Tonight on PLANET GRIFFIN, We'll be following up on a little film (by Hollywood standards, a film budget coming in for roughly $1 million ) directed by James McTiegue and produced by The Wachowski Brothers called NINJA ASSASSIN currently filming in Germany. Now, seeing as how rushed the movie capital is to milk whatever concepts they can find, this movie comes as no surprise to me. Rising Stars Alum Michael Stracynzski wrote the entire screenplay in a mere 53 hours! ( If the film is a hit, remember 53 hours, cuz' you WILL hear about it again and Michael's name WILL begin popping up everywhere---) This is a true comic book adaptation without said comic book.
The film centers around Raizo (played by Korean pop star Rain), a young street rat taken in by the mysterious Onozu clan; raised and trained in the arts of--- well. Eventually, the day arrives when young Raizo comes of age and must confront the very people that raised him. Pretty simple... Of course, in the hands of V for Vendetta veteran McTiegue, the action will be anything but. The tentative release date is around Thanksgiving of this year.
My take? Stylish visuals will naturally dominate this one. As long as no one ventures into Speed Racer territory (which was Rain's first film and the casting choice was based on this), it may stand a chance at being halfway decent. ( For anyone who wants a surefire bet? look for Ryuichi Kitamura's VERSUS--- if this movie can touch any part of that classic, I'll be first in line for the ticket!)
