NINJA ASSASSIN is improbable and completely unrealistic; it gave me everything I would come to expect from a movie titled NINJA ASSASSIN, lots of blood and a light story. I couldn’t imagine nor do I want to, roles in this film filled by any well known actors. By the end of this film we still don’t care about any of the characters, and I am sure the makers of the film knew this would be the case. We came for ass kicking, not to chew bubblegum.
Synopsis: Raizo is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them…and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge.
Director: James McTeigue
Screenwriter: Matthew Sand, J. Michael Straczynski
Producer: Joel Silver, Grant Hill, Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski
Rated: R for strong bloody stylized violence throughout, and language.
Release: Nov 25, 2009
[Trailer] [IMDB]
All together now: I'm stuck on band-aid brand cause band-aid's stuck on me!
James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) takes on the directing role here and he has done quite a fine job; the film as predictable as it is displays an unpredictable level of violence throughout, one jaw dropper after another; by the end you feel like you took in just the right amount of bloodshed and dismembered bodies. The film is slick in style and skill, much to the thanks of Rain who some may remember as a Ninja in the highly underrated SPEED RACER flick last year. He does a lot of work entertaining the masses of Korea and I have high hopes that I will once again get to see him on the big screen soon.
If you are a fan of SHOOT ‘EM UP then this movie should be right up your alley. Weekends growing up meant only one thing…a trip to the video store. We would rent a pile of flicks and hid in the rec-room and forget about everything else for as long as we could. Much of the time spent was watching Ninja movies. Good and bad, foreign and American. We loved us some throwing stars. Thankfully Ninja Assassin keeps the Ninja mystery alive and showcases these men (and women) for what they are, shadows of the night. One scene taking place in nighttime traffic had me thinking “time to use some ninja vanish boys” – it was very surreal and awesome. I noticed over the last decade or so, Ninjas became lame in part to tools on the interwebs. I looked for Ninja Assassin to erase those thoughts, and it did for the most part.
I only have a few gears to grind with the movie, the bloodiest movie I have ever seen I should add. I wish most of the movie took place in the day, at least that way we could see something. Next to the many close ups and shaky camera, the darkness took me out of the movie and into a closet, couldn’t see shit. The ‘Americanized’ love story, use of guns, and investigation could have been less tortured if only a better script was in hand. I don’t need Citizen Kane but substance never hurt anyone. The finale left me torn. Ninjas to me represent loyalty and vengefulness, this ending was bleak. They had a chance to really showcase some acting and drama with a fulfilled back story they showed throughout. We were left only with a quick wrap up. Swing and a miss.
But, swings and roundabouts. The movie was what I expected. It was worth the admission and it’s just another chalk up for the rated R flicks out there, this one is a winner on many levels. Check it out, and remember…Go Ninja! Go Ninja! Go! (see what I did there?).
2.5 Throwing Stars Out Of 4
Tags: james mcteigue, movie review, ninja assassin, rain, review
