Ronin DVD

Advantages: visually raw and gritty, good performances
Disadvantages: an anti climax, slow moments

...men were called… Ronin” Ronin sees acting legend Robert De Niro and a host of other talented and sometimes underrated actors including Jean Reno, Jonathon Pryce, Stellan Skarsgård and Sean Bean who are under the watchful eye of powerhouse director John Frankenheimer. The backbone of the story is simple. A group of individuals, mercenary’s wouldn’t be too far from the truth with a complicated yet specialised background; ex ...
...BOTTOM LINE Ronin is somewhat of an underrated film at times, and although it does have its flaws i.e. slow moments of script (which by the way is very good) and an anti-climatic ending, it does have some of the most exciting chases ever conceived on celluloid. It is a film that other films want to be but end up falling short. A very worthy thriller that has to be watched intensely and not be had as just background noise. Watch it if you can; not ... Read review

Advantages: Great stunts
Disadvantages: Story could be better

...In traditional Japanese society a Ronin is a samurai who has lost his master, thus forced to sell his services as a mercenary. In this film a group of modern day ‘Ronin’ are hired by a mysterious group led by the never seen Seamus and the ruthless but beautiful Deirdre. They meet for the first time in a run down café in the Montmartre region of Paris. All are experts in their particular field but none know each other or the final purpose of the task ...
...car chases worth it? YES! Ronin easily contains the best chase sequences since the famous Bullet scene, which every car chase is inevitably compared to (who am I to break that tradition). The stunts are breathtaking and no CGI in sight. This is the real thing screeching tyres, burning rubber and all. What makes the action more distinctive is the use of the European locations, narrow streets and alleys and serpentine mountain roads instead of the ... Read review

Advantages: Great acting, direction and story
Disadvantages: None

...really enjoying. That movie was Ronin and since that fateful night watching the movie channels it has become one of my favourite films. It does seem to be a film people discovered more by accident than anything else but I've always thought it was a great film. When a freelancing former US government agent (De Niro) is hired to take part in a job to track down and take a mysterious package it all seems quite easy. The package is wanted by both the ...
...Irish hire a team of Ronin to try and steal the package. The Ronin is a term used for ancient Japanese Samurai Warriors without masters and the group the Irish hire are quite similar to these ancient Warriors. Of course things are never straight forward in this tale of treachery, betrayal and deceit. This is a very fast paced action movie and one of the few I really feel is crying out for a sequel, but will probably never get one. The story keeps ... Read review

Advantages: Raw, gritty, plenty of action and double dealing
Disadvantages: Patchy and a little slow to start

Ronin is a violent Euro action thriller that takes shooting anybody who gets in the way and dangerous car chases into a different league. Starring Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Sean Bean, Jonathon Pryce and a few others and directed by John Franckenheimer, it involves ex-members and current members of the CIA/KGB/IRA and probably a few more groups with initials in them and a mysterious case, which is worth a great deal of money. Somebody has it, someone ...
...steal it; there is double dealing involved; no-one trusts anyone; ideals are misplaced, nerves are fraught as the tension builds. De Niro and a miscellaneous group of professional criminals/operatives are cast unhealthily together by a faction of the IRA to steal a case of something valuable which no-one knows or at least, is willing to divulge. It is hard to truth someone when they have a gun and you don't know them!! The story is a little slow ... Read review

Advantages: Brilliant!, entertaining, realistic
Disadvantages: none

Ronin DVD United Artists/MGM/FGM Entertainment Director : John Frankenheimer Price : £19.99 RRP You might be wondering what Ronin is about, as I doubt many people actually know what the word means. Well in ancient Japan the Samurai were there to protect their masters. If something were to happen to their masters these warriors would lose their sword and then wandered the countryside available for hire. They no longer call them Samurai, they are ...
...the few that could shoot Ronin properly. The main story is about a group of mercenaries hired by an Irish woman, known as Deirdre (played by Natascha McElhone), who have to work as a team to recover what is referred to as a ‘package’. A simple storyline to give a reason to produce many exciting car chases with everyday family vehicles, Peugeots, Mercedes, BMWs and Audis. The group consists of ronin from different countries, with different ... Read review

Advantages: Chase Scenes, Witty Dialogue, Very Entertaining
Disadvantages: Not Good If you Don't Know French Or Like Reading Subtitles, Poor DVD

...than films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon... perhaps because it's not in 'simple' dialogue. The DVD is very poor, all you get is a trailer & the normal scene access from the well presented menus. It would have been nice to see how they filmed the car chases like on the Ronin DVD. That's about it really... worth seeing if you like something a bit different. It's rated 15 & has a running time of about 90 minutes.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Enjoyable Bondesque style action thriller
Disadvantages: None

...consideration paid to anyone during the movie that might meet with a bullet accidentally or otherwise. The language is quite safe, no preponderance of bad language to offend just the odd swear word as and when required. Is Ronin any good? Well it is, but its not one of those films that you’ll walk away going “that’s really good”. Its one of those movies that you realise is good but cant imagine why you have not watched it more often. Today’s viewing was the first time I’d seen the film since 1999. And I remember looking at my old DVD on many occasions thinking on whether to watch it or not. Unfortunately it took the definitive edition to make me see it again. The Definitive Edition quotes “Experience the fast paced and furious action of Ronin like never before with this Definitive Edition that boasts the films best ever picture quality all... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: A nice box, a good game
Disadvantages: The film and most of the special features

...and by a Blue –Ray or High Definition DVD player. The sound quality is greatly improved also, seemingly going beyond the previous incarnations of the disc. I have 7 of these “Definitive Editions” the most impressive having been Alien, Aliens, and Ronin. However here in Predator we have something a little different. I feel like I have been done!!! This DVD is far from exceptional in respect of print quality, in fact I have seen a clearer print when its been shown on the TV. The picture is very grainy, and gritty, and in particular during three scenes, its almost like having a VHS back again. Arnold Scwarzennegger (pronounced Sfartsnegger, now Swortsenegger as I so often hear) stars as Dutch the leader of a team of cracked troops sent across the border of Mexico in search of a politician shot down in a helicopter. Having quickly taken control... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful