Ninja Assassin

"Ninja Assassin" is a story about one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, Raizo (Rain) was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless executions of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them...and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. Meanwhile, in Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Harris) has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow (Miles), Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers led by the lethal Takeshi, to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Berlin, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive...and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan. (Gary Reber)

Special features include three featurettes: "The Myth And The Legend Of Ninjas" (HD 18:56), "The Extreme Sport Of A Ninja" (HD 10:07), and "Training Rain" (HD 09:52); five deleted scenes (HD 08:43); the "Clash Of The Titans" theatrical sneak peek (HD 05:07); BD-Live functiionality; up-front previews; a standard DVD edition; and a digital copy of the film.

The 1080p 2.35:1 VC-1 picture is absolute stunning! The color palette is gorgeous, with strong hues that are rich and warm, yet pop off the screen at times, for dramatic effect. The colors are finely rendered, with revealing shades. Contrast is excellent with deep, solid blacks and deeply revealing shadow delineation from faint, moving shadows to well-defined spaces. Fleshtones are accurately portrayed with perfectly natural hues. Resolution is exceptional and reveals details in facial features, clothes, and object textures. The sense of dimension is also excellent. This is a notable presentation that exhibits excellent sharpness and color fidelity. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is exceptional as well, large part due to the creative sound design. The Foley effects are wonderful and articulate to the degree of fine nuance. Low-level resolution is impressive, with not a hint of noise. Sound effects whirl and slice through the air, proving an exciting dimensional soundfield. Surround engagement is aggressive and directionalized, which results in an exceptionally satisfying holosonic® experience. The orchestral music score is extremely dynamic, providing a softly etched background when appropriate and a loud SPL burst during action scenes. Bass extension is deep and powerful, especially in the .1 LFE channel, which at times extends to below 25 Hz. At times transients bolt out for dramatic effect. There is a chilling thunderstorm that fully excites the soundfield. The dialogue is never forward sounding or disoriented from the scenes. Dialogue sounds perfectly natural, spatially integrated, and intelligible. This is an impressively immersive and exciting holosonic soundfield experience that won't disappoint. (Gary Reber)