According to the film critics portal site Rotten Tomatoes, "Ninja" received unfavorable reviews from 56 out of a total of 80 critics and scored 30 percent on freshness. Among the top experts, 13 out of 19 critics gave the film negative reviews and scored 32 percent on freshness. Most of the critics complained that the movie was too serious while the story's development and editing was too confusing. Other reasons were that action scenes were hard to see because the lighting was too dark, too much CG was used, and the movie didn't live up to its title. Brian Miller of "The Village Voice" wrote, "Shouldn't throwing stars be silent? If they're gonna sound like gunshots, why not just use guns?" Internet website Movieretriever.com remarked, "Rain and Harris are decent, but "Ninja Assassin" is a film that falls apart as soon as you think about any single element of it." The only favorable review came from magazine "Entertainment Weekly", who said about the film, "There's a brutal (and admittedly very cool) fight scene every five minutes. But let's be honest, killing is this film's business...and business is good."
Another reason that "Ninja" couldn't make the top five in its opening week might have been due to the inadequate opening date. In the U.S., movies that open near the end of the year are either the so-called "art films" that try to open just in time to make the nominations for next year's Academy Awards or pure, popcorn movies that you can simply enjoy with family or friends over the holidays. Over the past couple of years, several blockbuster movies that might have been suited for a summer release have opened around Christmas time. But most of these films had received a PG-13 rating because they were neither too violent or too sexual for young viewers.
Therefore, with all the blockbuster movies and Oscar-nominated films lined up for the holiday season, it seems "Ninja" will have a hard time faring well at the U.S. box office. The following movies are scheduled for release in December: "Everybody's Fine" starring Robert De Niro, "Up In The Air" starring George Clooney, director Peter Jackson's "Lovely Bones", director Clint Eastwood's "Invictus", director James Cameron's "Avatar", "Sherlock Holmes" starring Robert Downey Jr.
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