Casey (Scott Adking) is doing what any American orphan left alone
in Japan would do: he’s studying to be a ninja at a dojo (a dojo is a place of
learning in Japan for the martial arts--at least that’s what the dictionary told
me). Well, ok, maybe Casey isn’t learning to be a Ninja, per se; instead, he’s
finding out how to peacefully apply the ancient ways of Ninja combat into
everyday living. But Casey soon discovers that it also helps to know how to kick
butt, especially when Casey has an arch enemy living right under the same roof. Masazuka (Tsuyoshi Ihara) is a fellow student who apparently has chosen the dark side. When he tries to turn a normal training session into an assassination attempt by trying to kill Casey, Masazuka gets banned by the sensei (Togo Igawa).
However, in the best tradition of action movie villains, Masazuka swears
vengeance on Casey, the sensei and even the sensei’s daughter Namiko (Mika Hijii).
He becomes a super cool, bad-ass assassin with a really spiffy ninja suit that's
loaded with built-in night vision, and other assorted gadgets that would make
Bruce Wayne green with envy. Fearful that Masazuka is after the prized Yoroi
Bitzu, a large wooden chest that contains the weapons of a legendary ninja
warrior, Casey and the gang try to hide it from him in New York City. But
Masazuka, aided by deadly dudes from a weird cult known as "The Ring," is hot
on their trail.
Overwrought, hyped up and just plain over the top, Ninja is basically a very
silly comic book that’s been brought to life. And it works…it works exceedingly
well. Think of this story as essentially a more lethal (and far more campy)
version of the recent Christian Bale Batman films, and you have an idea of the
vibe that director Isaac Florentine is going for, here. Sure, it’s
silly--multiple assailants patiently wait for their shot at the lone ninja
during a fight scene. And armed thugs just stand and wait with their guns to get
hit by the ninja. And everything is done with such an earnest, hyper-sincerity
that it boarders on being a full-blown comedy.
But the fight scenes are so well done, it’s not funny. Using live actors, no CGI,
they are staged and shot so fluidly and kinetically that it’s hard not to get
drawn into this fun martial arts film. It’s a lean, mean ninja flick that thrives
on its amazing fight scenes, and which also wisely
draws on the superhero archetype--we see the creation of both the super villain
and the superhero--to fuel its full-bore action story that's filled with only the
good stuff: non-stop ninja fighting and adventure. Ninja is just a big, slap-happy comic book; don’t take it so seriously
and you’ll enjoy the hell out of it.
--SF
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