Photo by Juliana Malucelli
RAIN as Raizo in "Ninja Assassin"
Photo by Juliana Malucelli
RAIN as Raizo in "Ninja Assassin"
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 ...
Rating: R for strong bloody stylized violence throughout, and language
Length: 99 minutes
Released: November 25, 2009 Nationwide
Cast: Rain, Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Rick Yune, Sho Kosugi
Director: James McTeigue
Writer: Matthew Sand, J. Michael Straczynski
If the goal of the creators of “Ninja Assassin” was to make the bloodiest ninja movie ever to drench the screen, they have succeeded.
In the opening sequence set in a yakuza clubhouse, an eerie, nearly invisible assailant terrorizes heavily armed, tattooed thugs. He lops off limbs and slices through skulls with ease, causing pandemonium onscreen and defying audience members to keep their eyes open. This is the time to follow through on any inclination to leave — because the blood just keeps on spurting from here.
Directed by “V for Vendetta” helmer James McTeigue, “Ninja Assassin” is a throwback to the ninja genre popular in the 1980s, with the same kind of cheesy plot and bad acting, polished with the film techniques and fighting styles of this decade’s martial-arts extravaganzas. It even brings back ‘80s star Sho Kosugi (“Revenge of the Ninja,” “Nine Deaths of the Ninja,” etc.), who still seems more than capable of being the last man standing.
This time, however, the star is Rain, the South Korean hip-hop artist/dancer/actor seen in a supporting role in “Speed Racer.” Rain’s strong suit is movement, which is definitely what the role of Raizo requires.
The story follows three trajectories that ultimately combine. One is that of Berlin-based Europol forensic researcher Mika (Naomie Harris), who thinks she has come upon a connection between several political murders and a legendary — and long-thought mythical — clan of ninjas. Mika goes to her boss, Maslow (Ben Miles), with her theory, and though he scoffs at first, he soon has to revise his thinking.
The second and third both belong to Raizo. Flashbacks show the young Raizo (Yoon Sungwoong) in the mountaintop school where he grew up as one of dozens of children stolen from their parents or brought in as orphans to train in the ancient ways of the ninja by Ozunu (Kosugi). Raizo shows special talent, as evidenced by the cruel treatment he receives from Ozunu and the fact that he’s the only one who’s ever training. He seems destined to follow in his master’s harsh, emotionless lifestyle but for a halting friendship he develops with Kiriko (Kylie Goldstein), one of the few girls at the school.
The present-day Raizo, living in Berlin, quickly shows a knack for doing laundry as well as killing. It would be hard to guess at first whether he’s supposed to be a hero or a villain except that he’s the star of the movie, which is kind of a giveaway. Turns out Mika has nothing to fear from Raizo, but she still has about a million ninjas on her scent, and they’re hard to shake.
The screenplay by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski gets the basics right: action, suffering, more action, more suffering and payback — with lots of action. However, it makes some easily avoidable mistakes that will ruin the movie for purists. First is the damsel-in-distress subplot, which pops up with three different females — yikes! The second is the hackneyed Western-authority response to catching a bad guy — any bad guy.
The third is the worst because it goes against the rules of fair play and decency. Basically, you don’t bring a gun to a knife fight. It is written, or something like that.
Despite its flaws, “Ninja Assassin” is still fun to watch. Rain and Harris (the second and third “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies) are likable and easy on the eye. And despite the fact that too many of the fights take place in near darkness, the movie has an abundance of cool visuals and breathtaking ninja action.
© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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