The slow death of the ninja movie has been a bane to the world’s schlock entertainment. In the 80s and 90s, fans could see a host of mildly talented martial artists don black pajamas and masks before kicking each other to death. Ninjas deserve a place in the conversation. Look to the underrated 2009 classicNinja Assassinfor an argument for their continued presence.
The conversation around CGI was in a different place in 2009. Today,Marvel movies and other blockbustersrely so heavily on the digital backlot that nothing ever appears real. Critics and audiences in the late 2000s alternated between being blown away by good CGI and furious with less impressive examples. Films of this era regularly used CGI to add style rather than to create the entire setting.
RELATED:5 Underrated Ninja Movies
What is Ninja Assassin about?
Ninja Assassinis the story of an orphan named Raizo. Raizo was raised by the ruthless Ozunu Clan, an organizationof modern-day ninjas whotrain their charges to become perfect assassins. Raizo spent his youth being rigorously abused by the clan leader. His only friend is a young lady named Kiriko, who begs him to join her in an escape attempt. Raizo is too afraid to run away, leaving Kiriko to get caught and executed by their elder brother Takeshi. Raizo remains in the Clan until adulthood. The brutal leader prepares Raizo for his first assassination, but he attacks his ninja brethren. Raizo barely escapes with his life. After leaving the Ozunu, Raizo masters his craft to stop every assassination by the Clan and eventually destroy the organization that trained him.
While Raizo works to undo the Ozunu, a Europol agent named Mika discovers the ninja clan. Though her superiors think the Clan is an urban legend, a string of murders leads back to the shadowy organization. Mika draws Raizo out of hiding and insists they work together. As the ninja and the agent work together, they have to fight off an endless army of assassins with superhuman abilities and deadly weaponry. The plot is utterly generic. The action is the draw. It’s a film about fast-paced knife fights, absurd acrobatics, tense stealth sequences, and the occasional use of superpowers. The film’s most innovative trait is its useof thekyoketsu-shoge, a dagger attached to a chain. The film paints its slashes in brilliant CGI waves and lines. It’s a fun mess of action scenes and grim dialogue.
How didNinja Assassindo at the box office?
Despite its excellent title and extensive marketing campaign,Ninja Assassinwas not a hit. The film grossed $60,462,347 on a $40 to $50 million budget. The conventional wisdom of the box office suggests doubling the production budget to account for marketing. This would imply thatNinja Assassinlost between $20 and $40 million in its initial theatrical run. The film premiered on the sameday asThe Road,The Fantastic Mr. Fox, andThe Princess and the Frog. It made most of its money in the United States.Ninja Assassinmade it to Japan in March 2010. It premiered in one theater in Shinjuku, where it raked in $25,672 in its second opening weekend.Ninja Assassinis broadly seen as a box office failure, though it’s not especially disastrous for the studio.
Who wrote and directedNinja Assassin?
Ninja Assassinwas directed by James McTeigue. McTeigue cut his teeth working as an assistant director for CG-driven science fiction films. He workedon Alex Proyas’Dark City, theMatrixtrilogy, andStar Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. After working onThe Matrix, he collaborated frequently with the Wachowskis. His directorial debut wasV for Vendetta, the well-received adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel from a screenplay by the Wachowskis. AfterNinja Assassin, McTeigue directed theEdgar Allan Poe-centric horror filmThe Raven, the English spy filmSurvivors, and Gabrielle Union’sBreaking In. He continued to work with Lana Wachowski as a producer ofThe Matrix Resurrections.
Ninja Assassin’s story was written by Matthew Sand, who has only written for one other produced film. Sand’s filmography includesNinja AssassinandDeepwater Horizon. The film’s screenplay was written by J. Michael Straczynski. Straczynski is a multi-talented writer who lent his talents to films likeChangeling, comics likeSupreme Power, and TVshows likeBabylon 5. Straczynski created that beloved 90s sci-fi series. He worked with McTiegue again when he co-created the Wachowskis’Sense 8. He’s also one of the first TV creators to embrace interacting with fans over the internet and the executor of beloved sci-fi author Harlan Ellison’s estate.
Ninja Assassinisn’t a film with a lot of depth. It’s a silly homage to the fun ninja schlock that was prevalent in the 80s. It’s worth a watch for fans of mindless action movies. Itdid poorly at the theaters, it’s not well-remembered, and it never really got its day in the sun, but many newcomers could still have a fun evening withNinja Assassin.
