The element of surprise has disappeared in modern action thrillers. We see the usual thunderous explosions and gunfights bereft of any decent plot or character exposition. Mostly, we get thrill rides that aim mainly please the eye, not unlike the summer of 1998's experiment in overkill, "Armageddon." "Ronin" is not exempt from the aforementioned expectations of your average action thriller, but it is executed with a finesse in its strategy to thrill us - it does it without CGI effects or special-effects of any kind. That in itself is commendable.
The term Ronin refers to Japanese legend where the Japanese samurai, left with no leaders to lead them, roamed the countryside acting as warriors-for-hire. This legend was prominently featured in Akira Kurosawa's great "The Seven Samurai" and "Yojimbo" - the latter remade as "A Fistful of Dollars." "Ronin's" version of the story deals with a band of mercenaries who are looking to be hired, and find work courtesy of an IRA honcho named Deidre (Natascha McElhone). The job is to obtain a mysterious briefcase, which is in the hands of "five to eight men." That's the slim plot in a nutshell, and the mercenaries set out to find the briefcase braving one shootout, car chase and double cross after another. Who ever said you could trust mercenaries who just want to make a quick buck?
The international group of machos includes Sam (played by Robert De Niro), who may be ex-CIA and has a way with a cup of coffee; a psychotic Russian computer expert named Gregor (Stellan Skarsgård); a hulking Frenchman named Vincent (Jean Reno playing virtually the same role as in "Mission Impossible"); and a very fast driver named Larry (Skip Suduth), who has a way with the narrow roads and tunnels in Paris (shades of Princess Di's death come to mind).
"Ronin" could almost be a James Bond thriller considering its numerous locations (Nice, Paris) and assortment of artillery (machine guns, bazookas), but it fits more squarely in the tradition of the espionage thriller genre. Examples of this type of genre extend from Hitchcock's "Sabotage" to "The Day of the Jackal." "Ronin" is directed by the exciting John Frankenheimer ("The Manchurian Candidate") and he milks the formula for all the atmosphere and intrigue you can get. At times, "Ronin" is vaguely European in its steely attitude and tough-as-nail characters, including the deadly Gregor who has no qualms of shooting a child in an open playground, or the Irish female leader who may not be quite what she seems.
"Ronin" is filled with car chases galore, but it is at its best during its calm moments, some vaguely humorous. I liked the scene where Sam and Deidre pose as a couple at a hotel so they can snap shots of one of the "five to eight men." I thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie between the members of the group, who size each other up uncovering one's weaknesses and one's strengths. But there are two sequences that must be seen to be believed: one is an elaborate setup involving a Parisian bistro that is as perfectly timed and edited as anything Hitchcock might have attempted, and the other is when the wounded Sam is giving instructions to Vincent on how to retract a bullet lodged on his side. This one sequence features the brilliant British actor Michel Londsdale ("The Bride Wore Black") as a doctor whose hobby is designing samurai figures.
"Ronin" has too many chase sequences, and a scantily designed plot, but it's always enticing, breathtaking, and watchable. The cast is watchable, too, and De Niro's commanding presence (playing an action hero for the first time) and Frankenheimer's alert direction make up for the brief lapses in plausibility.
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