I'm so glad I finally got to the end of this one! I watched this as part of Sean's Movie Club.

I agree with everyone else that the car chases, especially the one later in the film, are absolutely outrageous. The best I've seen, probably. At first I thought they were kind of cheesy, but as they went on and on I thought my heart was going to stop from the excitement.

Besides the action scenes, I didn't find a lot to connect to in this. I always love Jean Reno, I think he has this sweetness that I find adorable even when he's killing people. He was the bright spot of this movie for me. I don't know if…

“Whenever there is any doubt, there is no doubt. That is the first thing they teach you.”
-Sam (Robert De Niro)

This is part of Sean’s Movie Club: A Crazy Experiment List – My review for Ronin, the first film chosen.

Ronin is the Japanese term for a samurai without a master. They'd roam the countryside, pretending to be thieves or beggars, and hiring their skills to those willing to pay. Unfortunately no, this film does not entail De Niro and Reno running around in samurai outfits chopping everyone up with katanas. Instead, it follows a leaderless group of outcasts, specialists from every field, whom hire their services out to the highest bidder.

The team are hired by Deirdre (Natascha…

Watched as the first movie in Sean's 'Movie Club - A Crazy Experiment' list.

Ronin starts slow but steady, with reliable DeNiro firmly in the lead. With him and a group of other fine actors and a good script, the characters in Ronin are much more developed than other spy/action movies. The first 30 or so minutes are simply providing some backstory and 'setting up the mission', but this stays interesting because of this.

As for the action, this film really delivers. There are some excellent shoot out sequences, but what the film is really known for is it's outrageous and adrenaline-rushing car chases. As far as I know it's all practical effects and such, so watching cars rush through…

I re-watched this for the first part of our Letterboxd Movie Club.

Movies like Ronin are few and far between these days. Not only is there plenty of well contructed action set pieces, but they are pulse pounding and intense throughout. Most importantly, all of this is done with practical effects and without the use of a shaky hand held camera, a style that I detest in most instances and uses in current action movies.

The story itself also seems like it came from a previous era. A rag tag group of ex-spies and mercenaries form a shaky alliance where no one is to be trusted or believed. There are double crosses, triple crosses, the MacGuffin of a briefcase, etc.…

Originally posted here: shelfheroes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/ronin.html

Satisfying action thriller starring Robert De Niro as Sam, a freelance criminal hired to lead a team of mercenaries in Paris. Tasked with retrieving a mysterious metal case for a shady Irish consortium, their plans are torn apart as interference from ‘The Russians’ and infighting amongst their number leave a trail of carnage across France. Sam is left questioning who he can trust as the deceptions spiral out of control.

A solid piece of genre filmmaking that includes all the shoot-outs, back-stabbing and drama you could hope for, with added star quality from De Niro and a support cast including Jean Reno, Sean Bean and Natascha McElhone. The French setting also helps lift it above others.…