A Sneak Peek at Rain's NINJA ASSASSIN

James McTeigue’s blood-drenched “Ninja Assassin” is only due out a month and a half later but we’ve had the privilege of seeing it first. And we’re so excited about how bloody good it is that we’ve had to rave to you with this capsule review.


From the get-go, one is plunged straight into the shadowy world of the ninja assassins, also known as the Ozunu Clan. Their mark receives a paper envelope with a bright red seal in the middle, within which contains black sand. Moving in the shadows, the ninjas quickly descend upon their targets with lightning precision and proceed to deal with them in the most mercilessly efficient manner. Body parts will fly, blood will splatter and within the first five minutes, you’ll find your pulse quickening in excitement.

After this tantalising appetizer, you’ll have to bear with some bits of exposition in the first half hour or so. McTeigue sets up a fair bit of backstory into Raizo, one of the best and deadliest assassins from the Ozunu clan who goes rogue on his first mission. Unlike the rest of his counterparts, Raizo has never been fully been able to purge the humanity from his soul and he remains haunted by the Clan’s brutal and heartless methods.

Fans of Korean star Rain will have much to cheer, swoon and ogle at though. The superstar is trim, toned and very very fit as Raizo, putting to great use the months of training he went through to prepare for this role. And yes, if you have to know, he does appear topless to show off those well-toned abs.

But just when you start fidgeting and wonder where all the action that’s got you pumped has gone, McTeigue turns up the heat without so much as a letup all the way to its breathtaking climax. Yes, that’s more than an hour of pure, unadulterated thrills as Raizo goes up against a whole army of ninjas before taking on his own master, Lord Ozunu (played by the easily recognisable Sho Kosugi- probably the best known Japanese actor during the ninja craze in the 1980s).

Kudos to the brilliant stunt team behind many of the intense fight scenes in “Ninja Assassin”- thanks to some brilliant choreography, each of the action scenes are as exhilarating as the next. Credit must also go to “V For Vendetta” director McTeigue- he knows he’s making a glorified B-grade action movie but McTeigue has gone all out to make this a no-holds-barred action-packed experience you won’t soon forget.

And if “Ninja Assassin’s” story doesn’t seem particularly interesting, it’s really no matter. This is one movie that promises a bloody exciting good time and by that account alone, you should be counting down the days to when “Ninja Assassin” opens in cinemas Nov 26th. - By GC