Review of Ronin

Video

Most of this film has been shot functionally, except of course the car chases and other stunts. These have been given the gold star treatment by director John Frankenheimer, the fast cutting beautifully compliments the action without compromising continuity.

The transfer is very good, just as well considering much of the film is shot at night. You can also jump for joy, this is anamorphic and loving every minute of it. The layer change seemed to leap out at me a bit, whilst in a few years time players will be so fast as to not notice, my Pioneer still makes a bad one stick out like a sore thumb.

Audio

The ear candy is fantastic in Ronin, imagine the music which often accompanied 70`s films shot in New York updated with a 90`s feel and you get the idea. Sorry to keep going on about the car chases but I can`t help it, this is a car chase film and the excellent soundtrack compliments it perfectly with a mix of brass instruments and a racy percussion backing.

Sound is also excellent, when vehicles zoom off the screen they will more often than not visit your rear speakers. Atmospheric effects really make you feel like being there, and as for the explosions...

I have a meaty Paradigm PS-1000 subwoofer, it enjoys Lost in Space, Armageddon and other big blockbuster outings, yet this one demonstrates it far better than any of them. The explosions in Ronin are so damn meaty a decent sub is certainly going to make you feel them.

Features

There are some nice features on the disc, not having listened to the directors commentary I can`t state how good it is, but nice to have it there. The alternative ending is a good lesson in how small changes to the last few minutes can make a big difference on how the audience sees the film. The trailer is good, and the featurette is actually worth watching. Best of all though, their both anamorphic!

Conclusion

The cast are excellent, although I still think Jonathan Pryce makes a terrible bad guy regardless of his accent or role. Natascha McElhone manages to play a cold irish possible terrorist in such a way as to make her sex irrelevant, but Sean Bean is definitely wasted in his role.

The class act in the film however is of course Robert De Niro and Jean Reno, two actors who alone can make a film involving guns. Yes, there are rather a lot of guns in Ronin, but take heart in the fact there is also rather a lot more car chases. Anyhow, more of that in a moment. Both De Niro and Reno`s characters are experienced in the art of not getting killed, so much that they always appear calm in the most heated of situations, much like in the same actors previous works such as Heat and Leon.

This is all very nice, helping to fill the various scenes between the action, building tension well. And then theres the action itself, excellently directed by the great John Frankenheimer. This guy is the car chase master, Ronin is the master at his very best. The car chases are just incredible, the speed is breathtaking, and they are by no means over in seconds. What makes them even more unique is the backdrop in which they occur. Parisian streets are tiny, driving down them at speeds of up to 100mph kind of gives you the impression their even tinier.

To sum up then, an excellent cast and the best car chases in any movie ever.