Hot ninja, lukewarm story
By Genevieve Loh, TODAY | Posted: 25 November 2009 0806 hrs

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SINGAPORE : So a Korean pop superstar is playing one of the deadliest ninjas in the world. But do we care? No, because we are too busy salivating over Rain's rock-hard abs and pecs.

The plot leads with the mythical Ozuna clan which, for a millennia, has taken in orphans to turn them into cold-blooded ninja assassins, complete with superhuman strength, lighting-quick agility, insane weapon skills and healing abilities.

The baddies get these guys to kill rich people and infiltrate bank accounts.

Sounds a wee bit incredulous? Yes. But what do you expect from a ninja movie produced by Western martial arts fanboys?

Yes, "Ninja Assassin" is the M18 chop-socky hyper-violent fake-bloodied schlock fest, courtesy of the Wachowski Brothers and Joel Silver, who in a carefully strategised eye-the-massive-Asian-market move, cast Korean superstar Rain as their action man.

But more importantly, the singer/actor builds a truly impressive killer bod to portray orphan Raizo, the ultimate killing machine gone rogue.

Director James McTeigue (of the superb "V For Vendetta") goes all out on the action, with brawls, decapitations and dismemberments reaching its expected graphic and gratuitous zenith. But the terrible acting and laughable script drags the movie down.

One only wishes that they went all out with the B-grade fun and irreverence, thus pushing "Ninja Assassin" into the tomes of cult-dom, where it could have belonged.

- TODAY/il