Hey Have You Seen That New Ninja Assassin Trailer?

Pretty bad ass. That's my intelligent thought provoking review for this trailer. I was trying to come up with something maybe a little bit more poetic but then I thought the words Ninja and Assasin are in the title and people, both of those things are bad ass. Here is the trailer to Ninja Assasin. This is one of the better trailers to a film I've seen in a while. When's the last time we had a good ninja movie. Does Batman Begins count? Bruce Wayne did train with ninjas. Do I have to go all the way back to the amazing Ninja epic movie trilogy starring Sho Kosugi. There was Enter The Ninja:



You almost don't have to watch the movie after watching that trailer. But you should because then you can more clearly understand the story line to it's even greater sequel, Revenge Of The Ninja:



And just when you think he was out? They pull him back in for the Return Of The King of the Ninja series, Ninja 3: Domination:



I love ninjas. The only 2 reasons I can think of to go see G.I. Joe when it opens are named Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. I went so far as to insist that my mom buy me a ninja outfit for Halloween when I was in the fourth grade and she did. You know how we all just assume we are going to look awesome dressed in the uniform of the ninja? Don't assume that when you're a fourth grade fat boy. I'd post a picture but ninjas have sworn they'll kill me if I allow anyone to see how I disrespected them. I looked like Chunky from Goonies wrapped in black. I looked like a ninja who quit really early in his life but still wouldn't turn in the suit even though everyone knew it was over. Sho Kosugi, I let you down.
Now it looks like I have a new ninja movie to look forward to from the looks of this trailer. Ninja Assasin is directed by James McTeigue and produced by the Wachowski Brothers. The last movie these guys worked on was V For Vendetta. That's a movie that almost completely redeemed the Wachowski Brothers in my opinion after the Matrix sequels happened. Vendetta is underrated. As time goes by I can see its status starting to rise and it getting the recognition it deserves. I really enjoy McTeigue's visual style even though this is only his second movie. He likes to use wide angles to the fullest extent. Solid framing and composition. I love a director who can use that 2.35 aspect ratio to its best effect. Michael Mann, Early John Carpenter, Richard Donner's Superman, David Fincher. There's a quick glimpse of a sequence of the movie's hero Rain caught in a fight that is burning all around him. That has the potential to be one of the best martial arts sequences we've seen since.....well damn The Matrix.
The trailer isn't perfect though. Who chose the music for this trailer? It's awful. After getting some backstory told to us somebody thought it was a good idea to cue up some loud ass anger rock. It's too jarring. What if the RZA could've gotten his hands on this? Ooooh that'd be hot. He's made soundtracks before. He definately has experience in the genre because he knocked out the Kill Bill soundtracks. We all know how the Wu feels about martial arts. Cue the Liquid Swords son.
I'd also like to offer up this now tired trailer cliche your honor. The old "car comes out of nowhere and hits you" payoff shot. If an actor is standing in a frame that has a little bit more open space to it than the other and the character is looking in the opposite direction, a car will probably be hitting him. Or if 2 characters are staring at each other in close up and it goes to a wide shot of one of them turning around? He gone!
I'm gonna wish on my shiny ninja stars that this movie is solid. I'll be in line in my fourth grade ninja out fit when Ninja Assasin opens in theaters November 15, 2009.