Jung Ji Hoon * 정지훈 * 鄭智薰 * (aka Rain/Bi / 비 / ピ) I [Upcoming Drama 2024] Red Swan

November 23, 2009

Published: November 22,2009

Ninja Assassin Film Review
By Kam Williams
...
One day, the movie might be best remembered as marking the arrival of Rain as a bona fide Hollywood matinee idol. The handsome, Korean singing sensation cuts a very charismatic screen presence here in the title role, making females swoon when not taking on wave after wave of malevolent bad guys. Yes, he is frequently the beneficiary of state-of-the-art, special f/x and carefully-choreographed stunts, still, don't be surprised if he soon emerges as the heir apparent to Bruce Lee as a karate star with immense crossover appeal.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity and graphic violence.
Running time: 99 minutes
Studio: Warner Brothers

I loved that review! Yes, it is excellent!!!!

Hello to Everyone. I've missed being here. I hope everyone is doing well and getting ready for the holiday season.
....
I still think it would be good if she and some of the other actors could help Rain promote this movie since they were a part of this movie. I really don't like the fact that he is the only one promoting this movie.

He is doing a great job and I'm very proud of him .

Yeah, I felt that too, that he was kind of left alone during the promotions. Luckily sometimes he was with the director.

[11-23] Ninja Assassin – Rain interview with Film Review Online
source: http://filmreviewonline.com/2009/11/22/ninja-assassin-rain/
....
In America? Yeah, why not?
Are you planning to make a sequel to this?

Yeah. Ninja Assassin in McDonalds!
....

OMG! Can he get any cuter than that??? Hahahaha, you gotta love his sense of humour! Go Rain and win them with your charm and wittiness!

November 23, 2009

Rain: 'Keep Trying to Make Your Dream Come True'
....
-- What were your impressions from walking the red carpet in the U.S. as the leading actor of “Ninja Assassin?”

▲ I’m very happy and proud as a Korean. I was the first Korean in Hollywood to attend a movie premiere as its leading actor. I was also the first Asian to do so. It was a great honor for me. My first step in Hollywood has been very successful. Everything was great and many people were excited about this. Apart from my Asian fans, many of my African-American and Caucasian fans also attended the premiere. I was very surprised.
....

-- Will the success of your movie be influenced by “New Moon,” which opened recently?

▲ My goal is not to top the box office. If my movie trails “New Moon” or even lands the fifth spot, it’ll be huge anyway. “Ninja Assassin” has a few stumbling blocks. It’s PG-rated, so children can’t watch it. It targets only a group of devoted fans rather than the general public.
....

-- What have you learned in Hollywood?

▲ I have learned that it’s important to keep trying despite failures. If you’re worried about failing even before making a try, it’s already over. It’s important to keep doing things even if you’re likely to fail. You should overcome failures and do your best even when your self-esteem is hurt.
...

--What other roles would you want to try in Hollywood? You once said you wanted to play an Asian man who was in love with a Caucasian woman.

▲ I would want to try that. Everything is possible. To be honest, nobody could have imagined that I would play a lead in this movie. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this. I would want to star in a romance movie someday.

I really enjoyed this interview very much, to see Rain's humbleness and at the same time the confindence and faith he has in his movie. Rain, we all pray that NA will be N°1 at the box office! And if not, then at least a huge success.

Why Ninja Assassin is Important

Posted on 22 November 2009
...
This movie does have implications and Hollywood is closely watching because there are certain realities that have Hollywood rethinking their business model. Big movie stars used to almost guarantee big box office returns, but there have been enough clunkers from Will Ferrell, Tom Cruise and other big name actors that have caused pause. DVD sales which used to be a cash cow and help counter clunkers is quickly eroding in the new digital world. So what does Hollywood need to do to refine or change its model? It looks overseas because there is a growing global box office. This is why Ninja Assassin is important because it can demonstrate to Hollywood that you can cast an unknown in a lead role, especially Asian and have success because of the global market. RAIN is one of Asia’s biggest pop stars and his ability to bring in international box office receipts will pave the way for other Asian stars to enter Hollywood and play critical roles. If you didn’t know, Ninja Assassin is the big movie that’s kicking off the holiday movie season and it only cost $30M to make. The world is changing and Hollywood knows it and it’s realizing that the traditional model of casting and movie distribution has to change. Whether you like Ninja movies or not, let’s hope that the movie is a success and it paves the way for other Koreans and Asians in Hollywood.
....

Again, a very well-written article and so true. Hollywood is chaning, it has to change. Rain didn't do only a first thing by being the first Korean/Asian to have a leading role in a movie in Hollywood but he also that a movie made on a such a low budget will become a huge hit and make more money (profit).

The Kids VS Rain

Rain was very adorable here, but I didn't get why the reporter had to ask him the M. Fox question. I am just glad that Rain cleared that story during the allkpop interview. I am sure he gets now tired of being asked the same question.

Film review: Ninja Assassin delivers action with every punch

http://www.t5m.com/angelique-moon/film-rev...very-punch.html
....
Rain’s performance is praise worthy. His presence onscreen is quiet, yet captivating, and he truly impresses with his fighting abilities. He performs all his own stunts and makes it look effortless (click here for a clip of his training). That’s hard to come by in this day and age where superstars are just a pretty face with stunt doubles who do the “dirty work” for them. The way he and the other ninjas handle knives and any other blades they find handy make fighting with guns seem childish and clumsy. Female fans everywhere will not doubt be more swayed by Rain’s physique as he exacts his revenge one ninja at a time shirtless is most scenes. The sound effects in the movie as the blades whiz through the air or make contact with flesh adds to the experience. Of course, this is a tribute to the Wachwoski brothers’ ability to capture the motion of action onscreen that makes use of more than one of the five sense like they did in the “Matrix” trilogy. All in all, it’s a solid action flick sure to appeal to fellow action movie buffs, even if the plot is lacking in areas.

YES!!! And YES!!! Reviews like this just make me soooo happy and proud! Rain, you did it and you are almost there where you dreamed to be and where you certainly deserve to be!!!!!

November 23, 2009

Rain (Jeong Ji-Hoon) Interview

source: http://www.hollywoodtelevision.tv/frame/index-rain.html // ronpod @youtube

Jeong Ji-Hoon aka Rain is the Justin Timberlake of South Korea and now he is proving he is worthy of a Hollywood career as the lead in the new action flick, Ninja Assassin.

anjjo · November 23, 2009

11.23.09 The Class is Pain 101, Your Instructor is Rain, the NINJA ASSASSIN

In the action thriller Ninja Assassin, Raizo (Rain) 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 execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them and then vanishes, preparing to exact his revenge.

When Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) stumbles upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East, she digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth. Her investigation quickly makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but knows that they will not stop until they are both eliminated, so the two must trust one another, if they hope to finally bring the elusive Ozunu Clan down.

At the film’s press day, top Korean R&B/pop singer Rain talked about making his transition to the big screen in Hollywood.

Q: How was it playing one of the world’s deadliest assassins?

Rain: When I was young, I wanted to be a big action hero. I’m pretty sure this is gonna be huge. The movie is amazing. I’m so excited.

Q: Growing up, did you have a hero that you looked up to, like Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee?

Rain: Yeah. When I was young, I saw a lot of martial arts films with Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. I loved them. They are my heroes. But, I’m so powerful and I’m so much faster. I’m so young and so handsome, like a model. I really loved them. They are my role models. I have another model. Al Pacino. He’s my hero. My favorite film of his is Scarface. I loved it.

Q: Did your work on stage as a pop star and dancer help you when you went into learning martial arts, especially for this film?

Rain: Yeah, it helped. I think singing, dancing and acting are very similar.

Q: What did you do to train for this film?

Rain: I had to make my body fit, like Bruce Lee. I trained for eight months, five days a week, eight hours a day. It was horrible, but I learned a lot of martial arts, such as Taekwando, Tai Chi, Kung Fu, Karate, kick boxing with a sword and double swords and Shuriken (throwing stars). The chain was my favorite. I learned a lot. I had so many coaches. But, when I finished Ninja Assassin, I said, “No more work outs, no more vegetables, no more chicken breast, no more salmon, no more egg whites.” I wanted chocolate, hamburgers, pizza, McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC. I can eat everything now. It’s all in my body.

Q: How did you learn to work with the chain? Was that hard? Did you hurt yourself?

Rain: Yeah, it was hard. When I was doing stunts, I had lots of cuts on my body because of the chain. Even though everybody took care of me, I still got hurt. I cut myself.

Q: What was the biggest accident you had with the chain?

Rain: My nose, face and body were cut.

Q: Were they worried about covering it with make-up?

Rain: Yes. But, I didn’t need make-up. It was real.

Q: What was the hardest stunt you had to do?

Rain: The hardest were the bathroom sequence and the rooftop sequence. Those were amazing, but hard.

Q: What was James McTeigue like, as a director?

Rain: He’s the best. He is always humble to everybody. He’s always friendly. I love his directing style. I love him, and the Wachowskis, too.

Q: Was he very specific with you?

Rain: Yeah. I learned a lot from him.

Q: Your character has to hold his emotions inside and hide them, but you are a very outgoing guy. Was that hard for you to portray?

Rain: It’s good acting, right? Before this film, I had a Ninja expression coach, so I learned a lot of my inside acting and expressions from him. I had an acting coach, an English coach and so many martial arts coaches.

Q: Did you have time to do anything in Berlin, while you were filming there?

Rain: I love Berlin, but I’m not interested in partying. I wanted to focus on Ninja Assassin because this is a big opportunity for me, so I did my best.

Q: What did you think when they told you that you were going to be the star of this big action movie?

Rain: Oh, yeah! It’s gonna be huge! I’m gonna be a big star! So, I’m ready. It’s hard walking in the streets in Asia and here I hope to do the same, if people like this movie.

Q: You really hope it’s the same and that you can’t walk the streets here because people will be chasing you like they do in Asia?

Rain: Yeah! Why not? I’m ready for the paparazzi! I’m kidding.

Q: Would you like to do a sequel to Ninja Assassin?

Rain: Do a franchise? Yeah! I don’t know yet, if that will happen.

Q: Would you like to have a romantic love interest next time?

Rain: Yeah.

Q: Who is your dream actress, that you would love to have as your leading lady?

Rain: I love Megan Fox! She’s lovely.

Q: Have you had any really crazy fan encounters?

Rain: I went to China a few years ago and this one fan claimed that she had my baby. It was crazy and so scary. She was at the airport saying, “I’ve got your baby! I’ve got your baby!” It was horrible.

Q: Are you mobbed, if you go out when you are home?

Rain: I love my home, so I just stay home and play games and sleep. No matter where you go, nothing is better than sleeping. I love sleeping!

Q: Could you take on Jackie Chan or Jet Li, in one of these movies?

Rain: Yeah. I want to work with them. They are my heroes.

Q: Did it ever concern you that you might get typecast as the hot new action guy, doing films like this?

Rain: The Asians have our own unique culture. That’s why many Asian actors have been cast that way. But, movies are changing the way people view Asians. We can show you other sides as well, like romance and comedy.

Q: Are you on a music tour now?

Rain: Yeah, I’m doing a tour. I have a concert in Las Vegas on Christmas Day, in Hong Kong this month on the 27th and 28th, and in Jakarta, Shanghai and Beijing. I’m preparing my new album. I want to focus on Ninja Assassin for now, but after this film, I will release the album in the U.S. market.

Q: How demanding is it to go on tour for your music? Is it as demanding as filmmaking for you?

Rain: Filmmaking is very similar, so I just enjoy them both. It’s my job.

Q: Would you want to move to Los Angeles?

Rain: Not yet. But, I want to go to the beach. There are so many girls!

Q: Do you have a girlfriend?

Rain: I don’t have a girlfriend, but I will very soon.

Q: What would you like to do next?

Rain: I have three scripts. One is a big action film, one is a romance and one is comedy/action. I haven’t decided yet, which one I’m going to do.

Q: Are they all in America?

Rain: Yes, they’re Hollywood films. I would definitely like to continue my career in Hollywood. I want to work hard and do my best.

NINJA ASSASSIN opens on November 25th

by: Christina Radish @iesb.netE

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11.22.09 Rain in Magazine

credit: sizuku219

November 23, 2009

Forbidden Kingdom

By Alison Willmore , Matt Singer on 11/23/2009

In Asia, South Korea's Rain is a pop megastar with platinum albums who's toured the world, playing to stadium crowds. But in his first lead role in the U.S., in James McTeigue's "Ninja Assassin," he plays, well, a ninja assassin.

For Asian male leads, breaking into Hollywood still pretty much means starring in martial arts movies, even if, like Rain, you're not a martial artist. This week on the IFC News podcast, we look over the careers of other leading men from East Asia who've tried to make it in American film, and wonder why the same old patterns keep popping up.

CLICK THE BELOW LINK FOR THE RADIO REVIEW

http://www.ifc.com/news/2009/11/forbidden-kingdom.php

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It's kind of long ....They talked about about Ninja Assassin, Rain and also other asian stars who tried to break the U.S like LBH, Jackie Chan, Jet Li,..vv...vvv

November 23, 2009

Interview with Ninja Assassin star Rain

Kat Angus

November 23, 2009 3:32 PM

At best, Ninja Assassin seems like an ambiguous title for a film; at worst, it seems incredibly redundant. But only a few minutes into the new bloody action film, it becomes clear that the title it apt: Ninja Assassin is literally about a ninja who assassinates other ninjas.

Finding the right actor to play the deadliest of ninjas is no easy feat, but producers Larry and Andy Wachowski realized they found their man in Rain. The Korean superstar was just breaking into acting with the Wachowskis’ Speed Racer when the brothers chose him for the part, and now, the charismatic 27-year-old clearly sees Ninja Assassin as his opportunity to make a name for himself as the next big martial arts star.

“I loved Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. They are my heroes. I saw a lot of Bruce Lee movies from when I was young,” Rain said while in Toronto last week. “And I’m so powerful, I’m so fast, I’m so handsome and, I’m so young – so much more than them.”

He breaks out into a mischievous grin.

“I’m just kidding,” he says, laughing. “They’re my heroes.”

Don’t let his glib manner fool you, though: Rain was fully committed to playing Raizo, the merciless assassin who vows revenge against the ninja clan that stole his childhood and killed the woman he loved. To prepare for the part, Rain trained eight hours a day, five days a week, for eight months.

“It was hard and I ate just chicken breasts and vegetables. No sugar, no salt, nothing. It was horrible. And second, I learned a lot of martial arts. Tai chi, tae kwon do, kung fu, kick boxing with swords, double sword, shurikens, canes,” Rain explains. “I always threw up. It was horrible.”

But there’s really no other choice when the directors of The Matrix franchise hand-pick you for the part. Although Rain had to audition to play Taejo Togokahn in Speed Racer (“I kept telling them, ‘I can do this! Really! I can do this!’” Rain remembers), the directing duo were reportedly so impressed with his work that they offered him the lead in Ninja Assassin without even asking him to read for the part.

“After The Matrix, the Wachowski brothers and Joel Silver were always thinking and planning to make this kind of film, but they couldn’t find the right guy to actually put their confidence in,” Rain explains. “When we were working on Speed Racer, Larry and Andy Wachowski offered it to me, so how could I say no to that? I said, ‘Let’s do this!’”

However, even though Rain sees his burgeoning acting career as his best chance to make it big in North America, he’s hesitant to say that he’s stepping away from music, even for a little while.

“This question is like, ‘Who do you prefer, your mother or father?’” he quips.

Still, Rain can’t deny that being given the lead in a big-studio action film isn’t a big step for him; after a little prodding, he admits that he’s currently looking at three different scripts, trying to decide which one will help maintain his current momentum as a movie star.

“It’s a big opportunity for me. If I do my best, I think Americans will like me, too,” Rain says. “I believe that.”

Ninja Assassin opens in theatres Nov. 25.

http://www.dose.ca/Interview+with+Ninja+As...7200/story.html

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RAIN Interview, Ninja Assassin

Posted by: Sheila Roberts

MoviesOnline caught up with Korean pop star Rain at the Los Angeles press day for his new film, "Ninja Assassin.” The film is directed by James McTeigue from a screenplay by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers. “Ninja Assassin” also stars Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Rick Yune and legendary martial arts performer Sho Kosugi.

Rain plays Raizo, 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.

The role of Raizo called for an actor with a special intensity, who could convey a lot of emotion in a very subtle way. Rain is not only able to take on the physical demands of the character’s warrior side, but he is also a believable leading man. Rain made his US feature film debut as a race car driver in “Speed Racer,” under the direction of the Wachowski brothers and the film’s second unit director, James McTeigue, all of whom reunite on “Ninja Assassin.” Producer Joel Silver explains, “Rain really is a magnetic personality. You can’t take your eyes off of him, he commands the screen.”

Rain, a top Korean R&B/pop singer, was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People Who Shape Our World in 2006; in 2007 People Magazine included him in their annual Most Beautiful People issue. His third album, It’s Raining, sold over one million copies in Asia, making it his most successful album to date both domestically and internationally, and the subsequent “Rainy Day” concert tour was a success in Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan and the United States. Rain’s World, the performer’s fourth album, was released in 2006 and led to the highly acclaimed “Rain’s Coming” World Tour.

Rain’s electrifying performance in “Ninja Assassins” suggests he’s on his way to becoming one of the great new Asian martial arts action stars. We really appreciated his time. Here’s what he had to tell us:

MoviesOnline: We heard your English was good.

Rain: Thank you. I'll do my best.

MoviesOnline: So how was it playing one of the world's deadliest assassins?

Rain: You know, when I was young, I wanted to be a big action hero. It's gonna be huge I'm pretty sure. Did you see the movie? It was amazing. I'm so excited.

MoviesOnline: Did you have a hero that you looked up to like Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee?

Rain: Yeah. When I was young, I saw a lot of martial arts films with Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. I loved them. They are my heroes but, [preening and joking] I'm so powerful, I'm so [much] faster. I'm so young and so handsome like a model. I really loved them so they are my role models. I have another model. Al Pacino. He's my hero. My favorite film of his is “Scarface.” I loved it.

MoviesOnline: Did your work on stage as a pop star and your dance movements help you when you went into learning martial arts for this film?

Rain: Yeah, it helped. I think singing, dancing and acting are very similar. I don't know why but it helped. The body just knows. When I finished “Ninja Assassin,” I said 'no more work outs, no more vegetables, no more chicken breasts, no more salmon, no more egg whites.’

MoviesOnline: So, what are you eating now?

Rain: Chocolate! I can eat everything.

MoviesOnline: What if there's a sequel?

Rain: Uh oh. I can eat everything; chocolate, hamburgers, pizza, go to McDonalds, Burger King, KFC. It's all in my body.

MoviesOnline: What did you do to train for this film?

Rain: I had to make my body fit like Bruce Lee. I trained for eight months, five days a week, eight hours a day. I just ate chicken breasts and vegetables, sometimes just egg whites. It was horrible and I learned a lot of martial arts; Taekwando, Tai Chi, Kung Fu, Karate, kick boxing with a sword and double swords, Shuriken (throwing stars), the chain is my favorite. I learned a lot. I had so many coaches.

MoviesOnline: How did you learn to work with the chain? Was that hard and did you hurt yourself?

Rain: Yeah. It was hard. When I was doing stunts, I had lots of cuts on my body because of the chain. Even though everybody took care of me, I still got hurt.

MoviesOnline: Did you ever "chain" yourself by accident?

Rain: Yeah. [he demonstrates swinging the chain around his head and getting cut by the knife at the end complete with sound effects]. I cut myself.

MoviesOnline: What was the biggest accident you had with the chain?

Rain: My nose was cut, my face was cut and my body was cut.

MoviesOnline: Were they worried about covering it with make-up?

Rain: Yes. But I didn't need make-up [in the scenes where he is beat up and bleeding]. It was real. Cut, cut, cut!

MoviesOnline: What was the hardest stunt you had to do?

Rain: Actually, the hardest part is foot [using your feet?]. I'm skidding. The hardest was the bathroom sequence and rooftop sequence. Those were amazing and it was hard.

MoviesOnline: Can you talk about working with James McTeigue, your director?

Rain: There's nothing to talk about. He's the best. He is always humble to everybody. Always friendly and, yeah, I love his directing style. I love him and the Wachowskis too.

MoviesOnline: Was he very specific?

Rain: Yeah. I learned a lot from him.

MoviesOnline: Your character has to hold his emotions inside or hide them and you are a very outgoing guy so was that hard for you?

Rain: It's good acting, right? [he laughs]. Before this film, I had a Ninja expression coach so I learned a lot of my inside acting and expression acting from him.

MoviesOnline: You studied that?

Rain: Yeah.

MoviesOnline: From other films or an acting coach?

Rain: I had an acting coach, an English coach and martial arts coach. So many martial arts coaches: chain coach, sword coach, Kung Fu coach, a lot.

MoviesOnline: Rick Yune was saying you didn't have much time to do anything off set when in Berlin. Is that right?

Rain: I love Berlin but I'm not interested in partying. I wanted to focus on “Ninja Assassin” because this is a big opportunity for me so I did my best. I made it.

MoviesOnline: What did you think when they said you were going to be the star of this big action movie?

Rain: Oh yeah! It's gonna be huge. I'm gonna be a big star! So, I'm ready. It's hard walking in the streets in Asia and here I hope to do the same if people like this movie.

MoviesOnline: You really hope it's the same? That you can't walk the streets here? That people will be chasing you like they are in Asia?

Rain: In America? Yeah, why not? Yeah!

MoviesOnline: At the premiere, people were in the aisles screaming for you. Are you ready for that?

Rain: Yeah. I'm ready for the paparazzi! I'm kidding.

MoviesOnline: What do you have coming up?

Rain: I have three scripts; first one is a big action film, second one is a romance and third one is comedy/action and I haven't decided yet.

MoviesOnline: Are they all in America?

Rain: Yes. Hollywood films. I would definitely like to continue my career in Hollywood, work hard and do my best.

MoviesOnline: Are you planning to make a sequel to this?

Rain: Do a franchise?

MoviesOnline: Yes, a “Ninja Assassin 2”?

Rain: Yeah. [kidding] Ninja Assassin in McDonalds! Ask James or ask Joel. I don't know yet.

MoviesOnline: Would you like to have a more romantic love interest in the film?

Rain: In "Ninja 2"? Yeah.

MoviesOnline: Who is your dream actress that you would love to have as your leading lady?

Rain: I love Megan. Megan Fox! She's lovely and Naomi too.

MoviesOnline: What crazy fan encounters have you had?

Rain: I went to China a few years ago and this one fan claimed that she had my baby. It was crazy and so scary. [He holds his hands over his head as if holding up a baby] 'I've got your baby! I've got your baby' at the airport. I was horrible.

MoviesOnline: Are you mobbed if you go out when you are home?

Rain: I love my home, just playing games [indicates operating like a Playstation with his hands] and just sleeping. No matter where you go, nothing is better than sleeping. I love sleeping!

MoviesOnline: Could you take on Jackie Chan or Jet Li in one of these movies? You are younger.

Rain: Yeah. I want to work with them. They are my heroes.

MoviesOnline: Would you feel bad about beating them up though if they are your heroes?

Rain: [laughs] Keep watching me.

MoviesOnline: Are you on a music tour now?

Rain: Yeah. I'm doing a tour. I have a concert in Las Vegas Christmas Day, in Hong Kong this month the 27th and 28th, in Jakarta and Shanghai, Beijing.

MoviesOnline: To support your latest album?

Rain: A new album? I'm preparing my new album. I want to focus on “Ninja Assassin” for now but after this film, I will release [the album] in the U.S. market.

MoviesOnline: Would you want to move to Los Angeles?

Rain: Not yet. I'm so busy with a lot of interviews. I want to go to the beach. There are so many girls!! Woo hoo! [he uses his hands to indicate curvy girls].

MoviesOnline: How demanding is it to go on tour for your music? Is it as demanding as filmmaking for you?

Rain: Between concert making and filming, filming is very similar so I just enjoyed it. It's my job.

MoviesOnline: Did it ever concern you that you might get type-cast as the new hot action guy from doing films like this?

Rain: The Asians have their own broad and unique culture. More people have been interested in the martial arts side of it than others and that's why many Asian actors have been cast that way. But movies are changing in the way people view Asians. We can show you other sides as well; romance, comedy because I'm so young and handsome [big grin] and my body is so sexy so look at me! So, Yeah!

MoviesOnline: Don't eat too many McDonalds hamburgers though.

Rain: Okay. Thank you.

MoviesOnline: Do you have a girlfriend now?

Rain: I don't have a girlfriend but very soon. I'll go to the California beach after this interview.

MoviesOnline: You have a great sense of humor. Where goes that come from?

Rain: I’m so happy. I’m just enjoying it. Thanks for the interview. I love you guys. Thank you. [he takes off his cute newsboy cap and does a little bow].

“Ninja Assassin” opens in theaters on November 25th.

http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_17509.html

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Interview: Joel Silver on NINJA ASSASSIN, SHERLOCK HOLMES, THE LOSERS and More!

Written by Christina Radish Monday, 23 November 2009 13:19

A prolific and successful producer who always has a list of projects on his plate, in various stages of development, Joel Silver is currently focused on the release of Ninja Assassin, a high-action film about a secret society of trained ninja killers, starring South Korean superstar/pop singer Rain.

At the film's press day, Joel Silver talked about finding Rain and developing this film around him, and also gave glimpses into what people can expect from Sherlock Holmes in December, and the future releases of The Losers, Unknown White Male and The Factory.

Q: You first worked with Rain on Speed Racer. How did you meet him?

Joel: I had actually been in Tokyo on another movie, and I was in the hotel and I heard this huge commotion in an elevator. I said, "Who's here?," and they said, "That's Rain," and I said, "Who's that?" I had no clue who he was. I met him and I realized that he was this incredibly popular pop artist and singer. When we were making Speed Racer, we were looking for artists all over the world to be a part of it, and the Warners guys said to me, "You really ought to see if Rain will do this." So, he came into Germany and he met the Warchowski brothers, and they decided to put him in the movie.

At the same time, I had been talking to an executive at Warner Bros., when I made my deal. Dark Castle is a self-funded entity. We have money to make our own movies and distribute them through Warner Bros. One executive said to me, "Do you think that you could find a martial arts star? It might be nice to find that. We've done historically great business at Warner Bros. with martial arts stars, back to Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, and movies with Steven Segal and Jet Li. Maybe you could find that." So, I told the Warchowski brothers that it would be nice if we could find that one day, and when they saw Rain do his first training on the movie, they said, "We've got him. This is the guy." So, we actually built this movie for and around him, and he delivered.

Q: What did you see in Rain that made you know he could do this?

Joel: It was when he started training and they said what he could do. I was already looking to find a guy to do a movie like this, so when they said, "This is the guy," it just made perfect sense. We crafted this movie around him. Who can say what a new martial arts star is. What is that going to be? I think that Rain could be that.

Q: Being a huge pop star, did Rain have any diva element to him at all?

Joel: You wouldn't even know that that was in his life. He is so committed, so focused and he worked so hard. There are some movies made today, like 300, where there are a lot of guys with a lot of abs, and maybe all those were not all there originally, but were helped with CGI, as they've said. But, this guy looks like that. That's him, in all those shots. He had zero body fat. He was just completely focused and there. He is a great guy. He's a sweet, smart, very talented and athletic guy.

Q: From a producing standpoint, are there any special considerations for a production of such international scope?

Joel: We developed it at Dark Castle to make it and it got a little big for us, so we had to join forces with both Warner Bros. and Legendary. It was intended to be what it is. It is a big international martial arts film with an international cast, which we hope will get an international audience.

Q: This is a big action film, but it also has heart. Did you want to make sure that the backstory worked?

Joel: The intention was to make the movie work and to make it an effective story. It's a fun movie and, in the opening scene, you know what you're going to see. It's meant to have you have a good time. It's designed as that type of picture. The most important thing was, "Can Rain pull it off?," and I think he did.

Q: Did you ever have discussions about the level of violence?

Joel: When we started The Matrix and we did all the kung fu stuff in there, we crafted a new look for those kind of Eastern movies with a Western aesthetic. The guys who did our martial arts work on this movie worked with all the big masters and they did it themselves this time. They brought a crew in from all over the world to be the ninjas, with all different martial arts techniques and styles. It was meant to be grounded. It doesn't have the fantasy and wire work that we've had before. It was a grounded, hard-action, ninja movie.

Q: Whose idea was it to open this film on Thanksgiving?

Joel: The studio felt it was a good time. Clearly, this movie New Moon didn't work so well, so nobody really cared about that. I'm kidding. But, the idea was that it was a good time of year to have a movie like this. There are no young male movies right now. We do tracking and research on what people want to see and, right now, this is the movie that young boys want to see.

Q: But, you're going to get girls too, don't you think?

Joel: I think so. I hope so. I hope that will happen.

Q: Do you see potential for a sequel with this?

Joel: We made a deal with Rain to do another movie. I hope we get to do it, whether it's a sequel or something else. If the audience responds and he has an audience there, then we should definitely make more films with him. I think he could be a big star.

Q: Were you concerned about the tone of this film and making it more serious?

Joel: We wanted to make it that kind of action movie. There are a couple moments of levity in it, but the idea of the movie was to do a ninja film, and commit to the idea of making a ninja film. There are no turtles in this. The last big ninja movie was a turtle movie (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), but I think that this movie is what it was meant to be.

Q: Was it difficult to oversee a film with people who didn't all speak English?

Joel: We shot the movie in Berlin and most of the crew was a German crew, but they spoke English. And, we brought in some people from the U.K. We found a lot of these kids in Europe and we brought them together. It was intended to be an international picture, so we knew we were going to do that. I remember, a few years ago, when I made that movie Fred Claus, all of the elves were Russian because they had made a deal with some Russian circus, and we got through that. It was okay. We got through this one, too.

Q: Were there any big challenges with this then, or did it just all go really smoothly?

Joel: It went pretty smoothly. We knew what we were doing. We know how to make this kind of movie, and we just launched into it, pretty much right after Speed Racer came out and didn't happen. It was a good time for us to focus on making this picture, and it just came out great.

Q: What made you choose James McTeigue as the director?

Joel: James had worked with us, for many years, as the First A.D. on all the Matrix films. When we finished the sequels, we needed somebody to come in and do a bunch of television advertisements for our promotional partners. The agencies all wanted Larry and Andy Wachowski to do it, but they really couldn't because they were in the middle of finishing the movies, so we went to James and said, "How do you feel about directing some commercials for us?" He said, "Okay," and he did a fantastic job. All the people he worked with loved him. Then, we segue-wayed from that into V for Vendetta, and he did a great job there. And then, he did all the Second Unit action work on Speed Racer. And then, he did this. So, he's off and running now.

Q: Are you excited about Sherlock Holmes coming out in December?

Joel: Very excited. It's a great film. It's really a sensational movie. It's fantastic. People are going to start seeing it really soon, and I think there's going to be a great response to it.

Q: Are you hoping to make that into a franchise?

Joel: I would hope that it could be a franchise, sure. [Robert] Downey already has another franchise that he's doing pretty well in, but Sherlock is a very different character than Tony Stark, and I think you get a chance to see him do something that is very different from what he does in the Iron Man pictures. He's so good in it. He's so good at everything he does, but he's fantastic as Sherlock, and I think the audience will buy him as this guy. I think it's a chance to make a really big movie.

Q: When you were a kid, were you into the big action movies?

Joel: Sure. When I came to Hollywood, the summers weren't full of action films like they are now. It wasn't really like that. Except for the Bond films and the occasional Dirty Harry movie, there weren't a lot of action films being made. The first movie that I worked on that I was really proud of was a movie called The Warriors. We did that in ‘78. And then, I did 48 Hours in ‘82. Gradually, those became the prevalent movies that people wanted to see, and then that morphed into the comic book movies, which is where we are today. I always wanted to make these kinds of movies, and I really am happy to be able to do that, but I also like thrillers and horror films. I'm just trying to mix it up a bit.

Q: What is The Loserss?

Joel: It was a legendary comic book from the ‘90s that DC put out. It's about a military team of a bunch of guys who get set up by their management and they end up having to go after them. It's a great cast. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is in it with Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Columbus Short and Jason Patric. It's directed by Sylvain White, who did Stomp the Yard. He did a great job. He's a great fella. It comes out in April 2010. It's going to be a really good movie.

Q: What is Unknown White Male?

Joel: That's a thriller that I'm doing with Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones. That starts shooting in January 2010 in Berlin, and it's really interesting. It's directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who did Orphan for us. It's a pretty exciting picture.

Q: What is The Factory?

Joel: The Factory is going to come out next January 2011. It's a creepy thriller. It's pretty hard-edged stuff. It's fun. John Cusack is in that.

Q: Do you ever get overwhelmed, juggling so many projects?

Joel: The only difference now is that, when I used to do this years ago, people didn't know about all the movies. Because of the Internet, everyone knows what I'm doing. The next one coming out is Sherlock. And then, I have The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington, that comes out in January 2010. But, now that everything is out there, people can sit and discuss all the things that I have in development.

NINJA ASSASSIN opens on November 25th

http://www.iesb.net/extensions/index.php?o...&Itemid=172

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November 23, 2009

Ninja assassin- REVIEW

"A whirling dervish of cartoon-crimson blood and flying body parts; Ninja Assassin is bound to reawaken the tiny ninja hibernating deep within your soul. There’s no real story to speak of here, but dang it’s fun! "

You've got to know dumb fun when it comes. And this is some of the dumbest, funnest Technicolor carnage we've see this year. There are two types of people in this world. Those that died their pillow cases black, slit a vertical eye hole in them, and then hid in the woods with a handful of throwing stars, loudly pontificating the awesomeness of Sho Kosugi with their best friend who was hunkered down in a nearby ditch also wearing black pajamas. And then those that didn't. This is definitely not for that second group of people. It's a loving tribute to Sho's original ninja trilogy from the 80s (which includes Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination). And it even acts as the long lost fourth chapter of that MIA franchise, giving Sho the ultimate climatic beat down against a gutted, rain-soaked Asian pop star. Its an amazing fight that had one old black man screaming, "Oh, mini cooper!" Sixteen times in a row.

So far, Ninja Assassin has been harangued in blog posts and advanced Internet reviews. After watching the film myself, I have to wonder, "Why?" It's a lively bucket of gore that doesn't pander to a younger audience. It has two classic fight sequences that had me wanting to rewatch the film immediately after it was over. And an epic opening prologue packed with more gory dismemberment than any film released this past Halloween. Starring Korean Pop sensation Rain, Ninja Assassin could have easily gone down the wrong path. Earlier this year, we were slapped in the face with both Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li and Dragonball Evolution, two chopsocky mini cooper fests that pissed all over the faces of their collective fanbase. At first glance, it seemed Ninja Assassin was aligning itself with these kid-friendly, cheese-tastic attempts at rejuvenating the Kung Fu Theater aesthetic. Nope. It doesn't travel in that curtailed pack at all.

Director James McTeigue, best known for V for Vendetta, gleefully and willingly locks Ninja Assassin within the new hyper-violent genre that begot both Rambo VI and last year's Punisher: War Zone. Characters treat the human body with loving disrespect. They stop short of tearing off sex organs with their teeth in full view of the audience. Those obsessed with Ninja weapons as a kid will get to see them slice and dice flesh in every way imaginable. Shuriken are lobed at an alarming rate, fired from fingers like a Gatling gun. Limbs are severed and fly aimlessly about the screen. Heads are sliced in two for a gloriously gruesome look at flailing tongues, and brain, and bone. McTeigue gets away with it by turning his geysers of blood an Anime flavor of cherry red. The film's copious amounts of gelatinous goo is spritzed about in a CG animated fashion that renders every moment hyper-realistic. For the most part, its cartoon violence. Though done in a gritty, realistic way. Its one of the main complaints about the film. Fanboys hate computer generated plasma and hemoglobin. They seem to miss the fact that had James taken a more pragmatic approach to the bright hues of his viscera; we'd be looking at an X rated whiff of WTF that would be on permanent cinematic lockdown until its inevitable home video release.

While CGI has ruined our cinematic achievements in practical special effects, it actually works with the theme and tone being presented here. The action is astute and kinetic. Anyone that fell in love with Sho Kosugi's films will be beside themselves throughout the intense running time of this non-stop kicker (it clocks in at an hour and forty minutes but feels more like sixty). They'll want to run home, pull on a pillowcase of their own, and take to the woods behind the house with a sword fashioned out of a broomstick or a fork tied to a bike chain. It has that tree fort sort of energy coursing through its crispy burnt-black veins. Those complaining about the film have forgotten how to have fun with a mindless genre flick. Especially one this entertaining. Sure, we can pick on it for not having much of a storyline. So what? I don't ever recall flopping myself down in front of Black Belt Theater on a Saturday afternoon hoping to be enlightened with a rugged tale of bombastic relevance. I woke up early for all those Crane kicks and sucker punches that made them worthwhile endeavors. Ninja Assassin has more than enough action to satiate this need for fisticuffs. Its non-stop brutality from the word go. The ninjas never stop attacking, and Rain never stops fighting them back. That, motherjohn tesher, is what I came for. And it's exceptionally well done. If I want story and substance, I will go next door and watch George Clooney battle his existential crisis in Up in the Air.

One semi-legitimate gripe aimed at the film is that it's too dark. Which has me scratching my head. These are ninjas. They arrive in the shadows, and attack at night after chewing through the power cords outside your house. They fight in the pitch-black recesses of any given environment. Of course some of the film is going to be "too dark". McTeigue actually does a nice job of pulling the ninjas into the light so we can see them, which must have been logistically tough to figure out in keeping with the ninja clan's own stated mantra. There's even one scene that seems to have been digitally brightened due to complaints from advanced test audiences. This works to the film's advantage, as it blows out the sharp contracts of the ninjas' dank surroundings, giving it even more of an Anime feel.

This is an origin film of sorts, and it works in setting up Rain's Raizo, a rogue ninja that has turned on his clan of assassins. An orphan kidnapped at a tender young age by Ninja Master Ozunu (Sho Kosugi), Raizo is mercifully tortured and beaten into a fight club maestro that is capable of destroying ten ninjas at once with his trusty biker chain fastened to a tilling blade. Ozunu fills Raizo's first couple of years with teeth cringing pain, whipping the soles of his feet into a bloody mashed potato mess, and twisting his innards into a bruised purple collection of hardening organs capable of sustaining any harsh blow thrown his way later in life. Raizo believes that he has no heart, but a young orphaned girl shows him that love can bloom in the most wretched of landscapes. After she has her fleshy chest ripped open by way of ninja sword for running away from the camp, Raizo takes it upon himself to clean house and seek his revenge. The young girl's soul seeps into his weapon of choice, and together they go on a limb-severing spree that outshines anything Jason Voorhees has done of late.

The rest of the movie revolves around a pair of Europol agents (Naomie Harris and Ben Miles) investigating a series of assassinations that seem to point to Ninjas. Yes, our government officials are employing these wisps of black smoke and the world needs to know about it! Damn it! Well, as soon as Ozunu gets wind of this, he sends his pajama-clad army in to eliminate the noise. Thus, Raizo is forced to go into battle and save our Europol agents. This all leads to one amazing warehouse battle, followed by the best ninja-in-traffic action sequence ever rendered for any movie. When Raizo gets captured, his stomach wound gaping like a bloody mouth full of scrapple, we anticipate a slow down of events. Nope. Our boy's learned to heal himself. Soon, he is locked in battle with the disappearing and reappearing Ozunu, who BAMFs in and out of a room like the X-men's own Nightcrawler. All the while, Naomie and Ben have arrived with tanks, machine guns, and rocket launchers to tear up the Ozunu Clan dojo real good. The end has now reduced you a little kid again, pumping your fists and wishing for a pocket full of throwing stars and a backpack full of good ol' fashion Cannon VHS tapes.

This is not a movie for everyone. If you played Ninja in your backyard, or worshipped at the feet of Sho Kosugi in the 80s, you'll dig the mini cooper out of Ninja Assassin. If you like gory violence, you'll cry, "john tesh yeah!" more times than you can count on two hands. If you've come looking for a story as inspired and beautifully rendered as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you might want to stay at home and watch that ancient love story one more time. Ninja Assassin? It gets a hollered "Whoop-doo!" from me. But then again, I am a sucker for this stuff.

http://www.movieweb.com/review/RE9pfhbgsbS6bh

Korean Pop Star Rain Talks Ninja Assassin

By Genevieve M. Blaber "ScarletScribe" on November 23, 2009

Korean Pop Star Rain Talks Ninja Assassin Ninja Assassin is ready to lunge into theaters across the U.S. this Wednesday. Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) and starring Korean actor and pop star Rain, the movie brings ninjas into the new millennium as ex-ninja Raizo (Rain) protects a Europol agent (Naomie Harris) from his former clan.

Doing press for the movie this month in NYC, Rain and McTeigue participated in round-table interviews with area journalists. Below you'll find Rain's interview in which he discusses everything from what it was like to train for such a demanding role to who his martial arts heroes are.

So we've heard you've been up early already starting with TV interviews.

Yes, 9 AM. Fox TV.

Are you a little accustomed to this, because as a singer I'm sure you get a lot of this already?

[Laughs] Different style.

Is the press different; the journalists who do music as opposed versus movie journalists?

No, they're very similar.

What degree or belt do you hold in martial arts? Or were you just training in general for the film?

There is no wire, no camera tricks. I had to make my body fit like Bruce Li. I trained for eight months, five days a week, eight hours a day, and I ate just chicken breasts and vegetables, no sugar, no salt. It was horrible. And I learned a lot of martial arts: tae kwon do, tai chi, ninja techniques, karate... a lot.

Is there a belt that you hold?

I don't have any.

Was this your first time actually training?

Yeah, it's my first time but before this I learned tae kwon do when I was young – 10 years old.

How did you feel coming to this role? Did you feel a lot of pressure?

No, there's no pressure, no stress, because I enjoyed it, you know, because I had the lead role. [Laughs]

How much did you know about the ninja culture before taking on this film?

From when I was young I loved martial arts films so I love ninja, ninja techniques. I have a Japanese friend and sometimes he explains ninja characters and ninja techniques. You know, in Asia, there's so many ninja films so I saw a lot of ninja films.

What favorite actors do you have that were in martial arts films?

I love Jackie Chan and Bruce Li. They are my heroes but I'm so much faster, I'm so handsome – you know, it's my turn. [Laughs]

You mentioned the ninja films but you are working with Kosugi Sho [who plays ninja master, Ozunu] -- can you tell us anything he might have passed on to you, because he's a veteran of ninja films?

Yeah, he's a real master. I learned martial arts from him. He was always focused on filming so I learned a lot. He's a a great person.

You worked with Park Chan-wook on I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK. How different was that experience working with him and working on this movie?

Between the Wachowskis and working with Mr. Park? It's very similar, I think. They have the amazing ability to make dreams true. I love them – Mr. Park and the Wachowskis.

How was it working with Naomie?

Naomie? She's hot! I love her. She's always helpful to everybody; she's always happy. Yeah, I love her – I love her acting style. She's a good actress.

Were there any accidents on the set?

Yes, even though everybody took care of me I still got hurt. I had lots of cuts on my body. Sometimes I'd pretend that I broke my legs. I'd say, “Holy cow! My legs are broken!” People would say, “Hey, what's wrong? What's wrong? Are you OK?” And I'd say, “Ha! I'm just kidding.” It was so fun.

Is there a particular film you'd rather do? Like a crime drama or a heavy dramatic part?

Yes, I would definitely like to continue my career in Hollywood. I'd like to do everything – comedy, romance, horror – everything. Keep watching me.

Now when you started out with music, did you always intend to become an actor as well or did that just happen?

Yes, I wanted to be a singer and an actor from when I was young. I made it, finally.

You do R&B?

Yeah, my music is based on rap music, R&B, and hip-hop – everything.

Have you kept up with your work-out routine that you did for this film?

When I finished Ninja Assassin I said, “No more chicken breasts! No more work-outs! No more vegetables! I'm going to eat junkfood – hamburgers, pizza, french fries.” You know, I got three hamburgers last night? I hate work-outs. How long was it to work out to get that physique? Eight months, eight hours a day. How do you balance your music and movies? Half and half. Sometimes people ask, “Which one do you like more: singing or acting?” This question is like asking, “Do you prefer your mother or your father?” I will concentrate on both. I love both singing and acting.

Do you hope to do a sequel for this movie?

Yes, why not?

You'd have to go back to training.

Oh, OK, I'm thinking. [Laughs] You know, why not? If people like the movie, I will – we will.

Are you doing a tour right now? Can you talk a little about that?

Yes, I had a concert in Osaka, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, and I have concerts in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Taipei, Taiwan, and Las Vegas – next month, the 25th. Christmas Day.

Did they come after you for this role?

When we were working on Speed Racer, the Wachowskis offered it to me. I said, “Yes.” How can I say, “No”?

Have you seen the poster for Ninja Assassin? Why is your face missing? Is it to keep you hidden like a ninja?

I love that poster. It's a new style of poster that's never been done before. It's quite unique because normally you'd see the whole face. And it brings out curiosity about who it is.

http://www.latinoreview.com/news/korean-po...(Latino+Review)

November 24, 2009

Review: `Ninja Assassin' sports a dull blade

By GLENN WHIPP, For The Associated Press Glenn Whipp, For The Associated Press

When considering the meager merits of the bone-snapping, blood-splattered "Ninja Assassin," it's best to remember the words of John Goodman's PC-challenged character in "The Big Lebowski": "The man in the black pajamas, Dude. Worthy ... adversary."

The makers of "Ninja Assassin" want to make those words real and rescue the ninja from the province of turtles. They want you to revere the ninja. A frightened old man at the beginning of the movie can't even bring himself to utter the word "ninja." That's how much respect the old-timer has for "the man in the black pajamas."

"Ninja Assassin," though, has a funny way paying its respects to the sword-wielding saboteurs. Director James McTeigue ("V for Vendetta") and his producing partners, Larry and Andy Wachowski ("The Matrix"), are clearly more interested in spraying geysers of digital blood than in establishing the ninja as a foe to be taken seriously. There hasn't been this much limb-severing in a movie since the Black Knight's "flesh wound" in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

The death-dealers in "Ninja Assassin" belong to the Ozunu Clan, a secret society that, for the past thousand years, has supplied killers to any government that has a "hundred pounds of gold." Their artery-severing antics have come to the attention of beautiful Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris), which is bad news for her since they don't believe in advertising.

Fortunately for Mika, the clan's deadliest assassin, the brooding Raizo (Korean pop star Rain), has decided to betray his brothers after watching them butcher the love of his life. Raizo somehow finds Mika in Berlin and the two dodge flying blades and other pointy weapons on their way to a final confrontation with the clan's raspy-voiced father figure, Ozunu (Sho Kosugi, star of countless ninja movies from the 1980s).

To work, "Ninja Assassin" needn't have equated a seriousness of purpose with self-seriousness. But it's clear from its opening round of mayhem and decapitations that McTeigue simply wants to satiate fanboys' bloodlust in the most simple-minded fashion possible. That first scene is a doozy with fountains of arterial spray rivaling the nightly show at the Bellagio.

However, since the ninjas only come out when it's dark, most of the movie's fight scenes are low on both visibility and excitement. The murky dimness provides a nice contrast with the bright red blood spraying everywhere, but it doesn't help much in tallying the body count. The movie loses style points, too, for variety (the fights are almost exclusively shot in close-up) and for its fumbling, quick-cut editing.

As for Rain, the movie addresses the problem with an in-joke that's a little too on-the-nose to be funny. "He doesn't look like a killing machine to me," a rival says. "He looks like he belongs in a boy band." In other words, not exactly a worthy adversary.

"Ninja Assassin," a Warner Bros. Pictures release, is rated R for strong bloody, stylized violence throughout, and language. Running time: 99 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

Motion Picture Association of America rating definitions:

G — General audiences. All ages admitted.

PG — Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

PG-13 — Special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.

R — Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

NC-17 — No one under 17 admitted.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091123/ap_en_..._ninja_assassin

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'Ninja Assassin' Lets The Shurikens Fly In This Week's Box Office Poll

by Adam Rosenberg in Box Office Poll

This weekend is a surprisingly big one for the movies, but let's talk about last weekend for a moment. More importantly, how it might inform this weekend. "New Moon" turned out to be pretty popular, didn't it? $140 million worth of popular, including record-breaking box office numbers for its midnight opening and Friday sales. So, on top of everything else opening this weekend, there's also that big, dark "New Moon" looming to screw everything up.

But what else have we got? Well the big one for a spectacle-junkie like me is "Ninja Assassin," directed by James McTeigue. There are shurikens thrown with gatling gun-like speed and rapidity, at least one limb severed for every minute of screen time and some wicked-looking choreography involving katanas and a kusarigama (the new nunchaku, you heard it here first). It's glorious. Maybe not fine cinema in the traditional sense of story, dialogue, etc., but a hoot to see in action on the big screen. I say this because I've seen it, and it was good.

Literally on the opposite end of the spectrum is the family-friendly Disney comedy "Old Dogs." John Travolta and Robin Williams star as a pair of unmarried men who end up being assigned as the guardians of 6 year old twins. And their faithful pooch. Shenanigans ensue, but you can bet that everything works out okay in the end and everyone learns their lesson. This IS Disney we're talking about.

Also opening is director John Hillcoat's long-awaited adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, "The Road." Following a father and his son across post-apocalyptic America, the movie is a bleak travel tale, devoid of both smiles and hope. And yet somehow, the book manages to be just a little bit darker.

While the previously limited opening of "Fantastic Mr. Fox" goes wider this week, some newcomers join the party in smaller releases. There's "Me and Orson Welles," starring Zac Efron and Claire Danes, "The Princess and the Frog," Disney's triumphant return to 2-D animation, and "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," which follows an unhappy wife and mother as she rediscovers herself.

And then of course there's "New Moon." But nobody wants to see THAT again, right?

Thank you for voting!

http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-4677107/a...2ZmaWNlLXBvbGwv

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willenette · November 24, 2009

Jeong Ji-Hoon aka Rain is the Justin Timberlake of South Korea and now he is proving he is worthy of a Hollywood career as the lead in the new action flick, Ninja Assassin.

Hi Thu, thanks for sharing this video clip. A short interview but enjoyed watching him.

November 24, 2009

'Ninja' touts Rain man

Korean star draws screams at premiere

By DAVE MCNARY

Thursday's preem of Warner Bros.' "Ninja Assassin" at the Chinese had director James McTeigue smiling afterward.

"I love the screaming that came up, particularly every time Rain came on to the screen," he said during the after-party at Hollywood's Yamashiro. "This isn't exactly 'Citizen Kane,' but it came out quite well as a combination of anime, genre and noir."

Toughest part of the 45-day shoot, he mused, was at an old Kraftwerks plant in Berlin. "We were kind of entombed for 10 days -- pretty surreal, because you really do feel cut off from the world," he said.

Screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski recalled a similarly surreal component of the pic, completing a rewrite in between a Tuesday and Friday six weeks before lensing started.

"I had two hours sleep in 53 hours and had to get a new coffeemaker to get it done," he said.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111801175...+-+Latest+News)

willenette · November 24, 2009

[11-24] James McTeigue aims for a 21st century film noir take on ninjas

source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomple...s-the-film.html

James McTeigue, the Aussie filmmaker behind the big screen adaptation of “V for Vendetta,” is back with "Ninja Assassin," which hits theaters on Wednesday. Korean pop sensation Rain plays Raizo, who was kidnapped as a child by the Ozunu Clan and trained to be a deadly assassin. The film, produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers — whom McTeigue worked with for many years on “The Matrix” trilogy -- was inspired by the ninja scenes featured in the Wachowskis' 2008 film "Speed Racer." Hero Complex contributor Yvonne Villarreal spoke with the filmmaker.

YV: How did the project come about?

JM: I guess I got involved with it from standing around on too many movie sets, talking about what genre’s going to be good to shoot and revamp. But, seriously, I did some work on “Speed Racer” and I worked with Rain, who’s the main star of the movie, and thought if I was ever going to do a ninja movie that he’d be a perfect person to put in that vehicle. So we approached Warner Bros. and they were into the idea; they knew and liked Rain from “Speed Racer.” They gave us the go-ahead and put a writer onto it. Matthew Sand to start with it and J. Michael Straczynski came in and did a polish on the script. And then went off to Berlin to shoot it.

YV: Was this a genre you were hoping to tap into?

JM: Yeah. I sort of grew up with a confluence of American TV and Japanese serials and movies. And I was looking at taking the ninja movies from the '80s, and the stuff I grew up with, like Japanese shows like "Shintaro," "The Samurai" and "The Phantom Agents" and Japanese anime … and just make this union of styles. I wanted to blend anime, horror and film noir. I thought it’d be good to put elements of that into a ninja movie of the 21st century.

YV: Were you hoping it would develop into a film with mainstream potential?

JM: Yeah, that was kind of the goal. I mean, I think it sort of goes along the lines of graphic novels and comics. I guess one of those — the thing they used to be is subculture. But now … they are the culture. You got "Spider-Man," "Iron Man," "The Dark Knight" .... They all started out as comics. I think ninja is a part of that sort of folklore. They’re interspersed — especially in "The Dark Knight," for example; the first one had ninjas in it. So I think people know and like ninjas. I think it was … they were sort of unfairly maligned because of the no-budget, sort of cheesy movies of the '80s and early '90s. I thought it would be good to take a movie that was essentially in a B genre and give it the affectation of an A genre and see if it could cross over and hopefully it will.

YV: What were some of the challenges in filming?

JM: I guess the challenges in filming stunts is always being well prepared. Of course, the biggest challenge is making sure you don’t hurt anybody. I’ve worked with the stunt choreographers and also the second unit directors on this movie, Chad Stahelski and Dave Leitch, a lot over the years. I knew them from the "Matrix" movies and they became stunt coordinators on "V for Vendetta" for me. I think we have a short-hand and a symbiotic relationship. We know how to push each other to the next level. Hopefully that shows in the stunts in "Ninja Assassin."

YV: Do you have a favorite scene?

JM: I have a few. I love the sort of rite of passage in the bathroom scene — how kind of shocking that is… I also like the opening scene. I think it’s kind of fun and sets the tone of the movie.

YV: People know you from "V for Vendetta." What did you carry over from that film into this one?

JM: I hope that by now I have a certain aesthetic or style. What I was trying to do with this movie … I mean, "V for Vendetta" was a comment on the times that we were living in. It was essentially about the morality of terrorism and why and how does it exist in the world that we live in. Even though that movie was written in the Thatcher period in the '80s, I thought those two administrations had direct parallels. The ninja movie is something much simpler. It’s trying to take something that is a genre film and give it story and give it characterization and some amazing action sequences. I think sometimes with action movies, stories and characterizations and narrative are sort of mutual exclusives. Hopefully, we give them a story that didn’t get in the way of all that. Yet you get some interest in what made the man.

YV: And you’ll be up against "New Moon," the latest installment in the "Twilight" saga.

JM: I think the audience for my movie is different from "Twilight." Obviously, "Twilight" is a behemoth. If you look at tracking for the new ‘Twilight’ movie [New Moon], the awareness is probably at about 98% at the moment.

YV: But a ninja could certainly beat a vampire, right?

JM: Definitely. Hopefully. Especially if he were up against one of the vampires from "Twilight."

Photo: McTeigue on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures', Legendary Pictures' and Dark Castle Entertainment's action film "Ninja Assassin"; credit: David Appleby.

Credit : rainalice/rainlegend

willenette · November 24, 2009

RAIN Interview, Ninja Assassin
Posted by: Sheila Roberts

MoviesOnline caught up with Korean pop star Rain at the Los Angeles press day for his new film, "Ninja Assassin.” The film is directed by James McTeigue from a screenplay by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers. “Ninja Assassin” also stars Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Rick Yune and legendary martial arts performer Sho Kosugi.

Rain plays Raizo, 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.

“Ninja Assassin” opens in theaters on November 25th.

http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_17509.html

Hi tyty, thanks for sharing this interview. RAIN is always respectful – anywhere he sees to it to bow ([he takes off his cute newsboy cap and does a little bow].

November 24, 2009

Ninja Assassin Rain Interview

with Rebecca Murray

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO WATCH THE VIDEO INTERVIEW

http://video.about.com/movies/Ninja-Assassin-Rain.htm

Korean pop singer Rain tackles his first leading role in a major feature film with 'Ninja Assassin' from director James McTeigue. On the red carpet in LA, Rain joined producer Joel Silver and actor Stephen Marcus to chat up this action-packed film.

Transcript: Ninja Assassin Rain Interview

Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the LA Premiere of Warner Bros Pictures' Ninja Assassin.

Rain – 'Raizo' in Ninja Assassin

How difficult was it to star in your first major film?

Rain: "I'm so excited, you know? It's great, friends are great. Everything's perfect. Wow, I can't believe it."

Tell me about training and learning to use the weapons.

Rain: "I had to get my body fit, like Bruce Lee. You know, I trained for eight months, five days a week, eight hours a day. And I learned a lot of martial arts. Taekwondo, tai chi, kung-fu, ninja techniques with swords, double swords, chains – a lot. You know what? It was horrible."

Which was the hardest of all of those?

Rain: "The most hardest part is food. Yeah, when I was doing stunts…I really love chocolate and I never eat chocolate, no sugar, no salt. It was horrible."

Why should people see this?

Rain: "It is a kick-richard simmons movie."

Stephen Marcus – 'Kingpin'

Tell me who Kingpin is.

Stephen Marcus: "Who the Kingpin is…Kingpin is a crime overlord who has the dubious honor of being the first kill for our hero, Raizo."

So you die early on?

Stephen Marcus: "Yeah."

That sucks.

Stephen Marcus: "That does suck but it was fun. It was great fun getting to be beaten and having a big fight, a full-on big fight with martial arts and ninja stuff. Not me personally. My character was more the big bear hugging, grabbing, smashing against walls type of fighter. It was just great fun. As an actor I don't get to do that very often, and they only had the stunt man double for me on one shot where I had to get kicked in the head. We did it and I got kicked in the head, so they put the stunt man in so I didn't get kicked in the head."

You were in Speed Racer so you're familiar with working with these producers [the Wachowski Brothers]. What are they like behind the scenes?

Stephen Marcus: "Oh, they're great. I never know what to answer that question what are they like behind the scenes because they're normal-ish guys, like everybody else. Everybody's got their quirks, I'm sure they have them. I don't know. They're just guys. They sit around and talk about football and stuff when we're not shooting. But generally they're very focused."

Producer Joel Silver

Why was Rain the guy for this movie because he's untested really?

Joel Silver: "He had great ability. He had great technique. He was a great dancer but he was able to learn how to do all the fights and understand how to do all the martial arts, and really had great skill at it. He just took it and ran with it. I mean it was very impressive to see him learn how to do it and watch him do it. He's very good in the movie and he pulls it off really well."

Physically he can do it but he also has to sell the character, so how did you know he was going to be able to do that?

Joel Silver: "Well the character was written for him. He doesn't have a lot to say. I mean he says important things, but he's kind of a quiet, stoic guy. But he does what he has to do and he delivers. He does a wonderful job."

You describe this as kind of like a throwback to older ninja movies. Why do we need a throwback now?

Joel Silver: "Because it's a fun martial arts film. No one has made these movies in a while. Yes, we have in The Matrix worked with martial arts and other films have done that, but this really is a martial arts film. It's meant to be a martial arts film and if people like those kinds of movies, we have it for them."

And is it for women?

Joel Silver: "Well, I have a fantasy about this weekend. I think that the young guys will say to their girlfriends: 'Okay, I'll go see Twilight with you if you come see Ninja with me.'"

http://video.about.com/movies/Ninja-Assassin-Rain.htm

willenette · November 24, 2009

*** Another nice-read.

**************************

11-24] Korean pop star Rain storms onto the big screen - Toronto Sun

source: http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/mo...3/11892046.html

He’s been called Korea’s Justin Timberlake.

Ji-Hoon Jeong— known as Rain — is a recording superstar in Asia.

Despite past performances on MTV’s Video Music Awards and getting on People magazine’s list of most beautiful people, Rain is still comparatively unknown in North America, though not for long. He appeared in Speed Racer in 2008 and he’s the star of Ninja Assassin, a frantic martial arts action movie produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski Brothers.

Rain visited Canada recently to promote Ninja Assassin, which opens Wednesday. He seemed relaxed to be in a place where he wouldn’t get mobbed (mind you, there was a small crowd of female fans gathering outside the downtown Toronto hotel).

Asked if he could be anonymous here, Rain said, “I don’t know. It’s my first visit and I haven’t walked down the street yet.”

As movies go, Ninja Assassin is a hyperactive assault on the senses, a tale of intrigue and revenge that involves complicated and magnificently choreographed fight scenes. And flying limbs. And gushing blood.

The ninja fight scenes, says Rain, involve a new style.

“It mixes kung fu and ninjutsu, wushu, kick boxing, karate, taekwondo and more. (Also involved are parkour, Thai sword fighting called krabi krabong, a new sport called tricking and Kali, a Filipino martial art. There’s a little wire work, but almost all the stunts are real — and mind-boggling).

“I had to make my body as fit as Bruce Lee’s,” says Rain, “and to do that I trained for eight months, five days a week, eight hours a day. I ate only chicken breasts and vegetables, no sugar, no salt. No sauces of any kind. I learned a lot of martial arts, like taekwondo, tai chi and kickboxing, and with swords, double swords and chains.”

So he could defend himself in a fight? Rain just laughs at the idea.

“Before the film, when I was growing up, I had a lot of fights with my friends: Tooth gone, cut my face, cut my nose. But I won.” He laughs again.

Rain says he wanted to be a singer and dancer from childhood. He began in earnest when he was 10. “I loved Michael Jackson and Al Pacino,” he says, “and the Moonwalk is my favourite dance move. So I just started.”

Did he have a teacher to help him with his singing or choreography?

“Michael Jackson was my teacher.”

With five hit albums in Asia and a couple of big TV shows under his belt (he starred in the Korean TV drama series Full House and the mini series A Love To Kill), Rain made his film debut in the 2006 Korean film I’m A Cyborg, But That’s OK, directed by Chan-wook Park. What he wants to do now is crack the North American market. “I would definitely like to continue my career in Hollywood. If I would do my best, people will love me, too. I believe that. And I want to challenge myself to see where my limit is.”

Another martial arts movie, maybe?

“I haven’t decided yet on another project, he says, “but no more chicken breasts!”

Credit : rainalice/rainlegend

November 24, 2009

Thanks agian for the continuous news & videos & pictures of our dear Rain...They are all OUTRAGEOUS!!!

I guess by now he must been very popular in Hollywood.....He deserve it..!!

Is he still in the US or already in HK?? Does anyone knows???

November 24, 2009

Ninja Assassin Black Carpet Mayhem- DREAD CENTAL.COM

Well, even though Ninja Assassin may not exactly be a horror flick, around these parts we find ninjas and gratuitous violence pretty badass. All that being said, Dread Central sent out the team of Heather Wixson and Brian Smith to cover the black carpet premiere of the movie last Thursday night at the historic Mann's Chinese Theater.

The carpet was chock full of some of Hollywood's biggest Asian stars and featured a slew of live ninjas on hand to give the event some atmosphere. Check out the pics and video below from the Ninja Assassin premiere, and keep your eyes peeled for a review and an in-depth interview with director Jam.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR THE VIDEO:

http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/34655/nin...d-carpet-mayhem

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willenette · November 24, 2009

*** This is another interesting to read. Gosh, he has many movie offers but please do another romance-drama, RAIN.

****************************************

[11-24] Let it Rain-Canada.com

source: http://www.canada.com/Rain/2257238/story.html

TORONTO - The Korean-born Rain might be an emerging talent in the Hollywood but the singer-dancer's already a certified pop star in Asia, selling millions of CDs and playing to sold-out stadiums.

Maybe that's why the 27-year-old is taking aim at a new challenge - the English-speaking film world.

First, he played Racer Taejo Togokahn in The Wachowski Brothers' Speed Racer last year. And now he's the headliner in the Wachowski-produced chop-socky flick Ninja Assassin opening on Wednesday.

In the movie, Rain plays Raizo, a martial arts super hero raised as an orphan by a ninja clan of hired killers. When he tries to escape their cult- like extremism he's tracked down by his former "brothers and sisters" bent on eliminating him just as their organization is being investigated.

Martial arts confrontations are interspersed with violent R-rated action, all calling for Rain as Raizo to be in top form.

"I had to be prepared," reports Rain on a promotional stop in Toronto recently. "That means I worked out for eight months, five days a week for eight hours a day, and I practised the martial arts movements, as well."

He also did sword training, and lots more double chain work featured prominently in the film. And yes, Rain admits, he was injured a few times with cuts and bruises during the shoot in Berlin. but never seriously.

He did all this in between recording and touring, but he maintains the extra effort was worth it. "It's a great opportunity," he agrees.

Growing up in Seoul, Korea, Rain aka: Jeong Ji-hun, was a self-described shy child but always looking for opportunities. He had a passion for dancing "like my idol Michael Jackson."

In school, he won a few talent shows and was subsequently enrolled in an arts school where he received training in acting, singing and dancing.

He managed a few gigs as a backup dancer, but by 2002 he decided to try a solo singing career. His debut album as Rain was called, Bad Guy, and was a hit. He followed that up with a starring role in an Asian TV series, Let's Go To School, and a second album, How To Avoid The Sun, firmly cementing his rising star status. Two years later, Rain was famous across Asia and co-staring in the popular drama Full House, opposite Korean star Song Hye Kyo.

His third album, It's Raining, hit the million mark in Asia and his fourth CD, Rain's World, in 2006, surpassed his previous sales. By 2007, he was thinking about getting into acting again, this time in Hollywood.

So how did the Wachowski Brothers find him for Speed Racer?

"I auditioned for them, and they liked me, I guess, " says Rain smiling.

Ninja director and longtime Wachowskis' collaborator James McTeigue liked Rain, too. While working with him on Speed Racer, McTeigue recommended Rain for the lead role in the Wachowskis' martial arts flick.

As luck and timing would have it, the Wachowskis decided to give the Ninja Assassin directing assignment to McTeigue and produce the picture instead.

"I love them," says Rain of the Wachowskis, who are best known for The Matrix films. "They have amazing abilities to make dreams come true. It is my honour to know them."

In fact, he says he would do a Ninjas 2, if the box office warrants it.

"I would do another and why not? I think this is going to be huge," Rain says.

He's ready and able to live in two different worlds; as a pop star in Asia and a movie star in Hollywood.

"I liked Jet Li as much as Michael Jackson when I was young," he says.

Although, he confesses he might not have the same sort of martial arts devotion as a Bruce Lee.

"For Ninja Assassin, I tried to make my body fit like Bruce Lee, so I worked out and ate only chicken breasts and vegetables," he says. "When I finished my movie, there were no more workouts, no more chicken breasts and no more vegetables."

That means no more martial arts movies for now, but he does have some other movie offers.

"I have three screenplays but I don't know what I will do next," insists Rain. "One is a romance, the second is action and the other is a horror film."

Credit : rainalice/rainlegend

November 24, 2009

Capone cuts through to the truth about NINJA ASSASSIN with director James McTeigue!!!

Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.

Director James McTeigue is perhaps the least mysterious man of mystery I've ever met. The Australian-born director of the awesomely violent NINJA ASSASSIN built a career for himself being one of the more reliable first, second, and third directors for other filmmakers since the early 1990s, working of such titles as STREET FIGHTER, DARK CITY, THE MATRIX trilogy, STAR WARS: EPISODE II-ATTACK OF THE CLONES, and last year's SPEED RACER. In 2005, the Wachowski Brothers and producer Joel Silver turned over the reigns of V FOR VENDETTA to McTeigue, and although some ugly rumors got started that the Wachowskis basically directed the film (a subject McTeigue and I address), it turns out that that was a load of crap-filled lies.

The McTeigue rumor mill kicked in again when the Silver-produced THE INVASION needed additional work and original director Oliver Hirschbiegel was circumvented in favor of McTeigue to do reshoots. I don't think anyone will doubt that McTeigue is the driving force behind NINJA ASSASSIN, despite the fact that Silver and Wachowskis are listed as producers once again. Despite the martial arts theme, this is a very different film than THE MATRIX movies, if for no other reason than the blood spilled could be measured in Olympic-size pools. I think the work is exciting, and McTeigue really breaks out from the Wachowski shadow enough to count himself as one of the great action forces working today. I had a chance to sit down with him at Fantastic Fest in September, and I hope to hell you find the conversation enlightening…

James McTeigue: You’ll be down here at the festival for a bit?

Capone: For the duration, yeah. I’m on a jury this year.

JM: That means you will be seeing a lot of films then, huh?

Capone: I haven’t counted yet, but I’m sure it’s a lot!

JM: Any standouts?

Capone: Yeah, well the ones we gave awards to last night, there’s a great little revenge film from Canada called SWEET KARMA that I would highly recommend. There is this really great domestic abuse drama from South Korea called BREATHLESS that I really liked. There are loads. I just saw REC 2 last night. It blew my mind. Speaking of which, I certainly have heard of this film as it has sort of been coming down the pipe, but I have been blissfully unaware of some of the details of it, so seeing it yesterday was really an eye opener, because I haven’t read anything about it. Every once in a while that happens.

JM: Something passes you by?

Capone: Doesn’t pass me by, but sometimes I just try to experience something as purely as I can. I don’t need to know everything about a movie called NINJA ASSASSIN.

JM: [laughs] Right, you probably got it right there in the title.

Capone: Exactly. I was genuinely surprised and pleased at the way you committed yourself on a couple of different levels. I want to get into that starting with the fact that you open with this incredibly bloody sequence where you sort of announce “Okay, this is not going to be one of those martial arts films where people get cut and there’s no blood.” Here it’s like “You are going to get cut and you are going to lose a limb!” Tell me a little about your thought process from beginning to end.”

JM: Yeah, I guess I was really interested in making the film like a cross between anime and a video game, and I really like the way games at the moment treat blood. They treat it much differently than films and I think also in anime, because of their audience and because it’s animation obviously, you could do things more stylistically in those two disciplines. So I was interested in putting those into a film. I didn’t want to say it was too serious, and at the point that you have something that’s so stylized like that, you think that it’s not quite real life, like “Wow, they are trying something different here.” I was trying to take the aesthetic in a different direction.

Capone: So you think this is so stylized that people won't take it too seriously? I think it’s right on the edge. The actual visual treatment of the blood is not a complete gusher, but it’s also not a gentle pooling. It’s something that struck me as something I had never seen before and it seemed very believable.

JM: That’s good. If you got into the aesthetic of it, I think that’s good and I was interested in… I didn’t want it to be comedic, but I also didn’t want it to be HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, you know what I mean? There are those two extremes. I wanted it to be pitched in the middle there and fans of games and anime would get into the style of the blood. If you take that first scene, where I announce, “This is what the film is going to be,” I think the way I set those characters up, as well, plays into the way that I deal with them when they die and get killed. Partially that was “Here are these super bad punks,” so you know something is going to happen to them. I remember when I first took the key frames or the concept drawings to Warner Bros., there used to be a scene in a bathhouse, and it was like the aftermath of the ninja being in the bathhouse and there was like people lying all around and limbs and eviscerations and they were like “Is that really what it’s going to be like?” [Laughs] I said, “Yeah that’s the idea.” They really got into the idea.

Capone: Did you sit down as you were conceiving this and really look at the martial arts genre, and say “Okay, this is what we are going to do differently, and this is what we are going to embrace” in terms of some of the traditions that have been established? Did you kind of go through it and say, “This is how we want to distinguish ourselves”?

JM: I think ostensibly what you want to do is take, like you said there have been a lot of films made in that genre, but you want to take what you really like from that genre and what appeals to people and why people like that genre so much, but take it in a new direction, if you possibly can. That did inform the thinking, but I didn’t do an A-B list of what I can and what I can’t have. I guess I also wanted to put mixed martial arts in it and I wanted to have parkour. There were all of these different elements that I thought would be good and fit in the framework of a ninja movie, which essentially is a B-movie genre and try to make it an A genre, and then trying to hang it on a decent story. You don’t want the story getting in the way of the action, but you don’t want the story to be so secondary to the rest of the film, like they are in a lot of movies like PRAY FOR DEATH or AMERICAN NINJA or any of those movies that Sho Kosugi made in the '80s.

Capone: The throwing stars, we have seen those many many times, but we have never seen them eviscerate a body like machine gun fire before or the way they are used in that sequence with all of the cars, and how we just get the aftermath with that one shot with about a hundred of them stuck to that car, which got a great reaction from the crowd. “We know the tools we have to work with. Let’s do something different with them.” How far could you really go?

JM: Yeah, how far could you really go, and how far could you take some of the swordplay and the running? I remember with the stars saying to Steve Skroce, who was the concept artist and did some of the storyboards, you are exactly right, it should feel like machine gun fire. It should feel like with these guys, if they throw stars at you, there is no hope that you are going to survive. I think Steve really got the aesthetic of it and took it to a place. It was fun to do that stuff. It was really fun to take some of that.

Capone: You mentioned not sacrificing the story and one of the things I really liked about the film is there is an emotional quality that I have seen people try in some of the Asian made films. The idea of the training being part physical, but also part emotional, in that they are trying to eliminate emotion. That’s a really hard-hitting message, especially when you see that they are just children and they are being beaten and having their emotions suppressed. That might almost bother people more than the violence.

JM: Yeah, whenever you see violence against kids it’s shocking. That’s the thing and basically…

Capone: You are at the right festival for that, by the way!

[both Laugh]

JM: Right. Those kids in the orphanage, the overriding message is they are completely taking the emotion out of your life, so you can be an assassin and all you can think about is killing people. When you can concentrate on that, then everything else is peripheral, but you know obviously there is always someone who rebels, his girlfriend, she rebels. She doesn’t want to conform, and he is tortured about whether he should conform or whether he should go with her and his ultimate decision after he has his initiation is to reject the clan, so even though you can be subjected to this training of the body and training of the mind, ultimately, you have a choice. For every action, there is a corresponding reaction.

Capone: I love, and you treat it seriously in that you devote a great deal of screen time in the film with the backstory--it’s really half of the movie, and that’s a real commitment to helping us understand what that Rain's character is fighting for, because we are scared of him initially, and then the more we see what he has gone through, the more we go “He’s clearly the guy we need to be rooting for!”

JM: It also gives you an emotional investment that you don’t have in a lot of those other movies that preceded it. If you can see the making of the man, then you can understand the man a little better. I also thought Sho Kosugi is such a great villain. You also understand him a little bit, too, so when they ultimately have a confrontation, you understand the two disciplines and schools these two very different men come from.

Capone: By the time we get to that point, we know their history and so it’s clearly, for Rain’s character, a very emotional moment for him to have to do what he does. The other thing I loved visually was, and again I have never seen it before, the streaks of light that come from behind any weapon or the distortion in the air that you have when something is going really fast. Where did that idea come from?

JM: I think I very briefly touched on it in V FOR VENDETTA, and then I thought it would be good to develop the idea, and I had the same visual effects supervisor, Dan Glass again, and I said “Dan, it would be great to take this another step forward.” And then when you have some of those weapons that you want to intimate that they are traveling at the speed of light, one of the ways of showing you that is to give them some kind of comet tail, asteroid tail, or something like that, and what it does do is makes them seem even faster and your eye immediately pegs into them, rather than when they are just traveling by themselves.

We did a lot of experimentation with what the right level was and speed and if the trail should be going faster than the object and all of these kinds of things you get into and yeah I think it works great on the stars. I also like when he’s whipping the chain around. There’s a scene towards the end of the film where he is fighting his brother, and there are four other ninjas in there. I wanted to intimate with the embers that were in the room from the orphanage going up and crashing down around them that he was actually affecting the air particles around him. If you watch that scene, the embers, the sword, and everything is kind of moving with him at the same time. Some of that stuff is just plain fun like “It’d be cool to do that.”

Capone: A lot of what you have been working on over the last few years I think it is fair to say has involved martial arts in one degree or another, what’s the attraction? What keeps bringing you back to it?

JM: I think I was lucky enough to work on all of those MATRIX movies to start with and that was the best possible co-joining of the martial arts genre with a film that had something to say for itself, and I thought it was so seamlessly integrated than when I went off to start making my own films, I was interested in that. V FOR VENDETTA, that movie is two hours long, and it’s basically 110 minutes of people talking. [both laugh] I have a couple of these action pieces, and ultimately you put everything you have into those said action pieces, so in that film I really enjoyed the parts we got to do. With NINJA ASSASSIN, it was just about the love of doing a straight-out martial arts film. I wasn’t saying, “This is CITIZEN KANE.” I was just saying, “This is NINJA ASSASSIN. Hopefully, there’s going to be a good story that you can follow. Hopefully, there are going to be cool set action pieces." It was just about calling it what it was basically.

Capone: It’s interesting, THE MATRIX films are clearly about meshing the new-world guns with the old-world martial arts, and in NINJA ASSASSIN, they are pitted against each other. I wondered if that was a deliberate. You made me consider, how would a ninja work with night vision goggles spotting them in the dark.

JM: You are right. If you take the ninja mythology as they attack by stealth and then bring them into the modern age, at some point stealth can’t be their only weapon, because as you say when you get into infrared technology, but part of their defense was the throwing stars or the blade and chain. Those mixed with the stealth hopefully makes them and the army who comes in with the grenade launchers and the machine guns… Hopefully, they are pitted evenly, and so part of the things that we did with the chain and the blade and the sword and the shurikens was to give the ninjas at least a chance of fighting off the army.

Capone: The ending battle on the ninja’s turf is, and I don’t want to give away the ending, but it is a bit of an almost “End of an era” feel with what all happens. When you see what happens to their dwelling, it’s a little like “It was used to house a bunch of killers, but still…” It feels like the end of something.

JM: Hopefully, if you have a love of ninjas, there are a few that escape.

Capone: I’m sure there are pockets all over.

JM: Pockets, yeah. And they find some other monastery type complex deep in the hills of wherever they go next.

Capone: When V FOR VENDETTA was coming out, there was some discussion about the brothers from Chicago and how involved they were in the making of that film. Was there a difference for you, in terms of the control that you had when that film was being made versus the control you had with NINJA ASSASSIN?

JM: I had the same control. When V FOR VENDETTA came out, it was a marketing tool of Warner Bros. and Joel Silver, and I think you can’t blame them for that.

Capone: You mean the rumors were a marketing tool?

JM: Yeah. I think at the point that you have the two guys who made the largest franchise that Warner Bros. has ever had probably before THE DARK KNIGHT that if you can sell them on the fact that they are involved in the film, and they are producers, make no mistake, you are going to sell more tickets.

Capone: Sure.

JM: I think in that whole pushing of the film out there, all of those rumors came up, but I make the films. They produce the films. I guess it’s only a mystery for those people outside of that world, and that’s okay, I can’t blame Warner Bros. for that. Whatever it takes, you have to get the film out there.

Capone: Tell me a little bit about Rain. I have seen him in two things before this. I’M A CYBORG and then on "The Colbert Report," so that’s my exposure. I had certainly heard of him, but this is truly him in his element. You are responsible, in a lot of ways, for the first time a lot of Americans are going to see him. Tell me about working with him and the legend that came along with him.

JM: You are right. In Asia, he is a legend. He is the guy who can’t walk down the street. It doesn’t matter whether you are in Korea or Thailand or Japan, he is that guy. He was cast in SPEED RACER, and I did some second unit work on that, and I had worked with him and the opportunity came up to do this film. We talked about this film, got the script written, and Rain seemed like the perfect person to put in it. I approached him about it, and he wanted to do it. I think not only does he want to be a movie star, he wants to crossover into America, and he’s one of the few people who have the discipline to do it. His discipline is extraordinary, and he did a lot of things on the movie and I have worked on a lot of movies and have not seen the kind of physical pain that he went through from other actors. I’m sure he wishes that I did it digital for him and that would have saved him six months of pain, but he has great screen presence. From the film you will know, and I think that is a sign of a true star. If you go into a movie absolutely cold, and you don’t know anything about someone and come out and go “Who was that guy?” I think, with most of the reaction that I have got, because I have test screened it, is Rain rates off the charts. I think that’s because of his dedication, his discipline, and his charisma all come across.

Capone: Did it seem important to him to get the acting right, because there is a lot of acting required of him in this film. Was that important for him to really have you tell him when the acting needed to go in a certain direction?

JM: Yeah, he did. I treated Rain like I treat any other actor. If it’s not right, it’s not right. “Do it again.” He would intuitively know, too. He’s very smart, and I think he has a presence about himself that he taps into, so he knows when he is doing it right and he knows when he is not doing it so well, and his English really improved as we were shooting the film, so much so that it’s pretty great now.

Capone: I don’t even think I would have known that he didn’t speak it fluently before this movie. Speaking of people you have worked with before. Ben Miles obviously has been in a couple of things that you have been involved with. He’s a great voice of authority. What do you like about working with him?

JM: First of all Ben is a great guy. He comes from that really great tradition of English theater, where those guys are always about not what the film can do for them, but what about how they can make your film better. Ben is absolutely that guy. He does it effortlessly. He comes in and does his stuff and if you want it six different ways, he will give it to you in six different ways, and I really like working with him. I have fun with him. It’s important to me, as I make more films, that I have a good experience. I know working with Ben, I'll always have a good experience. Facially, he’s got some fantastic looks. I remember when we were doing some stuff on V FOR VENDETTA, he would make me laugh behind the camera.

Capone: So he will be your lucky charm in all of your movies?

JM: In everything, right!

[both laugh]

Capone: Naomi Harris, after 28 DAYS LATER, I remember thinking, “Show me anything she is in from this point forward,” and obviously she went on to be in the PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN films. Tell me about her.

JM: She’s done a lot of really great work besides the ones that you mentioned. She was in MIAMI VICE. There are a lot of directors who tap into the person she is and the actor that she is, and the most important thing for me was if you approach someone, and you say that you are making NINJA ASSASIN, they are either going to get the idea or they are not going to get the idea. And Naomi totally got it. She read the script and said, “Okay, I understand what you are trying to do here.” It’s actually quite a strong role for the female character.

Capone: All of the roles need to be played by women who exude strength.

JM: Naomi came in. She tested for me, and we talked and thought she was great. She is another English actor, too. I was kind of lucky to have both her and Ben, because they sparked off each other. Naomi is great, and I loved working with her.

Capone: One last question and forgive me if this is something you have negated, but your name was tossed around with regards to this MAGNETO film for a while. Any idea where that came from?

JM: No, I think it was one of those strange Internet rumors.

Capone: It still is.

JM: I think David Goyer, who wrote that and is the director of note at the moment, I’m sure he would be as surprised as anyone to see somehow my name is on it. It would be a great thing to do. If he ever hops off, maybe I should approach Fox and see whether they will let me do it.

Capone: All right, well great. Thank you so much.

JM: Thank you very much.

-- Capone

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/43176

November 24, 2009

Thanks agian for the continuous news & videos & pictures of our dear Rain...They are all OUTRAGEOUS!!!
I guess by now he must been very popular in Hollywood.....He deserve it..!!

Is he still in the US or already in HK?? Does anyone knows???

Hi Ansit, Rain still in US, cause he will fly to HK in November 25th ,

Thanks tyty6_7 for sharing a lot of news and jinjung , willenette too.

Actually there are a lot of news and still can't read all.

But more reading more I hope NA will kick the box office,

Wish Rain's dream come true.

willenette · November 24, 2009

*** GO, RAIN! My man is so sexy & gorgeous.

*****************************************************

[11-24] Rain Bi SIXTOFIVE 09 F/W RAIN in Alps

credit//ratoka@youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVz1nYwPigQ

November 24, 2009

wow!!!! so many write-ups about Ninja Assassin, it took me 2.5 hours just reading the interviews, review.

cant hardly wait to see the movie.

Aja Aja Fighting!!!!

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Jung Ji Hoon * 정지훈 * 鄭智薰 * (aka Rain/Bi / 비 / ピ) I [Upcoming Drama 2024] Red Swan

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