Ronin

1998

2.5/4 Stars

Ronin is an action film that boasts a tremendous cast of international talent. Headed by Robert De Niro, the cast also includes familiar faces such as Sean Bean, Natascha McElhone, Jean Reno, Stellen Skarsgard, and Jonathan Pryce. Each of these players is, for some reason, in desperate search of a steel suitcase (Hitchcock's mcguffin). Along the way there are gun fights, car chases, explosions, and more civilian casualties than I can ever remember seeing in a film. All of it is set on the winding cobblestone streets of France.

These various locations throughout France serve the film well and the medieval layout of many of the cities adds to the intensity of the excellent car chases. The movie literally and figuratively puts the gas pedal down at full tilt for most the picture, letting up only for a sequence in which De Niro's Sam stops to get a bullet removed from his body. It is during this sequence that a wise grizzly man offers some exposition on what a "Ronin" is (I won't spoil it here).

There are some plot twists, but this film is a pretty standard action/chase movie. It is a bit above average with its excellent Euro cast and its fun locations. The overall pacing of the film is distinctively un-Hollywood, which gives it an exotic feel. Very good, but not great.