Ninja Assassin

The first time I saw the trailer for this, years ago, I initially thought they were doing a Shang-Chi movie. Which, in the sense that the main character rebelled against a brutal father figure and now works to both stay alive and thwart that guy's works, it sort of is.

It's a lot bloodier than I'd expect the announced Shang-Chi movie to be, although I guess we'll see when it comes out. It's cartoonish amounts of blood, spurting out of veins and severed limbs. It's like watching Ash vs. Evil Dead, except this movie is playing it seriously, instead of comically. Also, the blood is mostly CGI in this movie, really obvious CGI, in that way that's just distracting.

I did like the bits where the ninjas seem to melt into and out of shadows. Except that later in the movie it seems like it's just the result of being really fast. Which should be cool, but simply can't compare with shadow powers.

Also, after hearing all this about how much these ninja clans like to remain in shadows, leave no survivors, have contacts in governments around the world, a bunch of them chase Raizo (the main character) down a crowded multi-lane road full of traffic. Just dudes in black pajamas with swords flipping and darting between cars. Very stealthy, very secretive.

I didn't have high expectations going in, but I was hoping for some decent fight scenes at least. But the CGI kind of ruins it. Soldiers being cut down by a hail of CGI throwing stars tearing through them like bullets. Limbs flying all over the place.