Rolling with 'Ronin'

By Jimmy Chai, On-Line Forty-Niner

Wednesday, September 30, 1998

"Ronin" starring Robert DeNiro, Jean Rino, and Natascha McElhone is a highly intensive in-your-face action thriller that holds the audience in its seats at gun-point.

A team of hired former intelligence agents set out to steal a heavily guarded and mysterious briefcase. Without knowledge of the content of the briefcase or the identity of their employer, Sam (DeNiro), a hard-thinking clever ex-CIA agent, assumes control of the pack and maps out its almost-perfect ambush of trickery and military style pursuits.

However, trust and friendship plays a big factor on the success of this mission. Money, greed, and power sway the weak hearted. But be prepared, loyalty does not fade without a fight.

Director John Frankenheimer gives the audience an adventure filled thrill ride. The story progresses through busy city streets to curvaceous mountain roads.

Frankenheimer does an excellent job of bringing "Ronin" to the big screen. The non-stop, realistic action sequences leave viewers mistakenly wishing they were wearing bullet proof vests.

The beauty of "Ronin" is its simplicity. The screenwriters, J.D. Zeik and Richard Weisz, could have easily made the movie unnecessarily complex. But instead, they left the entertainment in the hands of Frankenheimer who makes the first ten rows in the theatre an intense place to be.