Ninja Assassin (James McTeigue, 2009)
I've read a few reviews where this film received a standing ovation from their audiences. I'm trying to imagine why. Maybe its the one mainstream ninja film to be released in awhile -- and people love seeing ninjas? Or maybe the audiences were Korean, applauding their own Korean superstar lol.
I was a bit surprised by the amount of marketing the movie got. Lot's and lot's of TV spots. Usually films with unproven actors -- and I mean unproven (unknown) to many Western audiences -- don't receive much hype. And the title is Ninja Assassin. I shouldn't be surprised though. One of the biggest and successful stars from Korea, Rain, playing the lead. The Wachowski Bros. (siblings, whatever you call them now) as producers. Director, James McTeigue of V for Vendetta. And ninjas!
Rain plays a ninja assassin named Raizo (sounds so lame when I heard it, so I'll use Rain instead). He grew up in an orphanage that trains orphans to become deadly ninja assassins. But no one gets tortured more during training than Rain, by the clan's leader -- Master Ozuno (Sho Kosugi, famous for his 1980's ninja flicks). Ozuno sees more promise in Rain than any of the other orphans. Here are the scars to prove it......
I was a bit surprised by the amount of marketing the movie got. Lot's and lot's of TV spots. Usually films with unproven actors -- and I mean unproven (unknown) to many Western audiences -- don't receive much hype. And the title is Ninja Assassin. I shouldn't be surprised though. One of the biggest and successful stars from Korea, Rain, playing the lead. The Wachowski Bros. (siblings, whatever you call them now) as producers. Director, James McTeigue of V for Vendetta. And ninjas!
Rain plays a ninja assassin named Raizo (sounds so lame when I heard it, so I'll use Rain instead). He grew up in an orphanage that trains orphans to become deadly ninja assassins. But no one gets tortured more during training than Rain, by the clan's leader -- Master Ozuno (Sho Kosugi, famous for his 1980's ninja flicks). Ozuno sees more promise in Rain than any of the other orphans. Here are the scars to prove it......
although these might just be wounds from his final battle, but something like this.
After seeing a failed escape from the clan by his lady ninja friend -- and killed for betrayal -- Rain also betrays the clan. Out in the "real world", Rain protects Mika (Naomie Harris) -- a researcher -- from the ninjas, knowing she's close to uncovering the clan's secrets and history.
The rest of the film plays like a video game. You are Rain. You're running away from your ex-ninja friends, while protecting a girl. And you wield a couple of weapons. And lots of violence, blood, and severed limbs. And lame dialogue.
I didn't come to see the lame story (btw, the script was rewritten in 53 hrs). Yes, I wanted to see violence and blood, and cool ninja action lol. It delivered that much, but it got really tiresome after awhile. What worked? Rain seemed believable enough as a trained martial artist/ninja... and scenes of ninjas appearing and disappearing within the shadows.
The rest of the film plays like a video game. You are Rain. You're running away from your ex-ninja friends, while protecting a girl. And you wield a couple of weapons. And lots of violence, blood, and severed limbs. And lame dialogue.
I didn't come to see the lame story (btw, the script was rewritten in 53 hrs). Yes, I wanted to see violence and blood, and cool ninja action lol. It delivered that much, but it got really tiresome after awhile. What worked? Rain seemed believable enough as a trained martial artist/ninja... and scenes of ninjas appearing and disappearing within the shadows.
4.5/10
