Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Movies

Weekend Box Office
Film Awards & Top 10s By Year
All-Time High Scores
All-Time Low Scores
Best / Worst of the Decade

Wide Releases
Now In Theaters

sort by namesort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Limited Releases
Now In Theaters

sort by namesort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Ninja Assassin

EMAILPRINTWarner Bros. Pictures

Ninja Assassin reviews
34
6.5 User Score:

Generally unfavorable reviews

Based on 20 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 69 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >

Movie Info

Genre(s): Action  |  Crime  |  Drama  |  Suspense/Thriller

Written by: Matthew Sand
J. Michael Straczynski

Directed by: James McTeigue

Release Date:
Theatrical: November 25, 2009

Running Time: minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: R for strong bloody stylized violence throughout, and language

Starring Rain, Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Sho Kosugi, and Rick Yune

Raizo is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them...and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow, Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers led by the lethal Takeshi, to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Berlin, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive...and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan. (Warner Bros.)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

75

Entertainment Weekly Chris Nashawaty

Let's be honest, killing is this film's business...and business is good.

Read Full Review >
70

The Hollywood Reporter Ethan Alter

Ninja isn't a great movie, but if you're in the right frame of mind, it is a bloody good time.

Read Full Review >
63

New York Post Kyle Smith

Despite the pace, though -- pedal, have you met my friend metal? -- Ninja Assassin still has some of its best stuff left at the end, when the master returns to demonstrate his extra-special, super-most-deadliest technique.

Read Full Review >
50

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

The finest effect in this visceral gouge of a picture is Korean pop star Rain.

Read Full Review >
50

The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis

This saga, set in Berlin, is more committed to its bloodletting than to any of its characters.

Read Full Review >
50

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Stephen Cole

A convincing, reasonably co-ordinated action movie. Nothing special, but lovers of the genre will enjoy the workouts, especially if they bring night-vision glasses.

Read Full Review >
50

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

How is an action movie that aims for kinetic thrills supposed to develop any forward momentum when it spends so much time looking back?

Read Full Review >
40

Variety Rob Nelson

Seemingly made to capitalize on a dubious CG innovation -- namely, the slicing of bodies in half by whizzing five-pointed stars -- Ninja Assassin has little else to recommend it, not even laughs.

Read Full Review >
40

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Just not feeling the holiday spirit? Maybe a brainless, extra-bloody B-movie will provide the boost you're looking for.

Read Full Review >
40

Time Out New York Kevin B. Lee

Director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) films most fights in impenetrable shadow, punctuated by death screams, blood splatters and CGI throwing stars glinting from some unseen light source.

Read Full Review >
40

Empire Will Lawrence

Decent ingredients but, as a whole, this is lacking in choreographic flair and plot substance.

Read Full Review >
38

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

Numbingly gory when it isn’t just plain numbing.

Read Full Review >
38

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

It’s like Bob Fosse night at the martial-arts studio. Most of the killing here is done with bladed throwing stars that, like the ninjas themselves, arrive from nowhere. They appear to have been used to edit the film as well.

Read Full Review >
38

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Joe Williams

This amateurish action flick is so lacking in personality or punch, it ought to be titled "V for Video Store Discount Bin."

Read Full Review >
38

Washington Post Dan Kois

Ten minutes after you leave the movie, all the battles will have blended in your memory into a ceaseless muddle of sliced-off appendages, jets of blood splashing artfully on walls, gurgling screams and flashing swords.

Read Full Review >
30

Village Voice Brian Miller

A triple-cross plot with Harris's superiors doesn't help the movie's clarity--neither does the clattering sound design. Shouldn't throwing stars be silent? If they're gonna sound like gunshots, why not just use guns?

Read Full Review >
25

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

You don't go into a movie called Ninja Assassin expecting a hell of a lot, but this shockingly disjointed and relentlessly dull picture can't even deliver the martial-arts kick its title so plainly promises.

Read Full Review >
25

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

It's a gorefest, a borefest and a snorefest.

Read Full Review >
0

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Soulless, hyperbolic actioner.

Read Full Review >
0

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

It's so unreal it hurts.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 6.5 (out of 10) based on 69 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Kim K. gave it a9:
I loved the story line. It may be gory and really AHHH! like, but I think the story line is much better than some other action films. Although there were many things that were so fake...like how Raizo was like totally attacked by 30 ninjas and survived, it was a really good movie. BE WARNED! A LOT OF GORY ACTION! And people around the age of 30 might not like it! HAHA.

Jeff F. gave it a4:
A nonstop bloodbath. Cartoonish violence. No point to it. Poorly done.

Charles W. gave it a6:
Definitely not the best movie, the plot was pretty stale...But it has to be checked out if you have any ounce of testosterone in you body. The fight scenes where too cool! Kinda funny knowing the star (Rain), is a Korean/Japanese pop star!!

Paul J. gave it a9:
This movie was awesome. It was probably one of the goriest movies ever made.Lots of action. I'm buying it when it comes out. Fast no slow parts at all.

Trey W gave it a10:
Do not listen to these absurd reviews saying the movie was bad. It was one of the best martial arts movies I have ever seen. Pure non-stop action and a simple but good plot (a lot more than expected). When I first went to see the movie I knew it would be good but I did not know I would like it this much! I cannot wait to buy it when it comes to DVD and hope they make a second one.

CHIQAGOLIL gave it a10:
Award winning Korean Actor Rain stars in this drama that has viewers actually reacting to a movie for a change. From the ouuus and ahhhs to the applaud at the ending, we are blown away by this Korean phenomena. I am startled at how critics of this movie do not know the R&B singer, Rain who stars lead as Raizo. Then again, if critics don't see naked White women performing lewd acts, they never think the movie is worth watching anyway. Love.

Gwen B gave it a10:
I am amazed at how unimformed and out of touch the critics in America are. This movie Starred an actor named Rain (Jung Jihoon) who is an actor/model/R&B singer who practices martial arts as a hobby (even though he rivals Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan). Ninja Assassin Tells exactly how deadly Ninjas truly are and lets us see inside the world that many of us are unfamiliar with and which takes us out of our America safety zone. Yet in the midst of it, it shares a love story unlike the lovers in The King and I. Mika, though interesting as a journalist, is played beautifully by Naomi Harris. The story leaves us suspenseful and wanting more. When the movie ended, I heard applause everywhere. I am beginning to see that if critics hate a movie, it mut be good!

Read more user comments >

Popular on CBS sites: College Signing Day | Olympics | Lost | iPhone | Cell Phones | Video Game Reviews | Free Music

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy (UPDATED) | Terms of Use