[Movie] Ninja Assassin

Like "Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus,"Ninja Assassin" has got one of those glorious titles whose few words pretty much sum up the film's plot. That's not to say those names tell you everything you need to know. The disaster flick "Mega Shark" blew up into an Internet sensation when MTV News debuted the wacky, wonderfully campy trailer in May. And now "Assassin" — the high-intensity martial arts smackdown starring South Korean superstar Rain — is looking to do the same.

The trailer gives us a taste of the flying fists, spilled blood, thundering machine guns and gravity-defying combat that we'll see in full when the movie hits theaters in November. At last year's Comic-Con, we spoke with Rain — one of Asia's most well-known pop stars, who until now has maintained a relatively low profile in the U.S. — about the intense training he had to undergo to portray 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.

"I learned a lot of techniques and expressions, martial arts," Rain said. "I've been training for six months nonstop, everyday. From the moment, I've been controlling my mind and my menu, with chicken breasts and vegetables — almost killed me. I'll never work out again!"

Director James McTeigue ("V for Vendetta") explained that for "Assassin" he wanted to get away from the suspension-wire-based fighting that has come to define so many contemporary martial arts films. Instead, in an attempt to ground the action in a realistic context, he invited experts from China and Japan, incorporating elements of parkour, kung fu, two-sword fighting and blade-and-chain combat.

Filmmakers are looking at "Assassin" as the beginning of a long-running franchise. "It's a big martial film," Rain said. "It's an international film. I think it's going to be huge."

However, McTeigue joked that since Rain worked so hard to prepare for the first film, he wants to make the sequel a romantic comedy.

"We might call it 'Ninja Lover!' " the director laughed.