When I watch a movie like James McTeigue’s Ninja Assassin I think about what could have been. Its not that the film is terribly bad, it is just not terribly good. But oh how I wish it was. Nothing would make me happier than to see a resurgence of the ninja movie genre driven by a big budget studio film with all the money, time and craft that could be brought to it.
Instead, we’re given a movie which intercuts the Ninja story with Europol agents and their search for the ninjas. Every time the action cuts away from the story of the ninjas and went to the agents, I was bored. On top of that, the main female researcher is played by Naomi Harris, one of the most annoying and weak actresses in recent memory.
One surprise for me in this film is how much I actually liked Rain in the title role. Sure, his acting for a non-native English speaker isn’t particularly good, but he has a certain screen presence that works here. Seeing him in this film its easy to understand why he has such a huge following in Asia.
Do I wish he was an actual martial artist and could more realistically accomplish the fights himself without the aid of stunt doubles or CGI, of course. Also, the fact that he’s actually Korean and not Japanese and is playing the lead in a very deeply felt Japanese genre film may cause some, as director McTeigue put it after the screening I saw, “push back.” Maybe so, but that’s not really the problem here.
Once again, we’re back with another character profile from Marvel’s animated show for kids (and kids of all ages) 
In the milieu of “better-than-they-have-a-right-to-be” action movies, I need to add 1992’s Universal Soldier. From the team that later brought us Stargate and Independence Day, Universal Soldier starred Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolpf Lundgren back when those names actually meant something at the box office.
Even with Thanksgiving right around the corner, that hasn’t stopped Marvel from dropping some great comics this week for your reading pleasure. Some of the one’s we’re particularly interested in this week include the latest issue of Avengers: The Initiative, the new Hulk, the latest Criminal: The Sinners and Dark Wolverine #80.
In honor of the fast approaching Thanksgiving holiday, our pals at NBC have sent us some clips from tonight’s episode of Heroes with a Thanksgiving theme to them. Sure, we know this seems like blatant promotion for a show that people are saying is dead, and, well, it is. Still, many of us here at The Flickcast continue to watch Heroes (Chris, I’m talking to you) so this post is for them.
