--- title: "Ronin: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/ronin/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/ronin" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Ronin (1998): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 10 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics welcome Ronin as an old-fashioned thriller whose appeal rests on practical skill and a lack of fuss. Praise clusters around Frankenheimer’s direction and the car chases, which the reviews repeatedly describe as convincing, forceful and central to the film’s pleasure. The cast also earns approval for its professionalism and camaraderie, with De Niro and Reno helping to make the shifting loyalties engaging even when the plotting strains belief. The spread is wide, however, and the main reservation is that the action has more substance than the characters. Several otherwise favourable reviews find limited depth, thin drama or a plot that does not quite sustain interest. Total Film admires the traditional action technique but finds the script too weak to support it. Time Out dissents more sharply, dismissing the performances and camerawork as well as finding that even the chases become tiresome. ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 1998. Turan called it an old-fashioned thriller efficiently brought up to date. He praised the tense, world-weary characters and the impressive realistic car chases. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-25-ca-26114-story.html) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 September 1998. Lane found the film enjoyable overall, especially its multiple excellent car chases. He noted its democratic feel and Frankenheimer's return to form. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1998/10/05/on-the-road-3) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 1998. Ebert enjoyed the film for its skill and its silliness. He praised the convincing cast and Frankenheimer's visual style while noting the action makes little sense. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ronin-1998) ## The Guardian — Xan Brooks Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 1998. The critic finds Ronin a straightforward, authentic thriller that plays its familiar elements with a straight face and no irony, emerging slightly better than the paired film Rounders. Frankenheimer's direction is praised for its dunder-headed authenticity and effective car chases. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian/0,,36058,00.html) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 1998. McCarthy viewed it as a pleasurable throwback to 1960s gritty international thrillers. He praised the potent action and shifting loyalties but noted the characters lack depth or resonance. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/ronin-1200455207/) ## Empire Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic finds Frankenheimer's spy-heist thriller noticeably old-school and praises solid performances from De Niro and Reno along with the ace car chases, but notes the plot lacks enough dynamism to make it memorable. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ronin-review/) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 1998. The review calls the film a confusingly plotted post-Cold War thriller that offers a restrained antidote to flashier fare like Mission: Impossible, praising Frankenheimer's traditional action technique and car chases while complaining that the lack of real drama and weak script consign it to mediocrity. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/ronin-review/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 5 January 2022. The critic finds the film to be laughably hackneyed genre fluff with a rambling, uninvolving plot, paper-thin characters, clumsy dialogue and absurd pretensions. The car chases provide brief novelty before growing tiresome, alongside lazy performances and ugly camerawork. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/ronin-1998) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 25 September 1998. Maslin hailed it as a top-notch thriller propelled by gritty professionalism and breathtaking car chases. She praised the formidable cast's camaraderie and the director's conviction. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/25/movies/film-review-real-tough-guys-real-derring-do.html) ## Eye for Film — Gator MacReady Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2004. The critic praises Frankenheimer's masterful direction and the film's gritty, intelligent action sequences, especially the car chases, as a return to classic 1970s style filmmaking that elevates it above modern Hollywood fare. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/ronin-film-review-by-gator-macready) ## Den of Geek — Robert Keeling Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 April 2018. The critic praises Ronin as an immaculately crafted and entertaining action thriller with masterful direction, strong cast, twisting plot, and authentic car chases that rank among the best. Minor faults noted include an out-of-place love story and sagging pace in the finale. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/looking-back-at-ronin/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/ronin.md