My fear going into "Ninja Assassin" was that the story would not only be secondary to the violence, but that it would be an afterthought. While my fears weren't completely realized, I rediscovered that a movie with a few good ideas poorly executed is more frustrating than a terrible movie with no ideas.

I can run with the initial premise that ninjas still exist and are hired by various nations to perform their dirty work because the concept of honor and family has been corrupted and twisted to the point where children are kidnapped at a young age and taught to value nothing, not even the beating of their own heart (a storyline that is similar to what was found in "Batman Begins"). The problems start when the script inserts Interpol agents and a giant conspiracy theory that goes nowhere.

The dialogue is terrible, performances are all over the map (though Rain, the film's star, is very charismatic and deserves a better film to showcase his talents) and the whole "special heart" bit is so stupid (both times) that the film loses all credibility. Worst of all, the film's gimmick, blood and more blood, is obviously CGI and looks so ridiculous that the "cool factor" is completely lost.