Ronin

Last night wifey and I rewatched this old video that I've had wrapped in it's original packaging since 1999.

"Ronin" is the story of some free agent crooks who are called in to help co-ordinate the theft of a briefcase. They group contains a mix of guys from other countries with different specialties. The team is headed by Robert DeNiro as Sam and Jean Reno as Vincent. A well planned job soon becomes unstuck when one of the crew is revealed as a fake and another a betrayer. Soon the job gets massively complicated and those left must decide if it's worth going ahead.

I remember really enjoying it at the cinema, but rewatching 10 years later, it's not so good. Since this films like "The Italian Job" and the "Bourne" trilogy have come out which are done much better with better effects and dialogue. Put it this way- without DeNiro it would have been a train wreck. The similarities particularly with "The Italian Job" are creepy. I laughed quite a few times at the extras who were shot or ran for their lives during the car chases and shootouts, as well as DeNiro's face while driving. Still watchable, but it doesn't hold up when compared to similar movies of the last 5-7 years. It can though probably lay claim to being the inspiration for such films (except "The Italian Job", which was a remake, or the "Bourne" trilogy, which was based upon a book written, like, years ago).