Ronin (1998)

This movie should just be fine if you want to relax from deep artistic movies with emotionally saturated tones. It's nothing quite new, but it is entertaining and makes you wondering what happens next and who plays who. Phenomenal cast lives up to expectation with their performances, so if someone finds this movie not good enough, well, there are many worldwide famous actors/actresses, so at least you would get to see them on the roll. The movie itself does consist of some scenes of quite naive nature, but this is easy to get over, as it is really an action flick where one doesn't need to think much about plot holes.DISCLAIMER : Everything stated in this review is entirely matter of personal opinion and doesn't have to coincide with the opinions of other reviewers

Hollywood has dropped the ball. Movies like this aren't produced. You see, before computers and impulsive behaviors of the mid 2000s people had to actually think something out and write it down by hand. This working led for greater imagination and thought into their books and films. Ronin is one of those films where it was well thought out and well executed. Nothing is over the top dramatic like today. It's well-balanced and the chemistry between the actors comes off naturally. That is real acting.

From time to time the BankofMarquis is asked to recommend something that folks can stream at home.  This weekend, the Bank rewatched a 20 year old action flick and it held up so well that we have felt compelled to let you know about it.This flick is the 1998 Spy-Action movie RONIN directed by John Frankenhehimer (FRENCH CONNECTION II) and starring Robert DeNiro (before he started doing comedies).RONIN tells the story of a disparate group of ex-Spies who now are mercenaries (the ancient Japanese referred to these types of guns-for- hire as RONIN) who are brought together to steal a case.What's in the case?  It doesn't matter, it's the McGuffin (as Hitchcock put it) to propel the plot together.Frankenheimer has directed a tight, taught thriller where the action is well choreographed and staged and the stakes are high enough for you to care about the characters.And it is the characters that propel this film forward.  Start with DeNiro's portrayal of ex-CIA agent, SAM.  This is the DeNiro as I choose to remember him.  Intense, deep with thought and passion with an aggression and fire in his eye that says upon seeing him that he is someone dangerous and not to mess with.  He is hired by Irish agent Natascha McElhone (an actress who I thought, for sure, would have a much higher profile career) to steal "the case".  Others in the group are a young Sean Bean (way before GAME OF THRONES) as a hot-headed and impetuous British member of the team, the always interesting Stellan Skarsgard (MAMA MIA, amongst others) as the Russian tech-savy member of the group and Jean Reno (LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL) as the French heart and soul, kind of our eyes into this world - it is the relationship between Reno and DeNiro that really propels this film and you actively root for them to succeed, despite all odds.But it is the action that makes or breaks this film - and the action is terrific.  Starting with a shoot out down by the river in Paris, to the actual plan to steal the case to a gripping finale, this one has it all. But - especially - there is one heckuva car chase about 2/3 of the way through this film, one that I put right up there with the chase scenes in BULLITT and THE FRENCH CONNECTION - and I don't say that lightly.  The amazing thing about this chase is that it was made pre-CGI.  ALL effects in this chase are practical effects and they are amazing and spectacular, well worth the time to view this film.Is it a perfect film?  Well...no.  There are some huge plot holes (if you stopped to think about it) and I was thrown out of the film from time to time with the 20 year old technologies (the cell phones are bricks and the computer work is laughable) so I'll knock it down a 1/2 point because of this, but the rest of the film is terrific.  One that, I think, you will be entertained by - if you like this sort of film.RONIN is now streaming on VUDU (free with commercials - they're not much and they didn't pull me out of the film too much).Letter Grade:  A- (because of the dated technology)8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)

A team of mercenaries: Sam (Robert De Niro), former ex-CIA officer; Vincent (Jean Reno), former French intelligence agent; Gregor (Stellan Skarsgård), a KGB-trained East German agent and electronics and surveillance expert; Larry (Skip Sudduth); a mechanic and expert wheelman; and Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), an IRA operative working in Paris, plan an attack on an armed convoy to steal a steel briefcase. Their hijacking is successful, but Gregor takes the case and Deirdre is intercepted by her former IRA handler, Seamus (Jonathan Pryce). Sam and Vincent finds themselves left together and soon make an effective duo. They chase the briefcase through Paris, while competing against Deirdre, Seamus and Gregor's Russian mob buyers for ownership of the case. It also features some of the most elaborate car chase work ever filmed, with pursuits all over the streets and traffic tunnels of Paris. This was made with a number of high performance luxury cars from Peugeot, Audi, Mercedes, and BMW. The car chases were indicative of filmmaker John Frankenheimer, who's the director car racing thriller Grand Prix.