NINJA ASSASSIN ( 2009)
Director: James McTiegue
Writers: Matthew Sand (story and screenplay), Michael J. Straczynski (screenplay)
Cast: Rain, Rick Yune, Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Sho Kosugi...
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA): R (for strong bloody stylized violence throughout and language)
Runtime: 99 minutes
Genres: Action/Crime/Thriller
Reviewed by Cherie Jung
Okay, this is more of an action-adventure/martial arts type movie but it does have assassins and spies, too.
Raizo (Rain) was raised in a Japanese orphanage that was really a training ground for ninja assassins. The various ninja clans recruited orphans, trained them, then hired them out as paid assassins. Raizo rejects his clans assignments and instead sets out to stop them.
Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles, of Coupling fame) is a European intelligence agent. Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) is an investigator. Together they are trying to stop the brutal ninja assassinations but protect Raizo, which isn't easy.
There's not a lot of plot here folks but plenty of blood and carnage. The body count is high, which will please some viewers and turn others away. If you like bloody martial arts action films, you'll probably like this movie.
It is reported that this movie was created with the actor Rain in mind. He is a very popular singer/dancer in Korea (and, indeed, around the world to primarily Korean audiences.) He was also in the movie "Speed Racer."
Return to current movie reviews
Read older movie reviews
Return to Over My Dead Body! Online.
Copyright © 2011 Over My Dead Body! All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Over My Dead Body! is prohibited. OMDB! and OMDB! logos are trademarks of Over My Dead Body!