This movie is widely considered to be the one that popularized Ninjutsu during the 80s. It was actually the second major English-language Ninja film of the 80s as it was preceded by Chuck Norris' Octagon"(1980). Several ninja movies were made after it. Prior to the film, judo films had been popular in the 50s; karate movies in the 60s and kung-fu pictures in the 70s.
This is the first of three "Ninja" movies in Cannon's Ninja series. The second and third films were "Revenge of the ninja" (1983) and "Ninja III: The Domination" (1984). Both sequels were unrelated in terms of story. Cannon also went on to make "American ninja" (1985) which spawned its own franchise (5 movies).
This movie is important for one more reason. It's first major role in an English-language film for Shô Kosugi, an actual ninja practitioner who was also the movie's technical adviser and fight co-coordinator. Kosugi starred in numerous other 80s ninja movies and appeared in each of this film's sequels but playing different characters.
The film's title was chosen because it was thought that it would connect and cash-in on the popularity of the earlier martial-arts box-office hit Enter the dragon"(1973). Publicity for the film explained that Ninjutsu was "the art of invisibility". The martial art is also known as Ninpo and Ninjitsu-Ryu. Ninjas are seen in this movie with a full wardrobe of attachments and weapons. These often included a blow-gun, bola (manriki), bow & arrow, nunchaku (nunchuks), sai, shinobi-gatana, shiroken, spear-staff and tonfa.
The movie is often widely believed to have been totally shot in the Phillipines, bit some of it was also shot in Japan. There is no spoken dialog in the first 10 minutes of the film. The first 15 minutes of the movie is objectively really good and the best part of the movie.
If you're expecting good movie , you will be disappointed. The acting is wooden, the humor flat and everyone dies dramatically. The characters are paper thin. The plot don't make sense in some places ( What war are the characters talking about ?) If you're a fan of ninja movies this is a must see. If you're a fan of "so bad , it's good" movies you NEED to see this. It's comedy gold.
Franco Nero ("Django") is the star of the movie. Since had no martial arts training he was doubled by writer and fight choreographer Mike Stone for the fight sequences. It's terribly obvious , because most of the fight scenes shown main hero's back while fighting. Nero himself has no charisma or talent . The best thing about him is his mustache.
You GOTTA love the over the top sound effects. When somebody shots an arrow or throws the sound is of laser shooting ! There is evil guy nicknamed "The Hook" , because he has a hook ! "Let's have a cock fight !" , "Hang on ". Christopher George is brilliantly overacting and his death scene is THE BEST EVER.
If you can't spend an evening laughing wildly at this , well , then there is something wrong with your sense of humor. Watch out for Michael Dudikoff (the future star of "American ninja") as one of the Venarius men. I give it 2/10.
This is the first of three "Ninja" movies in Cannon's Ninja series. The second and third films were "Revenge of the ninja" (1983) and "Ninja III: The Domination" (1984). Both sequels were unrelated in terms of story. Cannon also went on to make "American ninja" (1985) which spawned its own franchise (5 movies).
This movie is important for one more reason. It's first major role in an English-language film for Shô Kosugi, an actual ninja practitioner who was also the movie's technical adviser and fight co-coordinator. Kosugi starred in numerous other 80s ninja movies and appeared in each of this film's sequels but playing different characters.
The film's title was chosen because it was thought that it would connect and cash-in on the popularity of the earlier martial-arts box-office hit Enter the dragon"(1973). Publicity for the film explained that Ninjutsu was "the art of invisibility". The martial art is also known as Ninpo and Ninjitsu-Ryu. Ninjas are seen in this movie with a full wardrobe of attachments and weapons. These often included a blow-gun, bola (manriki), bow & arrow, nunchaku (nunchuks), sai, shinobi-gatana, shiroken, spear-staff and tonfa.
The movie is often widely believed to have been totally shot in the Phillipines, bit some of it was also shot in Japan. There is no spoken dialog in the first 10 minutes of the film. The first 15 minutes of the movie is objectively really good and the best part of the movie.
If you're expecting good movie , you will be disappointed. The acting is wooden, the humor flat and everyone dies dramatically. The characters are paper thin. The plot don't make sense in some places ( What war are the characters talking about ?) If you're a fan of ninja movies this is a must see. If you're a fan of "so bad , it's good" movies you NEED to see this. It's comedy gold.
Franco Nero ("Django") is the star of the movie. Since had no martial arts training he was doubled by writer and fight choreographer Mike Stone for the fight sequences. It's terribly obvious , because most of the fight scenes shown main hero's back while fighting. Nero himself has no charisma or talent . The best thing about him is his mustache.
You GOTTA love the over the top sound effects. When somebody shots an arrow or throws the sound is of laser shooting ! There is evil guy nicknamed "The Hook" , because he has a hook ! "Let's have a cock fight !" , "Hang on ". Christopher George is brilliantly overacting and his death scene is THE BEST EVER.
If you can't spend an evening laughing wildly at this , well , then there is something wrong with your sense of humor. Watch out for Michael Dudikoff (the future star of "American ninja") as one of the Venarius men. I give it 2/10.