Ninja

Starring: Scott Adkins, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Mika Hijii, Todd Jensen, Togo Igawa

Synopsis: Casey, an American orphan, grows up within a martial arts school in Japan that specialises in a benevolent form of ninjitsu. His idyllic life is shattered when a fellow student, Masazuka (Ihara) grows jealous of the bonds he shares with their sensei and his daughter, Namiko. An exhibition match turns into a deadly duel and Masazuka finds himself exiled from the school, leaving heartbroken.

A year later, Masazuka returns, announcing his intentions to take the school’s ancestral ninja armour for himself. In order to protect it, Casey and Namiko are sent to New York to act as the armour’s escort while it is on loan to the university. Masazuka meanwhile has made some powerful friends, a cabal of evil oil magnates who use his skills to assassinate those who stand in their way...

It knows that the concept of Ninjas comic-book fantasy and just to show it knows, it casts its villains as robe-wearing cult members. Other than that though, the film plays everything on the straight-and-narrow.

Masazuka makes for an interesting villain. He resents Casey in that even though he has no family, no background – no heritage – their sensei considers him to be Masazuka’s equal and promotes them both at the same time. When he and Casey take part in an exhibition match, Masazuka gets frustrated and lashes out with a real blade, causing his banishment. His distress at such a harsh punishment is palpable and seems a genuine grievance to be avenged. What is interesting is that Masazuka doesn’t just rely on the skills he has learnt over the years – he develops his own hi-tech ninja stealth-suit, complete with night-vision visor with HUD, making him a truly 21st Century Ninja!

This is definitely Scott Adkin’s film and he carries it admirably, showing the range needed to be a leading man and the fight skills that martial arts fans appreciate. Mika Hijii does well in a role which had to be slightly tailored to fit her skills – excellent actress, inexperienced screen fighter. She also has good chemistry with Casey.

There are some great set-pieces throughout Ninja – Isaac Florentine isn’t known for holding back on the action. A chase/fight on a subway train is a highlight, as is the excellent finale which turns into a three-way between Casey, Masazuka and the Evil Cult of Oil Magnates.

Isaac Florentine has a great track record of making action-packed entertainment and is considered to be one of the best directors working the DTV market. Like his previous films, he lets the action unfold and eschews the current trends of in-your-face shaky-cam and quick-fire editing. The fight scenes are all choreographed and grounded in reality – although you’re unlikely to use the moves in reality, you at least know they were performed for real, without the need for wires or cgi.

Verdict

Scott Adkins continues to impress, especially under the watchful eyes of Isaac Florentine and Nu Image. Whilst it’s not a big budget movie, you’ll be hard pressed to find more bang for your buck.

8 Out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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