Ninja Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Ninja Blu-ray Movie Review

Look out Jason Statham, there's a new kid in town.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner January 18, 2010

Does anyone recall a stretch of the mid-1990’s when our television sets were overrun by a startling phenomenon known as the “Mighty Morphin Power Ranger”? Fascinated by the violent encounters that dominated each episode, children everywhere picked their favorite Ranger and donned their spandex Halloween costume hoping they could someday take on evil costumed villains and Godzilla-sized robots. Naturally, I was too old to fully understand the “Power Ranger” craze, but I wasn’t too old to notice the merchandizing affect the series had on our nation. You’re probably wondering why I’m beginning this review of an R-rated action film with a trip down memory lane. The answer is simple. The director of Ninja (Isaac Florentine) also happens to be a veteran director of multiple “Power Rangers” episodes. As odd as they might sound, it actually makes sense when you consider the extensive incorporation of martial arts in the television series, and the natural progression from low-budget television productions to low-budget film offerings. Given what I’ve told you thus far, I’d wager you’re bracing yourself for a scathing discourse on Mr. Florentine’s latest offering, so I’d recommend you sit down before reading any further and prepare yourself for the surprise I’m about to deliver.

Can anyone explain why the evil Ninja always has the coolest suit?

During the early 1600’s, the Koga Ninja were considered masters of stealth and weaponry, possessing skills handed down from generation to generation. As the time of the Ninja came to a close, the study of their arts became taboo, forcing practitioners away from the public eye and into remote training locations. Flash forward to the present day, and we’re introduced to Casey (Scott Adkins), a long-time American student of the Koga Ninja School, who was orphaned at a young age and taken in by the current Sensei. Now that’s he’s grown into a full-fledged warrior, Casey is presented with a seniority designation that offends the likely successor of the school, named Masazuka (Tsuyoshi Ihara). Lashing out in a fit of jealousy, Masazuka is expelled from the dojo, and becomes an assassin for the leader of an American organization called Temple Industries. Several months later, Masazuka returns to the school he once called home and demands a box of ancient Koga weaponry. The Sensei denies his request during a tense public showdown, and realizes the dojo’s prized possessions will no longer be safe in Japan. Knowing Masazuka will return, he sends the box to New York with Casey and his daughter Namiko (Mika Hijii), who are entrusted with the safety of the ancient weapons. Unfortunately, it isn’t long before Masazuka and the henchmen of Temple Industries track the location of the box, and wind up on Casey’s doorstep. If a fight’s what they want, they’ve come to the right place.

Expectations play a sizeable role in any viewer’s enjoyment of a film, so I should make it abundantly clear that I went into Ninja with very low expectations. The cover of the Blu-ray case looks cool and all, but I’m always weary of a low-budget action film promising Ninja combat and starring a white actor (no offense Michael Dudikoff). The typical result of that equation should be disastrous, so why would I expect any different from the latest attempt? Much to my surprise, Ninja is far more than another hack-job production starring an aging action superstar. The film offers impressive fight choreography, high production values, and a general cool-factor that most Hollywood action films can’t manage to achieve. This is the first time I’ve seen Scott Adkins in a martial arts production, but I have to hand it to the guy for his ability to pull off some amazing gravity-defying kicks. Finesse is not his forte, so don’t expect the fast-paced dance choreography of a Jackie Chan film. Instead, focus your sights on Jason Statham’s style in the Transporter films, where brute force often determines the champion.

While Scott Adkins is the physical core of the film, director Isaac Florentine is the man wielding the magic wand. The angles of the fight footage rarely display missteps (such as a lack of contact), and Florentine takes a page out of Zack Snyder’s handbook with his use of slow-motion bursts at exactly the right moment. If there’s one thing I hate about weak action films, it’s the use of nauseating quick cuts to hide poor choreography. In Ninja, Florentine is so comfortable with the physical skills of his actors and stunt men, that he glorifies every detail of the combat before cutting to the next victim. Beyond the martial arts camerawork, Florentine and his crew have done a decent job incorporating subtle CGI effects that rarely make you wince. That’s not to say there aren’t moments when digital blood effects are overused, but that’s easily forgivable in a film that doesn’t claim to offer highbrow entertainment. Of note, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of times I re-watched certain scenes to see if the stunts were real or fake (a perfect example is a jumping summersault that propels Casey over a moving car).

Although I’m fighting the urge to include a disclaimer in the review, I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t at least touch on several realities you’ll face if you decide to give the film a shot. First, the plot is pretty standard for a B-grade action film, and won’t offer anything you haven’t seen before. Second, the acting and line delivery is firmly entrenched in subpar territory, making it clear most of these actors were selected based on their physical skills rather than acting ability. Third, despite my best efforts to turn off the logical side of my brain, I couldn’t help but notice several aspects of the film that simply didn’t make sense. I won’t go into a play-by-play analysis here, but I’d imagine most viewers will share my sense of bewilderment over some of the head-scratching moments.

Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 28Mbps), Ninja looks outstanding with the exception of one key deficiency (which I'll address later). Beginning with the positives, fine object detail is amazingly clear, revealing every texture with profound clarity. Look for the fine hairs on the back of Casey's neck or the individual seams on his leather jacket to gain a better understanding of the precise attention to detail I'm referring to. In addition to the excellent clarity that accompanied the upgrade to high-definition, the natural color spectrum sets the bar high thanks to an appealing range of vivid colors. I never noticed the incorporation of stylistic filtering in an attempt to push the spectrum in a certain direction, which thankfully allows skin tones to remain accurate, and lends various environments their own character. On the opposite side of the equation, several low-light sequences demonstrate contrast's inability to differentiate between the darkest shades. A perfect example is an assassination scene around the fifteen minute mark where Masazuka attacks from the shadows. During that sequence it becomes difficult to differentiate between the assassin's dark suit and the black backdrop. Not all low-light scenes suffer from weak contrast, but it occurred enough to downgrade my score to a four out of five.

Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For a low-budget action flick, this is one aggressive track. From the opening swordfight to the numerous brawls, every bone-crushing hit registers high on the testosterone meter, adding fuel to adrenaline-packed experience. I'm compelled to give the sound crew credit for turning in an audio experience that nearly rivals the best action recordings in Hollywood, since B-grade action flicks usually come with a standard set of pops and pows that sound like a 5-year-old tapping pre-recorded keys on his Casio keyboard. Ninja breaks the mold, delivering a wide variety of sound effects that clearly fit the onscreen action. Taking matters a step further, the film incorporates a number of fight sequences where projectile weapons are utilized, allowing the sound engineers to play with surround separation and place the viewer directly in the heart of the action. It's in these moments that the lossless track fully comes to life, tossing chains from speaker to speaker, or sending the high-pitched zing of a Chinese star across the sound stage.

I know lowered expectations likely played a role in my enjoyment of the audio experience, but I still maintain my opinion that the lossless mix deserves high marks. If I were merely comparing the track to other action films with equal budgetary constraints, I'd score this a 5/5, but considering the robust nature of such films as Transformers or Star Trek, I'm trying to keep my opinion in check.

Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only extras included on the disc are standard definition trailers for Ninja and five other films in the First Look catalog.

Ninja Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In order to ensure I haven't set your expectations to high, I'll simply offer my humble opinion that Ninja is an entertaining entry in a genre that's been avoided for far too long. If you're a fan of B-grade martial arts films of the 80's and 90's, I have no doubt you'll find enough value to make it a worthwhile addition to your collection. All others should approach the film with a bit more hesitation and consider a rental prior to taking the financial leap of faith.