''Ninja Assassin'' is a 2009
neo-noir
Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates literally to English as "black film", indicating ...
martial arts film
Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...
directed by
James McTeigue
James McTeigue (born December 29, 1967) is an Australian film and television director. He has been an assistant director on many films, including '' Dark City'' (1998), the ''Matrix'' trilogy (1999–2003) and '' Star Wars: Episode II – Atta ...
. The story was written by Matthew Sand, with a screenplay by
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski (; born July 17, 1954) is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series ''Babylon 5'' ( ...
. The film stars South Korean pop musician
Rain
Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
as a disillusioned assassin looking for retribution against his former mentor, played by ninja film legend
Sho Kosugi
is a Japanese actor with extensive training in Shindō jinen-ryū Karate, Kendo, Judo, Iaido, Kobudo, Aikido and Ninjutsu. A former All Japan Karate Champion, he gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, often playing ninjas. He starre ...
. ''Ninja Assassin'' explores political corruption, child endangerment and the impact of violence.
The Wachowskis
Lana Wachowski (born June 21, 1965, formerly known as Larry Wachowski) and Lilly Wachowski (born December 29, 1967, formerly known as Andy Wachowski) are American film and television directors, writers and producers. The sisters are both trans ...
,
Joel Silver
Joel Silver (born July 14, 1952) is an American film producer.
Life and career
Silver was born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey, the son of a writer and a public relations executive. His family is Jewish. He attended Columbia High School i ...
, and
Grant Hill produced the film for
Legendary Pictures
Legendary Pictures Productions, LLC (doing business as Legendary Entertainment or simply Legendary) is an American film production and mass media company based in Burbank, California, founded by Thomas Tull in 2000. The company has collaborated ...
,
Dark Castle Entertainment
Dark Castle Entertainment is an American film production label and a division of Silver Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, It was formed in 1998 by Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, and Gilbert Adler. Susan Downey was the Vice President of Develop ...
and
Silver Pictures
Silver Pictures is an American film production company founded by Hollywood producer Joel Silver in 1980. The Silver Pictures logo, also called The Chip, is modeled on a block pattern that Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the exteriors of the St ...
. It was distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of ...
.
''Ninja Assassin'' premiered in theaters across the United States on November 25, 2009 and received mixed reviews from critics. Its box office gross was $61,590,252, of which $38,122,883 was from North America. The film's budget was $40–50 million.
Plot
The Ozunu Clan, led by the ruthless Lord Ozunu, trains orphans from around the world to become the ultimate ninja assassins. Raizo is one of the orphans. The Ozunu Clan's training is extremely brutal, especially for Raizo since he is to be the next successor of the clan. The only kindness he ever feels is from a young kunoichi named Kiriko, with whom he eventually develops a romantic bond. As time goes by, Kiriko becomes disenchanted with the Ozunu's routine and decides to abandon it. One rainy night, Kiriko climbs a wall to escape and encourages Raizo to join her, but he chooses to stay. Branded as a traitor, Kiriko is captured and later executed in front of Raizo by their elder ninja brother Takeshi, who impales her through the heart.
Years later, an adult Raizo is instructed by Lord Ozunu to complete his first assassination. After the mission, Raizo meets the rest of his clan atop a city skyscraper in Berlin. There, Lord Ozunu orders him to execute a kunoichi traitor. Remembering Kiriko's death, Raizo slashes Lord Ozunu's face with his
kyoketsu-shoge
The , which could be roughly translated as "long-distance lithe weapon", is a double-edged blade, with another curved blade attached near the hilt at a 45–60 degree angle. This is attached to approximately of rope, chain, or hair which then en ...
and fights against his fellow ninjas. Barely surviving, he falls off the rooftop and into a river. After years, Raizo recovers and trains on his own to intervene in, and foil, all of Ozunu's assassination attempts.
Meanwhile,
Europol agent Mika Coretti has been investigating money-linked political murders and finds out that they are possibly connected to the Ozunu. She defies her superior, Ryan Maslow, and retrieves secret agency files to find out more about the investigation. Mika meets Raizo and convinces him to see Maslow for protection, as well as to provide evidence against the Ozunu. However, Raizo is arrested by Maslow and abducted by Europol agents for interrogation.
Although feeling betrayed, Mika is assured by Maslow that he is still on her side and gives her a tracking device for emergencies. The Ozunu ninjas infiltrate the Europol safe house, where Raizo is being held, in an attempt to kill him and everybody inside. Mika frees Raizo and they both manage to escape, but Raizo suffers near-fatal wounds. Mika then takes him to a motel to hide. Resting in the motel, Mika implants the tracking device into Raizo, as the ninjas remain in pursuit. Unable to fend off the Ozunu, she hides outside the motel until Special Forces arrive to help her.
By the time they arrive, the ninja have already kidnapped Raizo, bringing him before Lord Ozunu for execution. During the transport back to the Ozunu, Raizo uses his ninja techniques to heal his own wounds. Europol Special Forces and tactical teams led by Maslow storm the secluded Ozunu retreat (nestled in the mountains) using the tracking device on Raizo.
Turning the night into day by saturating the sky above with powerful flares, the military forces are able to fight the ninjas on their own terms. In the confusion, Mika frees Raizo from his bindings. He proceeds to kill Takeshi and confront Lord Ozunu in a sword duel. Mika interferes to help but gets stabbed by Lord Ozunu. Enraged, Raizo uses a "shadow blending" technique for the first time to distract and kill Lord Ozunu. Mika, seemingly fatally wounded, is in fact saved by a quirk of birth:
her heart is actually on the right side of her chest.
With the Ozunu defeated, Europol leaves. Raizo stays behind in the ruins of the Ozunu retreat. Climbing the same wall Kiriko did in the past, he looks out at the surrounding countryside and breathes with a smile, feeling his freedom for the first time.
Cast
*
Rain
Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
as Raizo, one of the world's deadliest assassins.
** Sungwoong Yoon as Young Raizo
**
Lee Joon
Lee Chang-sun (born February 7, 1988), better known by his stage name Lee Joon, is a South Korean actor, singer, model and DJ. He is best known as a former member of the South Korean boy band MBLAQ. He had notable roles in '' Gapdong'' (2014), ...
as Teenage Raizo
*
Naomie Harris
Naomie Melanie Harris (born 6 September 1976) is a British actress. She started her career when she was a child, appearing in the television series ''Simon and the Witch'' in 1987. She portrayed Selena in the zombie film ''28 Days Later'' (2002 ...
as Mika Coretti, a
Europol agent.
*
Ben Miles as Ryan Maslow, Mika's Europol superior.
*
Rick Yune
Rick Yune (born August 22, 1971) is an American actor, screenwriter, producer and martial artist of Korean descent. His most notable roles have been in the movies ''Snow Falling on Cedars'', the first '' Fast and Furious'' film ''The Fast an ...
as Takeshi, the leader of a team sent by the Ozunu Clan.
*
Sho Kosugi
is a Japanese actor with extensive training in Shindō jinen-ryū Karate, Kendo, Judo, Iaido, Kobudo, Aikido and Ninjutsu. A former All Japan Karate Champion, he gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, often playing ninjas. He starre ...
as Lord Ozunu, the leader of the Ozunu Ninja Clan.
*
Randall Duk Kim
Randall Duk Kim (born September 24, 1943) is an American stage, film, and television actor.
Life
Kim was born and raised in Hawaii.
He is married to actress and fellow American Players Theatre co-founder, Anne Occhiogrosso.
Career
Theat ...
as Tattoo Master
*
Anna Sawai
is a New Zealand actress, singer and dancer. She landed her first acting role at age 11 as the titular character in the 2004 Nippon TV production of ''Annie (musical)#International productions, Annie'' shortly after moving to Japan. Sawai later ...
as Teenage Kiriko
** Kylie Liya Goldstein as Young Kiriko
*
Sung Kang
Sung-Ho Kang (born April 8, 1972) is an American actor. His first major role was as Han Lue in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise, a character he first portrayed in ''Better Luck Tomorrow'' (2002). Kang also played John Mak in the television serie ...
as Hollywood
* Jonathan Chan-Pensley as Yakuza Henchman
*
Ill-Young Kim
Ill-Young Kim ( ko, 김일영; born 13 May 1973) is a German actor, comedian, and musician of Korean descent.
Selected filmography
References
External links
*
*
1973 births
Living people
German male film actors
{{Germany-actor-s ...
as Yakuza Mohawk
* Yuki Iwamoto as Yakuza Couch
*
Linh-Dan Pham as Pretty Ninja
* Yu Fang as Laundromat Manager
*
Adriana Altaras
Adriana Altaras (born 6 April 1960) is a German actress, theatre director and author.
Early life
Altaras was born in Zagreb, FPR Yugoslavia to Jewish parents, Thea Altaras (née Fuhrmann) and Jakob Altaras, who were part of the Yugoslav Par ...
as Landlady
*
Eleonore Weisgerber as Mrs. Sabatin
* Wladimir Tarasjanz as Aleksei Sabatin
* Kai Fung Rieck as Teenage Takeshi
* Thorston Manderlay as Agent Zabranski
* Richard Van Weyden as Ibn Battuta
* Mina Ghousi as Kid with Envelope
* Hans Hohlbein as Mika's Neighbor
*
Stephen Marcus
Stephen Marcus (born Stephen Mark Scott; 18 June 1962) is a British actor, best known for his role as Nick the Greek in the film ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels''.
Career
Marcus became an actor in 1984 after three years of training at Ar ...
as Kingpin
* Nhi Ngoc Nguyen-Hermann as Girl on Roof
* Guido Föhrweisser as Lead Europol Agent
*
Tim Williams as Europol Cell Guard
*
David Leitch
David Leitch (born November 16, 1975) is an American filmmaker, actor, stunt performer and stunt coordinator who made his directorial debut on the 2014 action film ''John Wick'' with Chad Stahelski, though only Stahelski was credited. Leitch the ...
as Europol Door Guard
* Wolfgang Stegemann as Europol Pointman
* Steffen Groth as Europol Guard
* Jens Neuhaus as Europol Guard
* Patrick Pinheiro as Maslow's Aide
* Matthias Schendel as Task Force Agent
* Johannes Ahn as Medic
Production
''Ninja Assassin'' was directed by
James McTeigue
James McTeigue (born December 29, 1967) is an Australian film and television director. He has been an assistant director on many films, including '' Dark City'' (1998), the ''Matrix'' trilogy (1999–2003) and '' Star Wars: Episode II – Atta ...
, who had previously worked with producers
The Wachowskis
Lana Wachowski (born June 21, 1965, formerly known as Larry Wachowski) and Lilly Wachowski (born December 29, 1967, formerly known as Andy Wachowski) are American film and television directors, writers and producers. The sisters are both trans ...
and
Joel Silver
Joel Silver (born July 14, 1952) is an American film producer.
Life and career
Silver was born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey, the son of a writer and a public relations executive. His family is Jewish. He attended Columbia High School i ...
on ''
V for Vendetta
''V for Vendetta'' is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd (with additional art by Tony Weare). Initially published between 1982 and 1985 in black and white as an ongoing serial in the British antholog ...
'' four years prior. The Wachowskis were inspired to make the film by actor Rain's impressive ninja-based fight scenes in their 2008 film ''
Speed Racer
''Speed Racer'', also known as , is a Japanese media franchise about Auto racing, automobile racing. ''Mach GoGoGo'' was originally serialized in print in Shueisha's 1966 ''Shōnen Book''. It was released in tankōbon book form by Sun W ...
''. The initial screenplay was written by Matthew Sand, and was rewritten by
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski (; born July 17, 1954) is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series ''Babylon 5'' ( ...
only six weeks prior to filming due to the Wachowskis' initial dissatisfaction. Martial Artist turned actor
Sho Kosugi
is a Japanese actor with extensive training in Shindō jinen-ryū Karate, Kendo, Judo, Iaido, Kobudo, Aikido and Ninjutsu. A former All Japan Karate Champion, he gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, often playing ninjas. He starre ...
had previously starred in a number of ninja movies playing ninja villains and heroes several times in the 1980s, and had become a cult icon, hence his role as the antagonist Lord Ozunu, named after
En no Ozunu, a 7th-century Japanese
mystic and one of the developers of
ninjutsu
, sometimes used interchangeably with the modern term , is the martial art strategy and tactics of unconventional warfare, guerrilla warfare and espionage purportedly practised by the ninja. ''Ninjutsu'' was a separate discipline in some tradit ...
. ''"If you've ever watched any ninja films from the 1980s, you know that Sho Kosugi is the ninja; he is the man,"'' asserts McTeigue.
Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg
The Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg is the body responsible for Film Funding and Media Business Development in the states of Berlin and Brandenburg. It is also the first point of contact for international and German professionals active in the fi ...
provided filmmakers US$1 million in funding, and Germany's Federal Film Fund provided an additional US$9 million to the film's funding.
Filming
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
began in Berlin, Germany at the end of April 2008. Filming took place in
Babelsberg Studios
Babelsberg Film Studio (german: Filmstudio Babelsberg), located in Potsdam-Babelsberg outside Berlin, Germany, is the second oldest large-scale film studio in the world only preceded by the Danish Nordisk Film (est. 1906), producing films since ...
and on location throughout Berlin.
McTeigue cited various influences in filming ''Ninja Assassin'' such as the films ''
Panic in the Streets'' (1950), ''
The Getaway'' (1972), ''
Badlands
Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, m ...
'' (1973), ''
Ninja Scroll
is a 1993 Japanese animated ''jidaigeki''- ''chanbara'' film written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, starring the voices of Kōichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono, Daisuke Gōri, Toshihiko Seki and Shūichirō Moriyama. The film was a ...
'' (1993), and the anime ''
Samurai Champloo
is a 2004 Japanese historical adventure anime television series. The debut television production of studio Manglobe, the 26-episode series aired from May 2004 to March 2005. It was first partially broadcast on Fuji TV, then had a complete a ...
'' (2004–2005).
Actor
Collin Chou
Collin Chou (born 11 August 1967), sometimes credited as Ngai Sing, is a Taiwanese actor and martial artist.
Personal life
Chou attended Pierce Community College in Los Angeles, United States. In addition to his native Mandarin, he also spe ...
was originally cast for an undisclosed lead role after
Jet Li
Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, Chinese martial arts, martial artist, and retired wushu (sport), Wushu champion. He is a naturalized Singapo ...
turned down an offer to appear in it, but Chou later left the role.
Marketing
Video game
On November 5, 2009,
Warner Bros. Entertainment
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
released the video game application based on the film for the
iPhone devices.
Release
The film was released on November 25, 2009 in the United States.
Critical response
The film received mixed reviews from critics, while some praised the revival of the martial arts genre, the movie still failed on originality. On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
26% of 117 critics gave the film positive reviews, with an average rating of 4.40/10. The site's consensus reads "Overly serious and incomprehensibly edited, ''Ninja Assassin'' fails to live up to the promise of its title."
At
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a
weighted average
The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 34% based on 20 reviews. While critics generally panned the film as a melange of gore scenes without a convincing plot,
some critics commended the film's numerous action scenes. Audiences surveyed by
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.
Background
Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A+ to F.
Mick LaSalle
Mick is a masculine given name, usually a short form ( hypocorism) of Michael. Because of its popularity in Ireland, it is often used in England as a derogatory term for an Irish person or a person of Irish descent. In Australia the meaning broad ...
of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' described the film as "a gorefest, a borefest and a snorefest."
Joe Williams of the ''
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the ''Belleville News-De ...
'' opined that "this amateurish action flick is so lacking in personality or punch, it ought to be titled 'V for Video Store Discount Bin.'"
''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''s Chris Nashawaty wrote "...this slick slice of martial-arts mayhem from the producers of ''
The Matrix
''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantolia ...
'' is awash in blood. It spurts and sprays in geysers. And it never lets up. There's a brutal (and admittedly very cool) fight scene every five minutes... But let's be honest, killing is this film's business... and business is good."
Box office
''Ninja Assassin'' opened at #6 at the North American box office earning $13,316,158 in its first opening weekend. The film grossed $60,462,347, of which $38,122,883 was from North America. In Japan, this film opened on the March 6, 2010 in only one movie theater in
Shinjuku
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...
and then also opened on the March 20 in Osaka.
''Ninja Assassin'' earned 2,214,000 yen (Approximately $25,672 U.S.) during its first opening weekend in Shinjuku.
Awards
On June 9, 2010, Rain was awarded the "Biggest Badass" award on the
MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie & TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie Awards) is a film and television awards show presented annually on MTV. The first MTV Movie Awards were presented in 1992. The ceremony was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards for its 26th editi ...
for his work in ''Ninja Assassin''.
Home media
''Ninja Assassin'' was released on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
,
Blu-ray Disc
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and c ...
and
streaming
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
formats on March 16, 2010.
See also
*
Ninja films
The following is a list of films where at least one ninja character appears as a significant plot element.
Japanese cinema
Jidai-geki films
Ninpo-cho films
Silent films
Gendai-geki films
Tokusatsu films
Anime films
Erotic film ...
*
Samurai films
, also commonly spelled "''chambara''", meaning "sword fighting" films,Hill (2002). denotes the Japanese film genre called samurai cinema in English and is roughly equivalent to Western and swashbuckler films. ''Chanbara'' is a sub-category of '' ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ninja Assassin
2009 films
2009 action films
2009 fantasy films
2009 martial arts films
American action films
German action films
Babelsberg Studio films
Dark Castle Entertainment films
English-language German films
Films directed by James McTeigue
Films produced by Grant Hill (producer)
Films produced by Joel Silver
Films produced by The Wachowskis
Films scored by Ilan Eshkeri
Films set in Berlin
Films set in Japan
Films shot in Germany
Legendary Pictures films
Martial arts fantasy films
Ninja films
German nonlinear narrative films
American nonlinear narrative films
Silver Pictures films
Films with screenplays by J. Michael Straczynski
Japan in non-Japanese culture
2000s English-language films
2000s American films
2000s German films