Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Enter the Ninja Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 24, 2015

“Enter the Ninja” is widely credited as one of the first wave of martial art movies in the 1980s to bring the deadly world of ninjutsu to the screen. Igniting an exploitation cinema craze, producer/director Menahem Golan and his Cannon Films would go on to stoke the fire with sequels and spin-offs, but 1981’s “Enter the Ninja” was their first born, and it’s easy to see why the production was so eager to keep up with the secret society of cloaked warriors. Certainly rough around the edges, the picture is wise to commit to the plot with a relatively straight face. Delivering acceptable action and encouraging acts of intimidation, the feature largely succeeds as a sufficiently violent and masculine study of the ninja way, from a decidedly Western perspective. It’s goofy at times, yet, in the heat in the moment, “Enter the Ninja” achieves an atmosphere of bottom shelf escapism that’s hard to resist.

Learning the ways of ninjutsu and the mystery of the Nine Levels of Power, Cole (Franco Nero) has mastered the ways of the ninja, impressing his elders. Electing to carry on with his life, Cole travels to Manila, meeting up with his old wartime buddy, Frank (Alex Courtney), who owns a coconut farm that’s currently under siege from businessman Venarius (Christopher George), who wants the land for himself. Settling in with Frank, who’s buckling under pressure, and his wife, Mary Ann (Susan George), Cole learns the lawless ways of Manila, watching henchman The Hook (Zachi Noy) terrorize local businesses, preserving Venarius’s rule. Realizing his pal is suffering, Cole begins to take on the tycoon’s hired goons, working with Frank and Mary Ann to defend their home, using specialized weaponry and the art of misdirection to bring his ninja ways to life.

Perhaps respecting the minimalist ways of the ninja (or maybe he didn’t want to pay any extras), Golan waits a full ten minutes before introducing any dialogue in “Enter the Ninja.” The silence services the introductory action beats well, watching Cole (clad in white), taking on a team of fellow students wearing black and maroon -- a system of color coding that comes in quite handy when picking out the bad guys. This forest test of endurance also serves as a weapons demonstration, with Golan showing off the range of deadly arrows, blowguns, and throwing stars, getting the audience acclimated to the ninja arsenal early before returning to action later in the movie, where these tools are gifted a delightful library of whooshing sound effects.

Trying to keep “Enter the Ninja” character-based, the screenplay remains close to Cole and Frank, who once served together in the army, their bond forged by protective measures. Frank’s unhappy, lost to drink and drugs, unable to satisfy Mary Ann due to impotence, and he’s carrying around some intense daddy issues. He’s a mess, with his farm currently under attack from The Hook and his brutes, who slap around the staff, putting pressure on Frank to sell his land to Venarius. Mary Ann’s not thrilled with the current arrangement either, willing to work the farm herself to keep it going, holding too much love for Manila to walk away from her home. Cole’s arc is one of protection, with combat flashbacks securing his friendship with Frank, utilizing his newfound mastery of martial arts to help fight off goons looking for trouble. Cole’s the Eastwood figure in this Philippine western, showcasing brawn and patience as the battle escalates. Honor? That’s debatable, as Cole has no qualms about sleeping with Mary Ann in her time of need, essentially betraying his friend in a horribly cruel way, but this turn of events isn’t examined in full.

Golan runs a tight ship with “Enter the Ninja,” keeping action sequences coming along with enticing regularity. He also makes Venarius a determined villain, with George overplaying the role in an amusing manner, trying to keep all attention on him. The score is weirdly porno-esque, and locations are limited to compounds and forests, not detailing any expansive cinematic scope. There’s a weird fixation on cockfighting, and Golan employs what has to be film history’s only sincere use of the sad trombone. “Enter the Ninja” isn’t classy work, but it has a certain sense of itself, with entertainment being the primary objective of the production. Golan also gets far with his appreciation of the ninja way, giving the martial art a comic book spin as he plays with Eastern discipline and Western rejection, finding Cole’s “brother,” Hasegawa (Sho Kosugi), particularly touchy about the foreigner’s acceptance.

Enter the Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation admittedly doesn't have much to work with, finding the limited budget and low-wattage cinematography pinning "Enter the Ninja" down from the start. Clarity fights through the softness, with a passable amount of screen detail, best with aggressive close-ups and Manila locations, allowing for a sense of distance during exterior adventures. Colors are secure, with natural skintones and flavorful hues with ninja costuming. Greenery is also preserved. Evening activities offer adequate delineation, but some contrast issues tend to turn blacks reddish at times. Grain is raw but filmic. The print shows signs of damage, with bursts of speckling and scratches periodically popping up.

Enter the Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

With the entire movie dubbed, clarity isn't a problem for the "Enter the Ninja" listening experience. The 2.0 DTS-HD is very defined but reveals its low-budget origin, with thick dialogue exchanges that keep performances available no matter the environment. The track isn't about subtlety, but blunt force emotion and action, only reaching a few crispy highs during the presentation. Sound effects are pronounced, with whooshing throwing stars and blunt kicks and punches. Scoring is loud but welcomingly so, giving the mix some spirit that never intrudes on the performances. There's no nuance here, but the track captures the feature's exploitation interests.

Enter the Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

A Theatrical Trailer (2:53, HD) is included.

Enter the Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Enter the Ninja" works its way to a major showdown between Cole and the forces of evil, returning to white-robed, stealthy activities once pressure applied by Venarius turn personal. Golan doesn't let viewers down, staging a blow-out between sides that leads to a cockfighting arena, successfully returning a little ninjutsu honor to the proceedings. "Enter the Ninja" isn't intelligent entertainment, but it does what it does with confidence, hitting all the stoicism and strangeness required when dealing with a Cannon Films release that features a middle-aged man as a feudal Japan-inspired master of combat. It would come to be the first shot fired in the ninja subgenre, followed by "Revenge of the Ninja," "Ninja III: The Domination" and "American Ninja," but the original is generally quite good with introductions, giving cult cinema something to chew on with this idiosyncratic actioner.