*** Official NINJA ASSASSIN Review Thread

Well, if you're aiming for an "R" rating, at least use it for all the gory and blood splatter you can, plus toss in a few gratuitous F-bombs while you're at it, and that's what they did with "Ninja Assassin".  I joked when responded to a Facebook entry on this movie with "The Red Cross called, they want their blood bank supplies back."  It was truly a ridiculous amount of blood a-spewin' at almost every Ninja confrontation.

What the trailers tell you in 10 seconds, this film takes around 45 minutes to finally get to the point of the main character's Raizo (played by Rain) rogue Ninja lifestyle.  With plodding and involving flashback, the film settles for a few training and fight scenes, throwing in training montages in case we didn't get the point: Ninjas are badasses.  I think the script relies a little too much on the supernatural abilities of Ninjas, either developed or innate, who really knows, I don't think the writers do.  Let's just say their recuperative powers somehow veers towards Wolverine than, say, James T. Kirk.

There is a strange chase sequence with "Ninjas against the flow of car traffic" that defies logic, gravity and belief, but if it were played for a little more laughs, I'd gone with it more.

Overall, a weak story, with lots of martial arts action, and copious amounts of red corn syrup on display, with more than a dash of dismemberment on this side of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

I give it 2 stars or a grade of C.

I dug it enough to buy it.  Patrick's criticisms are legitimate, but I enjoyed the action, thought Rain was exceptional, and enjoyed the silly conceit.  I went to Ninja Assassin, and got ninjas and assassins.

Trash, usually silly, but at least well made.