Golden Ninja Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Golden Ninja Blu-ray Movie Review

Golden Ninja (aka The Golden Bat) is a fantastic old-school b-movie with plenty of science-fiction adventure for audiences. Created by Takeo Nagamatsu and Ichiro Suzuki, Golden Ninja (aka The Golden Bat) is entertaining fun for genre enthusiasts. The cast includes Sonny Chiba, Osamu Kobayashi, Wataru Yamagawa, Hisako Tsukuba, Emily Takami, and Andrew Hughes.

Earth is under attack. The planet is facing new threats by alien invaders. The aliens are determined to take over the world.

Top leading scientists embark on a mission to the city of Atlantis. The leader of the U.N. scientists is none other than expert Dr. Yamatone (Sonny Chiba). Atlantis was long thought forever lost. Atlantis might hold the key to the mission to resurrect a mummy known as the Golden Bat (or Golden Ninja) – voiced by Osamu Kobayashi.

The mummified hero is a mystical creature believed to be an ultimate hero and protector of humankind. The time is now. Can the Golden Bat save Earth from the aliens?

The supporting cast of characters includes Akira Kazahaya (Wataru Yamagawa), Naomi Akiyama (Hisako Tsukuba), Emily Paird (Emily Takami), and Dr. Pearl (Andrew Hughes). The supporting players add to the fun of the old-school genre production. The actors do great work with their respective supporting roles in the film.

The art direction by Shinichi Eno (The Green Slime, Terror Beneath the Sea) is excellent and has a lot of creativity. The style of the production is perfect for old-school genre fun. The art style is more fun and imaginative than a typical b-movie and the special effects by Sadao Uemura (Sora tobu enban: Kyôfu no shûgeki) are enormously creative, too.

Edited by Fumio Soda (Violent Streets, The Glamorous Ghost), Golden Ninja (aka The Golden Bat) is an impressive edit. The filmmaking of Golden Ninja (aka The Golden Bat) is well-paced. There is a lot of energy in the pace and the flow is all the better as a result.

Composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi (Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z), Golden Ninja (aka The Golden Bat) is an impressive action-adventure score. Kikuchi is one of the best anime composers. The music for this production adds a lot of whimsy and charm to the filmmaking.

The cinematography by Yoshikazu Yamazawa (Bullet Train, The Threat) is beautiful and there is a serene sense of style to the filmmaking. Yamazawa is a talented cinematographer with a keen visual sensibility. There is a lot worth appreciating about the cinematic photography.

Written by Susumu Takaku (Fist of the North Star, Space Sheriff Gavan), Golden Ninja is a solid script with good dialogue and characterizations. The pulpy narrative is a lot of fun. The storytelling adds enormous charm to the production.

Directed by Hajime Satô (Terror Beneath the Sea, House of Terrors), Golden Ninja (aka The Golden Bat) is much more enjoyable than some might expect. A great old-school adventure with some creative visual effects and solid filmmaking. For b-movie fans looking for a fun excursion, Golden Ninja is well worth checking out.

Golden Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, Golden Ninja is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The release features a quality black-and-white presentation. The release showcases crisp and well detailed high-definition video encoding. The transfer is filmic and engaging looking. There are some specks of dirt and even some slight damage to the print is visible – a few transition shots can look a bit soft during transitions but an excellent transfer overall.

Golden Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with English subtitles). The lossless audio is engaging on the release. The audio presentation is crisp and engaging. The track perhaps isn't perfectly robust but it sounds engaging and effective throughout the presentation.

Golden Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:21)

Golden Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Golden Ninja is an entertaining and pulpy genre movie. The science-fiction adventure has a lot of fun old-school thrills for b-movie fans. The Blu-ray release features a solid high-definition presentation. Recommended.