Korean pop star Rain ably transforms into the leanest, meanest killing machine since Sonny Chiba was ripping out balls with his bare hands in THE STREET FIGHTER films. From the opening bloodbath, director James McTeigue and producers Andy and Larry Wachowski have succeeded in substantially upgrading the American ninja movie into a fast-moving and gruesomely satisfying fight fest every bit as efficient in its pacing, visuals and highly sophisticated choreography as Rain is in bending an unwieldy chain-whip dagger to his will. They manage all of this despite apparent flaws I anticipated would be damning yet were incapable of dampening an entirely fun and engaging actioner that rarely lets pesky character or plot development get in between a hail of shuriken and their target.

I say all of this coming into this movie as a skeptic. I had a lot of questions going in. How could the “Justin Timberlake” of Korea become a credible martial arts lead with virtually no prior screen fighting skill? How could I stand to watch an entire film populated by the same rapid cutting style of editing seen in the trailers? Would the digital effects kill my suspension of disbelief? I can say that with few exceptions, my concerns were largely sliced apart into bite-sized morsels within the first 15 minutes.

The film opens with a massacre of triad thugs by ninja that’s so violent and explicit that it puts many so-called splatter films to shame. Readily apparent are the use of digital effects in the display of blood works and the liberal use of darkly lit, tight shots rapidly edited together. Being the old school action guy that I am who relishes long takes of skilled stunt performers exchanging meticulously choreographed fisticuffs, I would normally scoff at such new school tricks but something about how McTeigue pulls it all together works with the idea of super-skilled killers no one is meant to see unless they want to be seen. Or maybe it’s the unrestrained stylistic violence, rekindling the thrill of watching films like THE CROW. Perhaps it’s the fight choreography which immediately exceeded my expectations in the depth of its planning and skill of its execution.

This opening spurt of ultra violence is followed by the inconspicuous entry of Rain in a laundromat, presumably washing the blood off his black ninja garb from some past job. Here, Rain takes on his first opponent, a female ninja expertly disguised as a laudnromat patron. This establishes a vital aspect of ninja tactics, the ability to blend in, not just in shadow, but among otherwise unsuspecting people. Unfortunately, this is never really explored further but frankly, there wouldn’t have been time because from here the pace picks up as we’re introduced to Europol agents Maslow (Ben Miles) and Mika (Naomie Harris), whose investigation of various high-profile political assassinations sets them on the trail of the Ozunu ninja clan. Interspersed are flashbacks that reveal Raizo’s grueling training as an orphan taken in and mentored by the ruthless ninja master Ozunu (Sho Kosugi).

For fans of classic ninja flicks like REVENGE OF THE NINJA (1983) and PRAY FOR DEATH (1985), the presence of veteran action star Sho Kosugi as the villainous Ozunu will be welcome. Using a voice sounding very similar to Mako in SAMURAI JACK, Kosugi is a potent foil for Raizo. He’s the supremely powerful, yet aged master who has given Raizo his skills yet tried to take away his humanity. This is nicely revealed in flashbacks that show how Raizo loses his closest friend as a result of Ozunu’s strict rules and this gradually widens a rift that finally erupts into a flurry of ninja-on-ninja action on a rooftop.

One of the strengths of NINJA ASSASSIN is that it provides heavy doses of thrilling combat between ninja, especially after Raizo comes to Mika’s rescue. From this point on the film becomes a frantic race from one massive battle to the next with an army of ninja creeping through the shadows as the heroes struggle to survive. The final matches between Raizo and his two main opponents are good but there is one all-out battle in an old abandoned power station that is mind-blowing in its presentation.

In addition to Kosugi, Rain’s other main opponent is played by DIE ANOTHER DAY villain Rick Yune. One disappointment is that his role was so small. He’s supposed to be Raizo’s main rival but we don’t get to know much about him or his abilities. So when these two square off, it doesn’t have the impact or provide the satisfaction that it should. In contrast, the film does much better in handling Rain’s friendly relationships with a female ninja and with Naomie Harris’ Europol character. Rain and Harris have adequate chemistry and even though there is no substantial development in their relationship, the script manages to steer clear of any racial stereotypes which is something I cannot thank the screenwriters enough for. After three RUSH HOUR movies, I’ve had my fill of that.

Action choreography was overseen by 87Eleven members Chad Stahelski, Jon Valera and Jonathan Eusebio, with additional fight choreography by Zhang Peng who previously worked with Brad Allen on HELLBOY 2. Prior to shooting, Rain spent six months training for his role and before that briefly worked with the 87Eleven team on the Wachowskis’ SPEED RACER. According to Stahelski, Rain was a very quick study when it came to his training on SPEED RACER, which ultimately led him to star in NINJA ASSASSIN. He performed most of his own stunts and kept pace with other stunt players for the most part.

Rain performs admirably throughout the film, both in his fight work and limited opportunities to act. It’s subtle but he definitely displays a measure of charm that goes beyond mere looks. As for his physical prowess, I couldn’t ask for a better performance from someone with little more than six months of screen fight training. This guy is a natural and needs to follow up with more action roles. I’m not big on pop stars turning to action as they rarely have the commitment or skill to earn the respect that a performer like Jet Li or Donnie Yen does through a lifetime of training. Rain is an exception.

I have mixed feeling about the depiction of ninja and their abilities in this film. On the one hand, they’re about as badass as ninja can get. These assassins mean business and I’m talking insta-kills left and right. Heads get chopped off, bodies are riddled with heavy shuriken that actually look capable of killing someone rather than causing mere superficial wounds. Limbs are severed and blood flows like crazy. These guys don’t play with their targets, blab on or engage in long, drawn out battles. The only exception on this last point is when ninja are evenly matched and this only occurs twice in the movie.

I like the slightly exaggerated and varied use of weapons. Giving Raizo a chain whip dagger as a main weapon was a brilliant idea to allow the character to perform more unconventional and interesting fighting moves not limited strictly to traditional ninjitsu. It’s obvious that the stunt team took liberties by incorporating wushu moves and Hong Kong-style fight work but it works. The chain whip also allows Raizo to effectively engage multiple targets at once from a variety of ranges.

Now what I have problems with in the depiction of ninja are their propensity to whisper ominously like “Others” from the TV series LOST and their ability to move like The Flash at times. You literally see them move at superhuman speeds, very similar to the ninja in the animated JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES SERIES. It’s a very hokey effect that is added to the other superhuman ability to magically heal wounds. Then again, this isn’t any worse than past depictions of ninja burrowing through the ground at high speeds or disappearing into thin air. In the context of a Godfrey Ho or Chang Cheh ninja movie, NINJA ASSASSIN is a very effective update and perhaps viewers should look at the film from this perspective to best enjoy it.

One of the biggest early complaints about the movie is how dark it is, particularly during action sequences. It’s true. Most of the action intentionally takes place at night with limited lighting and it is often difficult to clearly see what is happening. It’s similar to how Batman fought in BATMAN BEGINS, yet there is far more going on during combat scenes in this film. If you consider how ninjas are supposed to operate in this movie it makes sense that we wouldn’t see everything they do. In some ways, I wish we saw less, particularly their ability to move at superhuman speeds.

What I would have liked to see though was more diversity in killing and stealth techniques. There is far too much dependence on shadows, shuriken and bladed weapons. When it comes to ninjas I want to see more dirty tricks. Where are the poisons, caltraps, flash bangs, hidden weapons, disguises, parachutes, wall-climbing gear, etc? I would expect the modern ninja to come packing a wide array of specialized equipment but I guess this clan is old school.

Another complaint is that the camera doesn’t pull away enough. For instance, during a sequences where ninjas chase Raizo through traffic I kept wanting to see at least one overhead shot of these warriors weaving through cars. The few wide shots we do get add so much to the film. In addition, the fight choreography was good enough that the editor should have dropped more cuts and alternate angles to let the audience see Rain and the stunt team do their magic. Unlike a lot of other Hollywood action films, many of the action cuts appear to be cosmetic rather than attempts mask poor skills.

Something else I have to comment on is the ninja-versus-Special Forces action. There are two main sequences, the first in the aforementioned power station and the other in a place I won’t mention so as not to spoil anything. For fans of epic genre-based screen carnage, these sequences are pure bliss. I nearly lost interest in the main plot during these sequences, they were so much fun to watch. The second sequence makes for one of the biggest payoffs I’ve seen in any action movie in recent memory. The only thing missing here was some wise-cracking, John McClane-type character shouting, “Say hello to the 21st Century mofos!”

After seeing this movie, I have to say, “When is the sequel coming?” I see great potential for the studio to build on this foundation. NINJA ASSASSIN was an origin story and a damn good one too. From here, a screenwriter could go almost anywhere by introducing rival clans, vampires, super villains, aliens, you name it. The world of NINJA ASSASSIN is just far enough outside of reality to justify the introduction of anything so long as it retains the same level of hardcore violence and fight work. Something a future installment could benefit from would be more humor, so long as it’s well written.

I honestly doubted this film could live up to the hype but it has. By ninja movie standards, NINJA ASSASSIN is a masterpiece. It honestly made me feel like a kid again, the same 12-year-old who used to froth at the mouth over films like NINJA III: THE DOMINATION and DUEL TO THE DEATH. Japan has produced more historically accurate depictions of ninja (and less historically accurate too) but they have rarely been this enjoyable to watch in action. James McTeigue displayed promise as an action director in V FOR VENDETTA and now he has proven he’s got the chops. If nothing else, this film should satisfy audiences who have been clamoring for serious, all-our ninja action and action films to embrace the same level of bloodletting seen in recent horror films. Aside from less-than-perfect digital squibs, I would put this movie into the same category as Sylvester Stallone’s RAMBO (2008). Both films deliver the goods when it comes to hardcore, epic destruction. Hold on… I just thought of the perfect match-up… Rambo vs. NINJA ASSASSIN-style ninjas. Seriously, Sly, Avi Lerner, the Wachowskis, somebody needs to get on it.

Related Topics