Here at the @rcade we love a good high flying martial arts movie. As far as ninja movies go though, Ninja Assassin isn’t anything ground breaking or spectacular. That’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable, it just doesn’t really break from the norm. Starring Korean pop sensation Rain as the disillusioned assassin, Raizo, the movie follows him on his quest for retribution against his former sensei of the Ozunu clan. Alongside this plotline, we see Europol agent Mika Coretti trying to uncover a secret organisation linked to political murders involving ninjas and large amounts of cash transfers. Mika and Raizo cross paths near the beginning and ultimately they both have something to gain from the other so they stick together for pretty much the rest of the movie.
It isn’t the worst ninja movie we’ve come across. However there are a few things that hold it back. The focus on the ninja’s reliance on shadow means a lot of the action sequences are clouded in darkness and as a result, screen time is dedicated to a plethora of flailing limbs and waves of blood like something from a video game. The opening sequence sees a bunch of Yakuza idiots attacked by Raizo’s former clan, the Ozunu, with one lucky fellow getting his head sliced in two. But that’s not really the kind of stuff you can expect for the rest of the movie. Though the body count is tremendously high, and the blood and gore ratings are through the roof, the film still feels like a bit of a disappointment. There is a resonance of ambition that just doesn’t follow through considering the Wachowskis brought us movies including The Matrix trilogy and V for Vendetta.
Apparently, Rain was selected for this after he made an impression on producer Joel Silver in Speed Racer. However, if this was Rain’s attempt to gather his acting chops, he still has a long way to go. He has no more than a few lines in the entire movie, and the rest is spent looking broody and serious, something is quite good at, but it doesn’t make for an interesting character. There’s a lot of seriousness in Ninja Assassin to be honest. It seems to think of itself as a far more important movie than it actually is. As for the rest of the cast, it is pack with virtually unknown actors, unless of course, you are familiar with Naomi Harris’ work in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
As a whole, the movie is mildly entertaining. There is enough ninja action to keep you interested for the duration of the film, but it does feel like it’s lacking in something you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s more Americanised than the @rcade was expecting, with a lot of Michael Bay-esque explosions on the part of the Europeans to counteract the oncoming attacks from the Onuzu. Those of you expecting Bruce Lee standard choreography will be severely disheartened but if you’re into swearing, decapitation and sliced-off limbs, and you’re quite happy to be entertained by sitting in front of violent video games with zero plotline, this is the movie for you, so give your thumbs a rest and rent Ninja Assassin.
