Rogue Ninja

Starring: Mika Hijii

Synopsis:

The time is the 16th Century and the whole of Japan is wracked by civil war. The Iga ninja, fated to be demolished by Nobunaga Oda, the greatest warlord of the time, have put their people under severe and harsh restrictions, with the upper echelons of the ninja brotherhood ruling their charges with an iron fist. Even the slightest and most minor of infractions can result in a death sentence for members of the lesser ninja, even those few women who number amongst their ranks.

One such female ninja is Ukagami (Hijii), a stunning yet formidable warrior, who is sentenced to death by her evil ninja peers when she disobeys her elders and leaves the secret order to track down a kidnapped childhood friend. While on the run, she forges a savage and crimson path of bloodshed that will ultimately lead either to salvation or damnation.

Director Seiji Chiba is responsible for last year’s Aliens Vs Ninja, which was an enjoyable trashy ninja movie with a deplorable man-in-monster-suit alien. Rogue Ninja delivers much of the same style of action, but this time without the silly aliens, and is therefore much easier to take seriously.

Mika Hijii is certainly developing into a decent screen action heroine. She held her own as co-star with Scott Adkins in Ninja, and was also the best thing about the afore-mentioned Aliens Vs Ninja (her metal gauntlets in that movie certainly helped!). Here though, Mika is front and centre, and carries the film effortlessly. Her screen fighting skills have continued to develop and she can handle the lengthy athletic bouts and help you suspend disbelief that someone with such a slight frame could take out a gang of burly ninjas!

It is a slight shame that Rogue Ninja was filmed using hi def digital video rather than film. This is a common trait with current Japanese genre film making and for the most part isn’t too noticeable, until you have scenes set at night or in dark caves- both of which occur in this film, and give the impression you are watching something filmed on a camcorder.

Viewers who have seen Aliens vs Ninja will find themselves having a moment of déjà vu, as some of the locations used are the same in both films – the caves used for the initial and climactic battles are a prime example.

There is a very mean and nihilist streak running through Rogue Ninja. We learn that a number of warriors have been assassinated, and the rumours are that they were killed by their own side for some unfathomable reason. Certainly, the head of the” Lesser Ninja” is capable of such acts, as we see him murder a woman he’d been raping, then tell his lieutenant to rape her corpse (advising him to do it before she got too cold!).

The dialogue is for the most part quite decent, with Ukagami involved in heated discussions with both her step brother and childhood friend about whether the life of a ninja is suitable for a woman. Ukagami is very forward thinking and independent, and doesn’t believe her place in life is to be stuck in a village, making babies. There is a playful antagonism between herself and her childhood friend .

Rogue Ninja builds to an excellent confrontation between Ukagami and the head ninja – back in the caves again! Following this scene is a big revelation about the killings and Ukagami is faced with a difficult choice. Its an important scene which makes one wonder if we’ve just seen the beginnings of a bigger story...time will tell.

Verdict:

For my money this is a much more enjoyable film than Alien Vs Ninja, chiefly because it doesn’t have the sub-power rangers monster suits. Mika Hijii continues to impress as an action heroine, obviously gaining confidence and experience since Ninja, and becoming a firm favourite here at flash-bang.

7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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