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Info:
  • DVD: Ninja Assassin
  • Rating: R
  • Starring: Rain, Naomie Harris, Sho Kosugi
  • Written By: J. Michael Straczynski
  • Directed By: Paul Weitz
  • Distributor: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
  • Original Year of Release: 2009
  • Extras: See Below
  • Series:

Ninja Assassin DVD Review

It’s Raining Blood!

By Tim Janson     March 14, 2010


Korean star Rain in Ninja Assassin
© Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

 

Martial arts films have come a long way since the days of the poorly dubbed, late Saturday night films. The production values, choreography, and special effects are all vastly superior. Unfortunately the plots in some of the films can be just as bad or non-existent as in the case of Ninja Assassin. In fact, the writers take the unique tack of not even introducing a plot until nearly half way through the film.
 
Korean star “Rain” stars as Raizo, an orphan who has grown up in the notorious Ozunu Ninja clan run by martial arts legend Sho Kosugi. Much of the film is told in flashbacks as Raizo begins his training in the Ninja arts as just a young boy and grows to adulthood. He eventually rebels against the clan and flees, becoming a hunted rogue.
 
In Germany, a forensics researcher for Interpol Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) accidentally uncovers the Ninja clan’s existence as well evidence that they’ve been hired by governments around the world to carry out assassinations. As she and her partner begin delving deeper, they learn there are those in places of power who want their investigation thwarted by any means possible, even if it means killing them. Raizo comes to Mika’s aid, rescuing her from his former clan members and aiding her in uncovering the clan’s operation.
 
Ninja Assassin is an incredibly bloody film…it makes Kill Bill look like a Disney film. Limbs, heads, and showers of blood cascade in graceful CGI glory. The fight scenes are cyclones of flashing blades and blood but ultimately the visual effects smother the true martial arts action. The fact that the Ninjas prefer to operate in the dark doesn’t help either, as many of the scenes are so dark, you can only make out glimpses of movement. Here the blood comes in handy, as we at least know there is something going on.
 
Worst of all, the cast is dead on arrival. Rain has as much charisma as a grilled cheese sandwich, never changing his expression throughout the entire film, which is a combination of boredom and befuddlement. Harris is no better and clearly way over her head as the female lead. Kosugi is a great veteran of Ninja films having starred in films like Enter the Ninja (1981) and Revenge of the Ninja (1983) and he makes a strong villain but his is relatively a minor role.
 
Amazingly, this film has a ton of Hollywood elite behind it including screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski, and producers Joel Silver, Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. You have to wonder how the guys responsible for the Matrix Trilogy could make such a lackluster film.
 
Extras
 
The only extras are about seven minutes worth of deleted scenes.
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COMMENTS AND RESPONSES

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1 
Boombatty 3/14/2010 3:56:35 PM

I loved this movie, total popcorm flick the way Ninja movies should be to begin with.

FilchX 3/14/2010 4:52:51 PM

yeah I saw the advanced preview of this and thought it was great...half to say I disagree with this review, real fun movie to watch.

MrJawbreakingEquilibrium 3/15/2010 1:38:23 AM

Yeah - it's a ninja movie.  I expect no more from it than I do in a beat 'em up/hack and slash video game.  It's not like I was expecting Mongol or anything.

fallensbane 3/16/2010 8:42:44 AM

Loved this in theatres. Gonna have to pick this one up soon.

oberonqa 3/16/2010 1:02:55 PM

 What were you expecting Mr Reviewer?  Thought-provoking drama?  Introspective period piece?  Seriously... it's a bloody movie about a bloody ninja.  And yes, the Matrix Bros produced it.  They also were the force behind V... and I can only surmise you didn't like that one either... probably because the storytelling was heavy-handed and too preachy, yes?  Ninja Assassin delivers on exactly what it promised to deliver, which was a ninja movie.  If you want compelling drama and thought-provoking storytelling, I suggest you avoid movies with the words NINJA and/or ASSASSIN in the title.

silversurfer 3/17/2010 8:23:54 AM

I was looking at this one at Best Buy yesterday...I have to admit that it does look fun....so I guess it's a buy huh?

tjanson 3/17/2010 8:54:29 PM

Hey..I'm all for mindless action films...but how about some semblance of a story and actors who can, ya know...act?

shabz 4/2/2010 10:41:39 PM

i'm sorry Mr. Reviewer but this movie was as good as a 'ninja' movie could get, i watched it and i was expressioneless with all the elements of both the plot and kick ass gory blood sputtering fighting scenes, im sure if you are familiar with legends of ninjas and how they were thought to deal with their victims then you would understand the idea behind fighting in the darkness. as for the fact that the plot is introduced halfway, i really dont know where that came from but then watching the movie you would realise that the story of the character was being told in retrospect as the movie kept going, isnt that what the audience would want?! other than the typical clicher " we know the story from the beginnning and then guess how its end", im sorry but thats not the way things work, one gotta ignite the feeling of why something happened or to why a character had to die, or he or she was by taking a trip in memory lane, ninja assasin was not the best movie out there but it still owned.

 

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