Ninja Assassin

Ninja Assassin

Starring: Rain, Naomie Harris, Rick Yune
Producer: William Fay
Choreography: Chad Stahelski
Director: James McTeigue

    Raizo (Rain) was raised since childhood by the Ozunu ninja clan.  After he turns his back on the clan to seek revenge of their heartless murders,  he comes to find he has a heart, despite being taught that he doesn’t the opposite.  A series of murders occurring in a peculiar fashion grabs the attention of Europol agent Mika (Naomie Harris).  She believes it could be the work of ninjas, but nobody wants to believe her until Raizo asks for her help.  Leading to a trail of blood and death, he finally faces his arch enemy Takeshi (Rick Yune) and his master.

    First off, this movie is extremely bloody.  It probably could have done fine without all the excessive blood.  There is a lot of CGI/computer animation in the film, but it all is done well.

    The movie keeps the mystery of the ninja alive by rarely showing the actual ninja in action, but instead shows the devastating effects he leaves behind.  An older man in the opening tells of the horror and mystery of the ninja to disrespectful young Yakuza. 

    The flashbacks to Raizo’s training are awesome and his discipline is brutal.  The movie uses authentic martial arts and ninja walking techniques.  I also like that it shows the power of martial arts weapons and unarmed combat over that of firearms.

    This movie is definitely worth a watch, if not a purchase.  It is a story of revenge and love.  While all the parts are not true-to-ninja in the realistic sense, it is very entertaining and loaded with action.

Shuriken: 4
Bruises:  5

Ip Man

Other titles: Yip Man - Hong Kong (original title), Grandmaster Yip Man (English working title)

Released: 2008 (China) 2010 (US)

Starring: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Siu-Wong Fan

Fight Choreography: Sammo Hung

Director: Yip Wai-Shun

“The citizens of Fo Shan were prosperous and practiced kung fu as a hobby. Martial arts schools became popular, turning Fo Shan into a province renowned for martial arts.” This is the opening text which appears on the screen of the film Ip Man. This film is a fictional-biopic about Yip Man, the legendary teacher of Bruce Lee. Yip Man was a master at the martial art of Wing Chun. He was also the first person to teach it openly to the general public, this being an actual fact.

In the film Yip’s fighting lifestyle precedes his family life at home. His home is then turned into a Japanese army headquarters and his family ends up homeless for some time. Being desperate for work, Yip ends up working at a coal mine, but before long, many of the other masters who happen to work there recognize who he is and urge him onto a journey.

The film is set in the 1930s to 1940s during the Second Sino-Japanese War, when Japan invaded China. Japanese generals are seeking skilled Kung Fu masters to teach and work with Japanese soldiers for the upcoming war. Yip Man, being a peaceful man, decides to challenge this ideal and stand up for his own people. In one of the best fight scenes of the movie, Yip takes on ten Karate masters simultaneously. It’s always great to see different styles of martial arts combat each other.

Donnie Yen does a superb job portraying Yip Man. His charismatic demeanor conveys the true purpose of Kung Fu: bringing a way to peace, not a way to war.

Don’t let that mislead you. There is always a fight that ensues and the martial arts are exquisite. The impacts, speed, and precision of all the moves are brutal and on point. The cinematography is creative and makes you feel like you’re in the fight. Donnie Yen brings the legend of Yip Man to life in character and as a martial artist.

From what I hear, a sequel is due to this great movie, and I believe it involves a portrayal of the long gone, but never forgotten Bruce Lee. Keep your eyes peeled for that one.

Brutality: 5 out of 5 Bruises

Overall: 4 out of 5 Shuriken