# Ronin (1998)

### reviewed by
Craig Roush

    RONIN

    *** (out of 4) - a good movie

Release Date: September 25, 1998 Starring: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Jonathan Pryce, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgard, Sean Bean, Katarina Witt Directed by: John Frankenheimer Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer MPAA Rating: R (strong violence, some language) URL: http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio/reviews/1998/ronin.htm

There exists a litany of differences between a successful action movie and a successful suspense movie. Action movies are typically devoid of plot other than a simple byline which can string together several explosive sequences, while suspense movies hinge on plot and subtlety and the ability to bring everything full-circle. For fans of both genres, however, realism is key. Action fans want to know that the weapons and methods their heroes are using are authentic, and suspense fans want everything to fall into an explainable framework by the movie's end. On this advice, Director John Frankenheimer (THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU) strives for realism in an interestingly dynamic balance of suspense and action for his latest thriller, RONIN.

The depth of intrigue in RONIN is quite amazing, considering the fare that's fallen into the same category over the last few years. The script, written by J.D. Zeik in his big-screen debut, approaches levels of complexity that had people spinning away from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE two years ago. A certain number of people will be lost by this, but afficianados will appreciate it all the more and return multiple times. Frankenheimer masters the script with poise, and tells us a dark but stoically realistic tale of a group of post-Cold War mercenaries working to earn their paycheck. His ability to convey feeling and character while promoting explosiveness and tense atmosphere works well here, and RONIN becomes a better movie because of it.

Robert De Niro headlines this cast of noteworthies in a performance that is the most outstanding of his in quite some time. He takes command and offers much gravity as the ex-spy Sam, a man who's called to France to help a shady operations controller named Dierdre (Natascha McElhone) recover a package. The package becomes the central motivator for the entire cast, especially once the requisite double-crossing begins, and its role is skillfully penned by Zeik. At times, however, Zeik's tale becomes almost too reminiscent of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - De Niro might easily become Tom Cruise, the package might become Cruise's computer disk. Fortunately, the focus here is almost entirely on the package, whereas in MISSION the script was more concerned with the double-cross and why it happened.

The action content is impressive, and it lives up to the hints given in previews. The only fans who will be disappointed are those who expect full-blown combat scenes and instead are forced to suffer through moments of slowness. RONIN does take a degree of intelligence to follow all of the nuance from start to finish, but even the uninitiated will be able to keep a grasp on most characters mand subplots. The suspense tapers off considerably by the end, a bit of a drawback because of its height at the movie's open. Considering these factors it's good to see that RONIN was a project that turned out well, and it's another good bet this month. Since quality is usually sparse during the early fall months, it's definitely worth the visit.

    --
    Craig Roush
    kinnopio@execpc.com
    --
    Kinnopio's Movie Reviews
    http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio

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