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Ronin Blu-ray
20th Century Fox | 1998 | 121 mins | Rated R | Dec 21, 2007
Ronin(1998)Action | Crime | Thriller     The Cold War may be over, but a new world order keeps a group of covert mercenaries employed by the highest bidder. These operatives, known as "Ronin," are assembled in France by a mysterious client for a seemingly routine mission: steal a top-secret briefcase. But the simple task soon proves explosive asother underworld organizations vie for the same prize...and to get the job done, the members of Ronin must do something they've never done before...trust each other. For more details about Ronin on Blu-ray, see the Ronin Blu-ray Review Starring: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean Director: John Frankenheimer Ronin Blu-ray, Video Quality  The transfer to 1080p using an MPEG-2 encode does not appear to have been made from the original master. If it is a faithful transfer, the source was a bit drab and lacking in vibrancy. The picture looks as if it is covered with a veil that holds it back from the spectacular contrast and dynamic colors delivered on other Blu-ray releases. The video is also quite noisy, with a fair amount of grain and dust spots. None of these factors impact the video rating as much as a very subtle strobing or flickering coupled with vertical banding that gently effects the middle part of the screen. During the dark scenes and fast paced action, the effect is difficult to notice. But in lighter or more uniform shots without much camera movement, it is not hard to spot. Blacks are better than bright areas. Watch the aerial shot of Nice, France. Note the mottling and gentle flickering in the sky. Clearly, if brightness or contrast had been pumped up in this transfer, it would have made the anomalies even worse, so it's a good thing that the picture was kept relatively subdued. Despite the video's shortcomings, the Blu-ray delivers better resolution than either of the DVDs made available over the years. Whether you will prefer the BD depends on your preference for color brightness versus definition. If you can live with subdued colors and a slightly veiled picture, definitely choose the 1080p. If you want the color vibrancy more pumped up, a more sterile but less detailed picture, choose the DVD. In either case you will make sacrifices. The screencaps I have provided should give a good indication of what to expect. Honestly, the picture is better than others, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but that particular film is 30 years older than Ronin. One reason I would recommend the BD over the DVD is the audio, so don't forget to factor that into your decision. Ronin Blu-ray, Audio Quality  While not rising to the level of reference quality, the DTS-HD Master Audio track delivers a dynamic punch that will be enjoyed more than the lackluster video appearance. Dialog is spot-on, with good tonal cues and accurate presentation of unique vocal timbres that instantly convey the presence and personality of the different characters. Sometimes gunshots sound a bit tame--obviously when silencers are used, but often they sound subdued even without noise suppression on the firearms. The throaty, midbass of revving car engines, however, is the most realistic element of the Blu-ray release, providing more detail than the Dolby Digital track on the DVD. Watch the car chase scene after the operatives ambush the convoy. Two cars are blown up in the attack, eliciting a good LFE response. But the best audio kicks in when the driving specialist, Larry, stomps on the gas peddle to surprise the remaining cars in the fleeing convoy. The car engines and squealing tires sound rich, with adequate separation from the music. The rock rhythm lacks a real melody, and kicks in to propel the scene even harder. After the chase devolves into white-knucked speeding through French markets and dangerously skinny streets, the scene ends in an inspired symphony of explosions and automatic gunfire. Ronin Blu-ray, Forum Discussions
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