"Ninja Assassin" - SPOILER FREE Zone

[Jan]

I think the sticky subjects that we had for "Changeling" worked well so let's try it again.

Jan

[Jan]

I just saw my first "Ninja Assassin" TV commercial a few minutes ago. Didn't notice JMS's name, though.

Jan

[JoeD80]

Seen a couple of commercials here and there. Lots of billboards for it up around Los Angeles right now. His name is hard to read on the poster, because they used off-white on white for the text:

http://subtielman.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/ninja-assassin-poster.jpg

Story by Matthew Sand. Screenplay by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski

[Dan Dassow]

Seen a couple of commercials here and there. Lots of billboards for it up around Los Angeles right now. His name is hard to read on the poster, because they used off-white on white for the text:

http://subtielman.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/ninja-assassin-poster.jpg

Story by Matthew Sand. Screenplay by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski

I've seen the commercials a few times. I saw no mention of J. Michael Straczynski or anyone else involved in the production.

[Dan Dassow]

Win Passes to Ninja Assassin (AMC Georgetown, Washington DC)

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=38080

Win Passes to Advanced Screening of Ninja Assassin

NINJA ASSASSIN
Promo Screening
Thursday, November 19
7:30PM
AMC Georgetown
Washington, DC

Note: Article has spoilers.

[Jan]

An article about the movie mostly focusing on Rain.

ôIÆve always loved the genre, but it seemed like no one had made a serious ninja movie in a long time, at least not in the West,ö J. Michael Straczynski, one of screenwriters, noted.

ôIs it nature that makes you the person you are, or is it nurture? That is a central theme of Ninja Assassin,ö director James McTeigue said. ôI feel as though we did what we set out to do and made a modern-day ninja film that has incredible action but is also grounded in great characterization.ö

I don't think there's anything spoilery other than the basic description of the movie.

Jan

[Jan]

JMS has posted 4 more sites where folks can win free passes to a pre-release screening:

Cleveland

St. Louis

Toronto

Kansas City

Jan

[FuryPilot]

Looks like they are worried about box office on this one.

[Jan]

It's an unusual genre to have open Thanksgiving weekend, isn't it? They don't seem to be big giveaways. The one I noticed a figure for was only for 50 passes.

Jan

[Jan]

Here's an interview with JMS on CBR that talks mostly about "Ninja Assassin" but touches on JMS' other projects, too.

Jan

[Dan Dassow]

'New Moon' tops boxoffice again
'Twilight' sequel takes in $42.5 million over holiday weekend
By Carl DiOrio
Hollywood Reporter
Nov 29, 2009, 12:50 PM ET
Updated: Nov 29, 2009, 01:57 PM ET

Rated R, "Ninja" gives James McTeigue a first feature directing credit following extensive second-unit work; producers included Andy and Larry Wachowski. Legendary Pictures and Dark Castle Entertainment were co-producers, while Rick Yune ("The Fast and the Furious") and Rain ("Speed Racer") top the effects-laden pic's ensemble cast.

Opening audiences for "Ninja" were comprised 68% of males, with 54% of patrons age 25 or older. "Ninja" performed a bit better than expected, while overachieving "Blind Side" had Warners execs ecstatic.

"Word-of-mouth is just sensational on the movie," Warners distribution topper Dan Fellman said.

I'm assuming that the word-of-mouth refers to "Blind Side", although this is unclear in the article.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/

1 The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Sum. $42,500,000)
2 The Blind Side (WB $40,125,000)
3 2012 (Sony $18,000,000)
4 Old Dogs (BV $16,846,000)
5 A Christmas Carol (2009) (BV $16,003,000)
6 Ninja Assassin (WB $13,135,000)

[Jan]

My theater had very few females and mostly consisted of young-to-middle aged men, a few if uniform. It was a very early showing on Sunday morning, though.

I definitely didn't seem to fit the expected demographic when I went to see it this morning. I handed the usher the ticket. He looked at it. He looked at me. "Umm...did you know this is for "Ninja Assassin"?" He still looked puzzled even when I assured him that I did.

And then the young lady at the concession stand tried to sell me a "New Moon" poster "cheaper than Wal-Mart".

Jan

[Dan Dassow]

Scott Mendelson
Huffington Post
Posted: November 29, 2009 05:36 PM

Sandra Bullock Blind Sides New Moon, while newbies generally open OK. Thanksgiving weekend box office in review (11/29/09)

... The redundantly-titled Ninja Assassin pulled in $21 million worth of nerds, Spike TV watchers, action-junkies of both genders, prurient fans of lead-actor Rain, and unwilling women who got dragged along as payback for dragging their significant others to New Moon last weekend. The film cost just $40 million, so it should be fine once overseas money comes in, as it'll be a cult rental and cable favorite for years to come. ...

[Jan]

Looks like the Blu-Ray is out today:

The Wachowski Brothers (still weird to say that) latest film Ninja Assassin is being released today on Blu-ray, likely the first chance you will have to see the film since it bombed in the box office late last year. Falling short on every front, this ambiguously titled affair represents what not to do in a martial arts film, something that must have been difficult given the thousands of such films that were able to execute successfully with a fraction of the budget.

Staff reviewer Kenneth Brown shares an opposing opinion of the film in his Blu-ray review of Ninja Assassin: "I know I'm in the minority, but McTeigue's commanding presence behind the camera, Straczynski's sharp genre script, and Rain's unexpectedly potent performance gave me plenty of reasons to enjoy most everything the film had to offer (pesky Europol agents notwithstanding). Warner's Blu-ray release is just as effective. It's even easy to overlook the disc's short, somewhat disappointing supplemental package when its razor-sharp video transfer and deadly DTS-HD Master Audio track combine forces."

[JoeD80]

Strange definition of "bombed at the box office"...the movie did make a profit in the end. The gross ended up at about $57 mil and was at theaters all the way until February this year. This would be a film I'd love to have in HD with its beautifully done effects; I'm picking this one up as soon as I can.