action hero out of Robert De Niro.
The stunts make a considerably more vivid impression than any of the movie's potpourri of characters.
Whatever the film lacks in coherence it makes up for in spectacular car chases.
Latest News for Ronin
May 02, 2007:
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