Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

 

Fox Home Entertainment – 121 minutes – 1998 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS-HD Lossless 5.1 Audio Mix

 

 

A good spy/espionage thriller is hard to come by, so for those of you who have never seen Ronin, you’re in for something worthy. Ronin is the Japanese term for a masterless samurai. This premise has been updated to relate to current world assassins and spies who no longer have anything to fight for, so they’ll do anything for a price. Ronin is available on Blu-ray from MGM/Fox Home Entertainment, packed full of action.

 

THE MOVIE

 

Ronin takes place in Paris centering around a mysterious woman named Dierdre (Natascha McElhone), who has assembled a team of men from various regions of the world for a secret mission to retrieve a briefcase, in which no one knows the contents, before it can be sold to the Russians. The team consists of a group who only use first names (made up most likely), Sam (Robert De Niro), Vincent (Jean Reno), Gregor (Stellan Skarsgard), Spense (Sean Bean), and Larry (Skipp Sudduth).

 

This team is not exactly compatible with one another, but money makes them temporarily put their differences aside. The mission to retrieve the briefcase is successful until one member of the team betrays the others and takes the case for himself to sell to the highest bidder. The remaining members of the group must work together to go after the rogue player to get back the briefcase and settle the score.

 

Ronin was directed by John Frankenheimer, who helmed such movies as The Manchurian Candidate and Black Sunday, so he’s no stranger to thrillers. With Paris as the backdrop there are various expertly maneuvered action sequences such as car chases through narrow streets and gun fights that highlight the sights of the city. Anyone who enjoyed the Jason Bourne films will appreciate this film, because it has the same feel and pacing with gritty environments and many elements hidden in shadows.

 

This film works because it’s taken seriously, with no over the top action sequences or visual effects. Everything is shot to reflect what would occur realistically in every situation. The violence is real with no punchline to fully demonstrate how dangerous the situation is. De Niro gives an excellent performance as the only American in the bunch, and Reno, who is most famous as for his role as Leon in The Professional, is a perfect match to work alongside him.

 

Anyone who desires to see a solid thriller directed by a master filmmaker should definitely put Ronin on their list of must-sees. It was rumored that Ronin was supposed to be the first in a series of espionage thrillers featuring De Niro’s character, but somehow this never came to be, which is a shame because De Niro is so good in the role that you want to know more about this mystery man.

 

VIDEO

 

Presented in full 1080p with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Ronin looks good on Blu-ray highlighting strong textures and rich blacks. Paris’ architecture becomes a character in the film because even when the action is intense, the setting it’s occurring in stands out. Grain is present in certain scenes, but given the premise of these dark characters, it adds to what is being visually translated.

 

AUDIO

 

Ronin features a DTS-HD Lossless 5.1 audio mix that is very effective in immersing the viewer. Dialogue sounds crisps and when the action takes, whether it is a car chase or a gunfight, the sound design is top notch. Background noises are especially highlighted, making crowd scenes sound fully three-dimensional.

 

EXTRAS

 

For some reason none of the features that were on the DVD have been ported over to the Blu-ray, so the audio commentary by director John Frankenheimer has been omitted, and the only single feature is the film’s theatrical trailer. What a letdown.

 

BOTTOM LINE

 

Ronin is an excellent well-paced action thriller that is a must for fans of the genre. This Blu-ray offers excellent picture and sound quality, but the lack of bonus features is a disappointment. If you don’t care about the extras and just love the film, then this is a step up from the standard DVD.

 

SCORES (out of 5):

 

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 0.5

Bottom Line: 3.0