Revenge of the Ninja (1983)

Just perfect...

Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

As Good As It Gets

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Martial arts icon Sho Kosugi plays Cho Osaki, a Japanese man whose family is brutally obliterated by a troupe of evil ninjas. Realizing that a fresh start may be good for him, he accepts the offer from associate Braden (Arthur Roberts) to come and live in America and be Bradens' business partner. Braden, however, turns out to be a drug smuggling, evil son of a bitch who is also schooled in the ways of the ninja. Refusing to cooperate with local police (for whatever reason), Cho must soon come to the rescue of his son Kane (played by Kosugis' real-life son Kane) when the child is witness to a killing.Director Sam Firstenberg began his career in action films with this agreeable bit of action packed nonsense. He may have been a newcomer to the action genre at the time, but was wise to surround himself with people who knew what they were doing; in addition to star and fight choreographer Kosugi, notable crew include stunt coordinator Steve Lambert (who shows up on screen as the cowboy goon). Competently executed (if not particularly well written), "Revenge of the Ninja" benefits from a very tongue in cheek approach. There are some pretty dopey moments throughout, especially when Chos' friend Cathy (sexy blonde Ashley Ferrare) actually goes to battle with young Kane! There are some delightfully gory (and hilarious) gags here and there when various morons fall victim to ninja weapons. Firstenberg, Kosugi, Lambert and company get down to business very quickly, with their first major set piece taking place just minutes into the movie.The acting, for the most part, could charitably be described as not so hot, but that doesn't mean that the characters aren't engaging or entertaining in their own way. Kosugi is a stubborn hero, Roberts an amusing bad guy. Familiar faces in small roles include John LaMotta, Professor Toru Tanaka, and Don Shanks.The undeniable highlight is the final, extended rooftop battle between Osaki and Braden. Our villain sure shows some real ingenuity at times!Seven out of 10.

Living legend Sho Kosugi portrays the similarly-named Cho Osaki in this classic Ninja Boom outing that helped kick off the aforementioned boom.Cho is a mild-mannered man living in Japan who is also a ninja. When baddies kill off his family, except for his son Kane Osaki (real-life son Kane Kosugi) the two move to the U.S. to start their lives over again in the face of the tragedy and get on with their doll-selling business. Little do they know that some nefarious men are importing drugs in the dolls. When Kane sees what's going on, it fuels a war between the Osaki's and the drug peddlers. Add to that, there is a traitor in Cho's midst. Will Cho Ninja his way out of this mess and finally have peace? It's easy to see why this is one of the most popular Ninja titles from the classic era. Sho is at his best here. He says little, but that works in his favor. His son Kane takes after his dad, and nowhere is that better seen than when he fights some schoolyard bullies. Those kids never saw NINJA moves coming their way. Don't mess with pint-sized Kane. Maybe this was the seedling that later sprouted the 3 Ninjas franchise (the first one of which features Prof. Toru Tanaka, as does this film...coincidence?) and, of course, Little Ninjas (1990).The movie is surprisingly brutal, with ninja stars embedded in foreheads and all, but it's all in good fun. Fun really is the name of the game here, as the simple plot allows for the maximum amount of Ninja action. It's well-shot and everything is very pro. This obviously raised the bar for Cannon Films.Watch out for the aforementioned Toru Tanaka who is always fun to see, and Keith Vitali of American Kickboxer 1 (1990) fame is on hand as well. This is a great place to start for those unfamiliar with Ninja movies and are looking for a good way to kick off a potential obsession. Go Sho! For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Incredible! Just incredible! Funny how just about every movie you loved as a child seems so stupid once you're an adult. But this film seems BETTER somehow! Most likely this is due to the fact that I took it seriously as a boy. Now, in addition to the incredible martial arts and stunt work, I can also appreciate the so-bad-they're-hilarious moments. I tell you I didn't want this movie to end. I was either gasping at the stunts or violence, or howling with laughter at some of the ridiculous characters and dialog. Let's put it this way: the past 90 minutes are some of the most entertaining of my recent life.The film deals with a ninja warrior played by veteran martial arts star Sho Kosugi who travels to America with his mother and son after the rest of his family are massacred by an army of ninjas in the opening scene. He intends to go into business with an American partner selling Japanese dolls in an art gallery. But this business partner named Braden is up to no good. He has the dolls stuffed with heroin and plans to use the gallery as a front and sell off the opiate to the mafia. When the mafia tries to double cross Braden, we find that there is much more to him than meets the eye. He is also a ninja! A bad-assed ninja, at that! He begins to carve up some of the mafia guys, and then eventually turns on Kosugi and his family. This sets up a spectacular duel between the two ninjas in the film's final ten minutes.But getting there is also very fun. There are absolutely no dead spots in the film. There is action in virtually every moment. The body count has to be close to or exceeding 100. In addition to ninjas and the mafia, our hero must also deal with some street thugs that look like rejects from the village people! In one scene, a guy dressed like an Indian (moccasins and all) breaks into the studio with some buddies and tries to steal the dolls for the mafia. Kosugi, while kicking these guys' butts, makes Jackie Chan look like a wussy. Jumping over cars, dodging bullets, you name it. In a later scene, Kosugi and a police buddy roust a group of additional village people types in a park as onlookers watch with amazement! The moves, the weaponry, the situations.... I just cannot describe how entertaining this movie is! Though it takes place mostly in Los Angeles, it was filmed in Salt Lake City. That looks like a beautiful place to live. In many of the scenes you can see the Wausach Mountains in the background. The acting is pretty bad, but it only helps to add the one's enjoyment of the film. And the guy who plays Braden looks kind of like Will Ferell in the scenes when he's unmasked! And when he's dressed as a ninja, he wears this evil-looking silver mask. Really adds to the character. Not much more I can add. If you're into martial arts flicks you simply must see this. It hasn't been on TV for years. 10 of 10 stars.The Hound.

the second in the "Ninja" series,though really nothing to do with the first one,this movie is another Cannon Group production.ultra cheap,of course--the cannon trademark.lots of action,but some of the fight scenes between the 2 ninjas looks to stagey,too choreographed,compared to the first in the series "Enter the Ninja".this 1 has some definite unintentional comedic value.and some of the action scenes are much too far fetched.again the acting is not stellar,but this isn't Hamlet,so the acting proves adequate.there's bit of a plot,but it's pretty thin.some of the death scenes are a bit gruesome,owing to how cheap they look.but i enjoyed it for what it was,a classic,though brainless piece of entertainment.i give "Revenge of the Ninja" 8/10