“Ninja Assassin” by James McTeigue begins with the most successful scene. Japan. In a nondescript hideout, a group of Yakuza mafiosi are laughing loudly in the style of mad scientists, and then one of the old-timers warns not to talk loudly - there might be ninjas here! Suddenly, people are attacked from the shadows by an invisible force, swords and pointed metal stars are tearing apart bodies left and right. The lightning-fast, cartoon-style action, peppered with clots of computer-generated blood as opposed to traditional paint-filled explosions, looks good, and the presence of such things is quite suitable for this genre.
Alas, the opening scene is the most “delicious dish” on the “Ninja Assassin” menu, everything else is simply confusing.
Through a series of flashbacks, we learn the story of a boy named Raizo, who was raised as an assassin from childhood in a secret training castle high in the mountains. In addition to the memories, in our time we will meet two Europol agents who think that they have managed to uncover the secret of all the high-class contract killings over the past hundreds of years: that same notorious ninja clan. IMDB states that writer Jay Michael Straczynski was hired to rework the unsatisfactory script and completed it in 53 hours, which is no doubt eye-watering. The fight sequences serve as the backbone of the storyline. Perhaps if the plot had been presented to us in a more simplified form, it would have been more durable.
However, I can only handle any number of different contrivances and goofy characters if the action movie is breathtaking. I will be the first to announce this. Unfortunately, the fight scenes are shot in close-up and in the dark (of course, because ninjas hide in the shadows), and in most cases it is almost impossible to discern who is fighting who. Speaking of stunts, the acrobatic ninja skills performed by Korean pop star Rain make a good impression; I didn’t notice any abuse of cables.
Regarding Rain, his transition from a singer to an actor has become a controversy in many circles. Although Rain is not a particularly emotional actor, his performance in “Speed Racer” had a certain amount of charm, but I have to admit that there is not a single drop of that charm in this film. However, if constantly not wearing any outerwear can be considered a skill, then he clearly has talent.
I may prefer old-school ninjas, but I don't really care about the genre clash that is present in Ninja Assassin. Combining a traditional story of revenge and salvation with a modern government conspiracy thriller is a controversial decision. If McTeague's action movie marks a revival of the era of ninja films and pave the way for others, introducing a new generation of viewers to the genre, then I will vote for it with both hands, but let's hope there are better and brighter films ahead.
Author: Michael Guillen
Translation: EvilDollaR
A screenshot appeared online without translation.
PS Happy first day of winter to you all!!!