ninja assassin trailer

MTV just posted the online trailer premiere for Ninja Assassin, starring Korean pop superstar Rain: 'Ninja Assassin' Starring Rain - Watch The Trailer Here!. He plays Raizo, a kidnapped child who is raised to be a professional killer but ends up seeking revenge against the clan that made him who he is.

The movie, directed by James McTeigue, is set for release later this year. Yes, it's ninjas and Japanese gangsters and martial arts and all that crazy Asian stuff. It kind of looks like everything you'd expect a movie titled "Ninja Assassin" to be.

The trailer's okay. I like ninjas as much as the next guy, and Rain certainly looks the part, and the movie promises to be a crazy all-out action-fest -- which is a good thing. But something about it bugged me. Maybe it was all the CGI weapons -- ninja stars, blades -- flying at the camera. Maybe I'm just bothered by MTV's crappy video presentation.

The real question is whether or not Rain will prove that he's Hollywood leading man material. Fortunately for him, he's chosen a role that probably doesn't require a lot of dialogue, and a whole lot of asskicking. My feeling though, is that this might pigeonhole him into Hollywood's silent Asian man action roles. We shall see.