Ninja Assassin (2009)

Trained since childhood to be a lethal killer, Raizo has since turned his back on the Ozunu clan that raised him and now seeks revenge for their heartless murders. Teaming up with Europol investigator Mika, Raizo steadily butchers his enemies while inching ever closer to the long-awaited bloody reunion with his former master.


The ninja movie is back with a vengeance. In the hands of a big studio, a very capable director (James McTeigue--V For Vendetta), and modern tech-fx-cgi bang for the buck, this might spearhead a resurgence in the subgenre. What to praise? Dozens of unique kills and action scenes. Rain as the charismatic lead. Sho Kusugi in an awesome role. And blood. Lots of it. (In this movie ninjas move sooo fast they blur and some realists will cry foul. This is an escapist action film, so have fun. You didn't actually think people could fly in CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON?)


Ninja Assassin is certainly one of the most stylish Ninja movies ever made. The cinematography and soundtrack are awesome, capturing the shadowy, quick moving stereotype of these black clad martial arts experts with their swords, chains, flying stars, etc. And the blood and gore is almost off the scale as you see people sliced and diced. But behind all these extravagant action scenes is also a pretty good story, interesting script, and unexpectedly good acting, The story explains through flashbacks how these adult Ninja Assassins came to be - throw away street kids subsequently enslaved in an orphanage that serves as the martial arts training ground for Ninja clans. We meet the patriarch of this so called family, Ozunu (Sho Kosugi), who demands absolute loyalty, or death. Raizo (Rain), rebels, survives an escape, and becomes the outcast Ninja Ninja Assassin - interesting twist on the movie title. Throw in Naomie Harris as a targeted Europol agent who knows too much about the Ninja Assassin Clan, and then teams up with Raizo to bring the Clan down, the movie then shifts into a high action bloodbath. I was fascinated with the actor Rain - what a perfectly honed body and what great martial arts choreography. The other actor that really impressed me was Sho Kosugi, the chief villain, who was really scarily sinister. The brutality scenes of the kids training at the orphanage was eye-opening, and leaves more of an impression that the stylistic, almost cartoonish, adult action. If you're into Ninja type movies, then Ninja Assassin is definitely one I'd recommend viewing.


****/*****


4/5 Stars