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.
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.