Robert De Niro has such an incredible presence on the big screen that he ends up smelling like roses even in the most stinky of movies.

Want proof? Then go watch his latest movie “Ronin.”

De Niro plays Sam, a freelance intelligence agent working in France. He and a handful of other agents are hired by a mysterious group to steal a mysterious briefcase from another mysterious group.

If the plot sounds confusing so far, don’t be surprised when the movie fails to set things straight later on.

Their attempt to steal the briefcase is foiled when one agent double-crosses the group and takes the briefcase for himself.

Throughout the remainder of “Ronin,” Sam and his new friend Vincent (Jean Reno, who played the French agent in “Godzilla”) try to track down the briefcase, but the Russians and Irish want the goodies in the case as well.

The movie resembles a James Bond film because of its spies and car chases. In fact, three former James Bond stars play roles in the film.

Yet “Ronin” is made to be a thinking movie, and it does such a great job of achieving this intended purpose that it ends up becoming a mind trap.

You struggle to sort out what is going on instead of enjoying the characters.

The problem with “Ronin” is what goes unsaid. No background information is presented on the various shady characters.

Where did these strange men come from? Why are they so desperate for money that they would willingly kill others for a briefcase? And what exactly is in the briefcase?

Without any of this information, the entire spy setup seems trivial. All you see is a group of egomaniacs who are killing and deceiving for no cause, good or bad. Eventually, no one truly cares about Sam, Vincent or any of the other characters.

Because the personalities are not likable, the movie lacks the suspense and fear that usually keeps moviegoers glued to the screens.

What the movie isn’t lacking is drawn-out scenes. Some scenes are terrific, especially the car chase scenes when the cars speed and crash into absolutely everything on the road.

However, the scene in which De Niro has a bullet yanked from his gut without anesthesia is a few minutes too long. Even the unique car chase scenes last forever, and having two car chases is unnecessary and repetitious.

De Niro’s performance is his best since “Casino.” But if you go to see his dazzling talent, don’t expect to enjoy the movie. Thinking so much just to understand a mediocre movie is simply annoying.

2 stars out of five

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Teresa Halvorsen is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Northwood.