DVD Review: Ninja Assassin

Ninja Assassin

(Warner Home Entertainment, 99 minutes)

http://ninja-assassin-movie.warnerbros.com/

By Chris Zimmerman

Ninja; the word itself stirs the imagination and opens up multiple possibilities for film makers and action fans alike. Though the quality of these films are questionable, often times varying from edge of your seat excitement to mildly enjoyable to disgustingly poor, one cannot deny that they provide the audience with sufficient amount of blood and gore to appease even the most hardcore of action fans. Ninja Assassin tends to be closer to the middle, reeking of choreographed action and an insubstantial plot.

Written by Mathew Sand and rewritten by J. Michael Straczynski, this highly stylized and excessively bloody action romp centers on ninja outcast Raizo (Rain), whose quest for vengeance to avenge a fallen friend pits him against those who made him into what he is. Over the course of the film, the story is told in the present with several flashbacks blended in to show the viewers Raizo’s life as it unfolds, from child in training to becoming a killing machine with a conscious.

As his training begins taking a toll on his psyche, he finds a friend in a young girl named Kiriko (Anna Sawai), who is far too nice to be considered ninja material. As Raizo’s flashbacks carry on, it is revealed that the two developed feelings for each other, with Kiriko’s gentile persona preventing Raizo from falling into the abyss. Naturally anyone paying will see where this is going and thus, a few fights later and so begins Raizo’s journey to bring down the clan that he once called family. Think Punisher with ninjas.

Meanwhile, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomi Harris) has been examining a slew of political assassinations and discovers that those involved are actually the same group that Raizo once belonged to. Naturally this leads to the two joining forces to bring down his former ninja kin.
Those wondering just how bloody this movie is need look no further than the opening scene. As a group of Yakuza laugh off the possibility of ninjas still existing in the world, they are suddenly attacked by a figure hidden in the shadows. Arms are sliced off, heads decapitated, and blood spraying from open wounds like a hydrant. The action is nothing short of impressive as the characters continuously find new ways to severe each other’s limbs.

Unfortunately, the acting is less successful as all the actors seem off although given the script; one can’t blame the cast for under-delivering. Even Rain, whose surprisingly powerful screen presence is an added benefit to the film, seems a bit off in delivery though this does little to detract from his believability as an action star.

Ninja Assassin isn’t a movie that will leave the audience thinking afterwards nor was it ever meant to be. Ultimately, it is a well paced B-Movie that delivers on its promise of 99 minutes of blood soaked action. The fight scenes are inspired and will at the very least appeal to anyone wowed by ninja martial arts.

Ninja Assassin – B-

Those who enjoyed the movie may also be interested in the Ninja Assassin iPhone app for only $.99.

Wolf's Rain

Wolf’s Rain is a show that should be watched at least once by any person that claims to be a fan of animation and/or sprawling epics. With its unique character designs, intricately detailed landscapes, and complex plot, it soars above most other shows of its medium.

Perhaps the best way to describe Wolf’s Rain is to compare it to a Disney toon for adults. With talking animals, wicked aristocrats, and reluctant heroes, one would think it came straight from the magic kingdom.

The story’s background is that humanity is descended from wolves and in the bleak future, wolves are thought to have gone extinct. In reality, they are merely hiding amongst humans, having learned to take on human form.

The main focus of the show is a wolf named Kiba, who for the first few episodes, trusts no one and is determined to stay a loner. Kiba’s main reason for living is to find paradise, a shangri-la that existed solely for wolves years before man corrupted the world. In order to do so, he must first locate the moon flower, which is said to be the key to the doors of paradise.

Along the way Kiba forms his own pack as other wolves he meets begin flocking toward him. Tsume is the alpha male of the group and constantly constantly bickering with Kiba, all the while questioning himself as to why he would believe in something so foolish as paradise. Hige is a street smart wolf that is talkative and rather care free; and Toboe is an innocent and naïve pup determined to hold the group together.

They very quickly locate the moon flower in a research facility and find that it is in actuality an odd looking girl named Cheza. However just as quickly as they find Cheza, she is captured by the main antagonist of the series, Darcia.

Darcia is a noble, one of three that appear throughout the series run, and his purpose is to locate paradise for himself so he can return his dying wife to full health.

In this reality, Nobles are humans that harnessed both magic and science using them to create alchemy and ultimately take over the world. Darcia, having originally created Cheza, shows up early on to take her back from a Noble who stole her prior to the series beginning.

Around the halfway point of the series, the wolves storm Darcia’s castle and enter into a violent and bloody showdown. Using the opportunity to steal Cheza for herself, a new Noble calling herself Jagara makes her appearance known, laying waste to Darcia’s castle. This in turn leads to Cheza being captured and Darcia and his wife being presumed dead, the latter of which is.

The series takes a dark turn as Hige is revealed to have been a traitor, Kiba is captured, and Jagara’s goal of opening paradise becomes reality. However the paradise Jagara opened was a false one, leading to the world crumbling apart. Darcia makes his reappearance taking back his role as lead antagonist by offing Jagara in dramatic style while the wolves once again make off with Cheza.

With the world falling apart around them, it’s a race to paradise. Along the way, Toboe is shotdown by Darcia, in the first of many mournful scenes, who has transformed from a man who had everything to a crazed psychotic determined to bring an end to existence. Upon reaching the doorway to paradise, Darcia makes his final gamble, and enters into a final conflict with Kiba and his pack that leaves more than one body laying in the snow white landscape. How does it end? Watch the series.

The artistry is amazing, having been produced by studio Bones, one of Japan’s premier animation companies. The character designs are unique and pleasant on the eyes as each character is made to look different, from the wolves’ mangy and street level appearance to the noble’s elegant yet fearsome forms.

The music is scored by the brilliant Yoko Kanno who continues to impress, having gained acclaim for her soundtrack to Cowboy Bebop. The music is a mix of jazz and orchestral that plays slow and builds, quickening the pace so as to add emphasis to the drama taking place.

The rule that anything that can happen will, certainly applies as on more than one occasion, all rules are thrown out the window in favor of creating a constant feeling of wonder and intrigue. Its inventive and original while at the same time bitter and depressing. Wolf’s Rain departs with reckless abandon, racing toward a tragic yet memorable conclusion that is as satisfying as it is heartbreaking.

Wolf’s Rain – A