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How to watch: Available on Netflix
Starring: Rain, Rick Yune, Naomie Harris, Sho Kosugi
Director: James Mctigue
Writers: Matthew Sand, J. Michael Straczynski
Run Time: 1 hour 39 minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: November 25, 2009
Style: Action, Gore, Martial Arts, Hollywood
More information on this film can be found on its IMDB page.
A Modern Classic
An incredible group of films released in 2009. We got JJ Abrams’ first Star Trek film, Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Fantastic Mr. Fox, District 9, and Duncan Jone’s Moon are just a few examples of films from that year. But the movie that trounced everything else in 2009 was a martial arts epic for the ages. Starring legendary martial artist Sho Kosugi, Fast and Furious star Rick Yune, Academy Award nominated actress Naomie Harris, and Korean pop star Rain as the titular character. Of course, I am talking about the cinematic achievement that is Ninja Assassin.
Overview
The all time classic that is Ninja Assassin follows two characters, Mika and Raizo. An orphaned Raizo was taken in by a secret clan of assassins. After his first assassination, he betrays his master and vows to destroy the Ozunu clan. On his mission he meets Mika, a detective who is slowly piecing together the puzzle of the Ozunu clan. As she sheds light on the Ozunu she becomes a target.
Story Review: 10/10
The Perfection
The narrative follows Raizo in two stages of his life. One stage sees a young Raizo training and beaten for his failures in the Ozunu clan, the other stage follows his modern-day goal of tearing down that very clan. His trials and tribulations in the Ozunu clan expertly build sympathy for our hero. When the film isn’t following Raizo, it’s following Mika. Mika’s drive and relentless ambition puts her alongside Clarice Starling and Hercule Poirot as the best detectives in film history. Together their characters bounce off of each other with unbreakable chemistry.
The Bad
Nothing in this movie is bad. From top to bottom Ninja Assassin is flawless.
Martial Arts Review: 10/10
Gory Greatness
The action in Ninja Assassin has gone unrivaled for eleven years. Hundreds of movies have come out since 2009. Movies starring incredible martial artists, but none of them have come close to the Korean pop idol named Rain. That is casting at its greatest level. But somehow director James McTeigue made an even greater decision. He knew that the mysticism of ninjas was more important than good choreography. Almost every moment of action is shrouded in darkness. From out of the shadows comes CGI ninja stars and other weapons. When the ninjas finally reveal themselves, their fights are edited together in a fast-paced style. Making the choreography beautifully incomprehensible.
Straight from the opening scene Ninja Assassin shows off it’s gory excellence. The audience is blown away by copious amounts of blatantly fake blood and limbs as a group of Yakuza is torn to shreds. Who needs practical and realistic special effects when you could have the Dexter Jettster of cranberry juice? Ninja Assassin and Avatar were released in the same year. One movie holds up as a landmark in cinematic history and the other is Avatar.
Conclusion
How could you not love Ninja Assassin? Ninja Assassin is an incredible story with the most charismatic characters. Those characters spout dialogue that makes Quentin Tarantino and Aaron Sorkin look like E.L. James. Scott Adkins’ and Isaac Florentine’s 2013 film Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear is chalk full of fight scenes that wish that they could be Ninja Assassin. Similarly Ninja 2 has Kane Kosugi, but who cares when Ninja Assassin has Kane’s elderly father Sho Kosugi? Ninja Assassin is an expertly crafted thrill ride of character work and action superiority.
What do you think of Ninja Assassin? Is it the most perfect action movie ever made or are you completely wrong? Comment your thoughts on Ninja Assassin and check out some other reviews here on Martial Journal. And April Fools.
This movie is trash.
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At first, I was like, okay, finally someone else sees the true majesty that is “Ninja Assassin”. Then I kept reading, and I am so mad right now. You are very lucky we are under stay at home orders, or I would have to display some mad bo staff skills on your skull!
I demand an apology, first, to all the REAL ninja, who are just awesome, flipping out and fitting whole Frisbees into their mouths. I doubt a man like you could really appreciate the amount of flipping out Rain does; it’s like what he does the whole movie!
Second, Sho Kosugi was flipping out and shredding peoples faces with cat claws before you were even born. I’ve seen him hit a doubting Thomas like you with shuriken from 15 feet!
So beware, when this stay at home order gets lifted, and my big brother gets his driving permit, and I get off restriction for eating Frisbees, you will see me!
Ha! I love Sho Kosugi, I was just trying to continue the comparison to Scott Adkins’ Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear.
Ha! I love Sho Kosugi, I was just trying to continue the comparison to Scott Adkins’ Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear.