Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (15)

Directed by: Ten Shimoyama

Starring: Jo Odagiri, Yukie Nakama

Synopsis: Two rival ninja clans, the Kouga and the Iga, have long served the Royal Family in their many feuds,often opposing each other in the process. Oboro (Nakama) of the Iga clan and Gen-no-suke (Odagiri) of the Kouga, have secretly fallen in love. Both clans receive a decree from the Shogun that the best five warriors must participate in a formal duel, the successor of which is to be given a very important mission. Whilst Oboro accepts that their relationship is doomed, Gen-No-Suke refuses to accept it and vows to confront the Shogun.

Review: What a pleasant surprise this was! I had expected this to be heavy on the romance and light on action. The dvd cover does lend to this theory, and the early scenes would have you believe this is the direction it's heading in. But then, at the Shogun's behest, we get a demonstration of the ninja skills on offer, and the action is crisp, clear, innovative and thrilling. What's more, this proves not to be a tease - as the two sides journey to the shogun's castle their paths continue to cross with devastating results.

The characters and the fight scenes are very much inspired by Anime - I was reminded often of Go Nagai's seminal Ninja Scroll. Some of the ninjas' powers rely heavily on CGI, and for once I wasn't turned off by it. The fight scenes themselves are well directed so that even when things get hectic, the viewer is always able to follow what is happening.

The acting is generally good, although some characters don't get any back-story whatsoever (they're killed off after one or two scenes). It's interesting to see how the two lovers deal with their predicament - one considers the needs of her clan, the other thinks only of his own happiness (at least initially). Some of the other ninjas have their characters fleshed out with some nice exposition, especially the immortal Tenzen and the poisonous Kagero.

The choices characters make at the end of the movie will have some scratching their heads - unfortunately there is no action climax to be had here, only the promise of tranquility. Although I initially felt cheated by this, on reflection I actually found it quite moving.

Verdict - If you enjoy the loony characters of anime such as Ninja Scroll, or want to see decent "super-fu", as opposed to cgi-fu as a stand-in for actors who have no martial arts experience - looking at you, Keannu! - then this is definitely worth your time and money.

7 out of 10 (Review by MikeOutWest)