Hello All! OK so I know i am almost a week late on this post but hey what are the chances that any of you have gone to see this movie yet. I went and saw Ninja Assassin the night it came out, and while I was surprised my small theater even carried it, I was still amazed that there were only two other people in the theater. As of Monday the movie has only taken in 21 million and came in 6th at 13.1 for the weekend.
I have always felt that special effects, and in general the modern action film, killed two classic kinds of films. The classic western and the classic martial arts film died before I was even born. As a child of the 80s, my first exposure to martial arts films were Karate Kid, Best of the Best, etc. The western is something that I grew up thinking only old people watched, with my only saviors having been Tombstone and Young Guns. Now the western, even really good ones like 3:10 to Yuma, have really just become dramas with action sprinkled in. Meanwhile, martial arts films have become something that we watch in animated form or epic movies that are more about art then action. Do not get me wrong, I love the fight sequences in Crouching Tiger, Hero, and the like, but they are not the same as the movies we all remember watching Bruce Lee rise to stardom in.
This brings me to Ninja Assassin, and lets get right to the bad. It does not surprise me that this movie was written in a matter of days (according to the writer J. Michael Straczynski in a quote found on Wikipedia). This movie is a poorly written attempt at reviving those classic marital arts films of our societal past. The plot is mundane and boring and the flash backs are not always appetizing. The majority of the acting in the movie was par at best and some of the characters in the movie were just plan unneeded. (Spoiler Alert) The entire Interpol investigation is a waste of time and the characters associated with it are irritating. I am still not sure I understand the entire thing with the KGB. Also, some of the supernatural effects were a little too out there for the feel of the rest of the movie.
All of that being said this movie has some amazingly redeeming qualities. While I am not sure why he associated himself with such a poor script, the movie is directed by James McTeigue who is quickly becoming a must see director. If you are not aware, he worked on all of the Matrix movies, Star Wars Episode II, and made his directorial debut with V for Vendetta (Awesome!). What he does with this movie is incredible. The action sequences are terrific and he makes Rain, who plays the lead Raizo, look bad-ass. Where this movie does pay proper tribute to those martial arts films of the 60s and 70s is the awesome ninja on ninja, blood squirting action. The movie is also produced by the Wachowski Brothers, who produced the Matrix movies and V for Vendetta.
As I stated before, the lead is played by Jeong "Rain" Ji-hoon. Rain is a Korean pop star that is huge in Korea and Japan but has only been seen here in the movie Speed Racer. If you Wikipedia him you will see a picture of him in this rediculous pink outfit that he used to perform in and cringe that he could be an action star, but fear not, James McTeigue makes him look incredible. His general acting still needs some work but there is certainly some promise there. According to Wikipedia, it was watching him doing some fighting in the Wachowski Brothers directed Speed Racer that inspired Ninja Assassin. Just wished they could have come up with a better script and supporting talent.
The flash backs in the movie, are at times unnecessary and tedious, but they in general carry the plot. The actors that play the younger versions of Raizo and his love interest Kimiko do ok but generally with the exception of the fight sequences this movie is a bore. My only hope is that the fight sequences are enough to keep Ninja Assassin from being a scar on McTeigue or Rain's resumes. As for the Wachowski Brothers, with this and Speed Racer on their list of recent achievements they are in trouble of become jokes. Overall, I give the movie a C+, with only McTeigue and Rain keeping it from a failing grade.
Thanks for reading, until next time!
JP
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