10 Reasons Ronin Is An Underrated Crime Epic

When it was released in 1998, Ronin failed to make much of an impact, gaining only modest success with critics and at the box office. However, it has since gained more popularity, and for good reason. Revisiting the movie cements it as an underrated gem from the 1990s.

The film stars Robert De Niro as a member of a freelance group of thieves hired to retrieve a mysterious package. The film is directed by John Frankenheimer and is filled with great performances, a riveting plot and outstanding action sequences. Here are some reasons Ronin is an underrated crime epic.

10 The Set-Up

Few movies can immediately hook a viewer just with the opening text on the screen. Ronin starts with an explanation of the history of a ronin, former samurai whose master has been killed. It explains that these warriors are now forced to wander the land masterless and working as swords for hire.

This doesn’t have anything to do with the actual plot of the film but is a fantastic way of introducing this world. The characters we meet are modern-day ronin without a country or mission and are just hired to do a job.

9 Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro will always be considered one of the greatest actors of all time. However, in the 1990s, he started to drift towards supporting roles and comedies. But Ronin marked one more stunning leading man performance from this era.

De Niro is the funny, intimidating badass Sam, the man of mystery who handles every situation with a calm demeanor. From his great moment posing as a tourist to spy on his target to the phenomenal self-surgery scene, De Niro makes us believe this guy has done this kind of thing many times before.

8 The Score

Sometimes a good score can really immerse you into a movie and immediately grab your attention. Such is the case with Ronin‘s superb score by Elia Cmiral.

The theme starts with a heavy sense of foreboding over the film’s opening text before a beautiful melody begins as De Niro first appears in Paris. The flute used for the score gives the music a Japanese influence that is very suitable. There is a sad feel to the score yet it also sounds heroic, which feels appropriate for De Niro’s character.

7 The Pace

The movie wastes no time throwing you into the story and kicking things off. The opening sequence shows Sam and the other members of the team coming together in a French café where they meet Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), and the mission begins.

From there, the movie maintains a steady pace of pushing the plot forward without feeling like it’s rushing things. It allows the mystery to build and questions to be asked while still remaining completely thrilling.

6 Sam And Vincent

While De Niro’s Sam is certainly the main character in the film, the heart of the film seems to be Vincent, played by the great French actor Jean Reno. Despite these dangerous men coming together and not knowing each other, Sam and Vincent form an immediate bond that adds so much charm to the movie.

Both men find respect and admiration for each other, saving each other’s lives and looking out for one another as things get more and more dangerous. It would have been nice to see this partnership continue in further adventures.

5 The Supporting Cast

Robert De Niro would have been the only big name in the cast at this time, but the film does boast an incredibly versatile group of actors as part of the story.

As mentioned, Jean Reno and Natascha McElhone provide memorable turns as the two people by Sam’s side. Sean Bean has a fun role as Spence, a member of the team who proves to be out of his element. Jonathan Pryce is effective as an Irish criminal. And Stellan Skarsgård is chilling as the calculating villain.

4 The Plot

Most action movies of the 1990s don’t focus too hard on the story aspect and are more concerned with the set pieces. While Ronin does deliver on the action, it also packs an incredibly dense and convoluted plot in the best way possible.

The audience is constantly kept on their toes as they try to work out who is playing who and which side everyone is on. There are so many double-crosses in the film adding more tension to the story.

3 MacGuffin

The “MacGuffin” is a longstanding tradition in films and it is used to great effect in Ronin. A MacGuffin is an object of desire for the characters in the film that drives the plot. In this case, it is a simple silver briefcase.

The movie plays around with the idea of it being a blatant MacGuffin with characters continuously asking what is in the case and never getting an answer. It also fits well into this story as these men don’t need to know what it is — they just need to do the job.

2 The Mystery

The movie does not stop to explain things to the audience,, which can be frustrating for some viewers but also adds an element of excitement to the story. Questions remain unanswered and aspects of the plot are left purposely vague, but never at the cost of the overall story.

One great example of this is the often-mentioned “man in the wheelchair”. We can interpret that this man is a connection who helped bring the team together, but no backstory or further explanation is given and it adds to the world of the story.

1 The Car Chases

As great as all these other aspects of the film are, the one thing Ronin is remembered best for is its edge-of-your-seat car chase sequences. The movie features two extended chases  and both are showstopping moments that add exhilarating energy.

The car chases in Ronin have been compared to the likes of Bullitt and The French Connection. Like those films, Ronin goes for a more grounded approach to the chases that immerse you into the action as if you were right there in the passenger seat.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2030 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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