Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Ninja in the Claws of the CIA Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 6, 2023

To understand what’s going on in 1981’s “Ninja in the Claws of the C.I.A.” requires a level of concentration most movies wouldn’t dare demand from viewers. It’s another offering of confusion and directorial indifference from martial arts star John Liu (“New York Ninja”), who assigns himself a James Bond-esque role in this actioner, which takes viewers around the world as the helmer madly scrambles to assemble something close to comprehensible. “Ninja in the Claws of the C.I.A.” tries to approximate the atmosphere of a superspy thriller, blending in plenty of physical fights and betrayals to keep things interesting. However, Liu can only do so much with the picture, which looks like it was stitched together from three different features, keeping up on eye-crossing moves in plot and tone to a point where nothing registers as intentional anymore. It’s a big mess, but Liu’s enthusiasm for it all is something to see.

John (John Liu) is a master of the Zen Kwan Do technique, content to live a happy life in Santa Barbara as an instructor and tournament fighter, also trying to manage a relationship with his twin brother, James (Liu), who remains in the military, getting his strength back after surviving a car accident. Bruno is a Russian agent looking to sell a special form of self-hypnosis to the Americans, only to be assassinated during his initial meeting with the C.I.A. Looking to copy this technique, perfecting it for use in the military, government agents, including Sanders (Christian Anders), look to John to help the cause, joining a small group of soldiers in a remote camp, with the group subjected to various physical and psychological tests as they’re formed into killing machines. Wong (Ho Wang) is a member of the squad, with his buffoonery making him a prime candidate for manipulation, finding project leaders Pasco (Roger Paschy) and the Colonel also working to break John. Falling in love with intelligence officer Caroline (Mirta Miller), John realizes he’s in incredible danger, looking to make his escape from the C.I.A., which takes him across the world as assassins pursue him.

The Russians have perfected a form of self-hypnosis that helps to turn average soldiers into mean machines, with one scientist looking to bring this education to America. Of course, such a method only works on highly trained individuals, and John is such a person, identified as a prime candidate for leadership due to his extensive martial arts history and time in the U.S. military, fighting in Vietnam with James. That’s about it for plot in the picture, with “Ninja in the Claws of the C.I.A.” becoming a boot camp tale for most of the run time, exploring how hapless recruits deal with conditioning and tests of strength, with Wong a total boob, but a valuable one to Pasco and The Colonel, keeping John busy. The master isn’t sure about the situation, but he enters the camp, meeting with computer experts and Caroline, who welcomes his gaze.

Liu keeps the fighting coming in “Ninja in the Claws of the C.I.A.” The feature rarely goes for long stretches without some form of violence emerging, which helps to maintain pace, keeping John busy as he deals with all sorts of armed and arrogant morons under the impression they can make him submit to their demands. The character takes on a trio of goons trying to rob a woman at a grocery store, and there’s an extended sequence in a forest, where John uses all of his Zen Kwan Do powers to resist a sexual attack from Susan, a hypnotized recruit. Pasco also gets into the mix, sending others to take out John, which leads to showdowns and chases, and there’s plenty of Chinese mask imagery for some reason, perhaps to hide the faces of the stunt performers as they repeatedly return to duty. Liu is obviously a gifted martial artist, and his flexibility is entertaining to watch, putting everything he’s got into action beats, which allows “Ninja in the Claws of the C.I.A.” to coast at times as pure entertainment.

Ninja in the Claws of the CIA Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm internegative." Source isn't in perfect shape (adding footage from the Spanish release), with some jumpy frames, scratches, and damage present. Clarity is quite good, examining skin particulars, especially facial surfaces with intense close-ups. Dimension is found with various locations, offering a look at city life and rural encounters. Interiors retain decent decoration. Costuming is fibrous. Colors are tastefully refreshed, with a full sense of primaries on clothing and locations. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is nicely resolved.

Ninja in the Claws of the CIA Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix represents an "extended version" of "Ninja in the Claws of the C.I.A." While primarily an English dub of the feature, sections from a Spanish version of the film are presented, briefly switching languages. Overall, dialogue exchanges are clear, with defined voicework. Funky scoring is also appreciable, with decent instrumentations. Sound effects are amplified, registering body blows and gunfire, and it's somewhat interesting to hear the differences in Spanish and English versions, with each offering their own sound library.

Ninja in the Claws of the CIA Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction (4:26, HD) offers a welcome to the Blu-ray experience from John Liu's "New York Ninja" re-director Kurtis Spieler. The helmer reinforces the cult appeal of star Liu, with "Ninja in the Claws of the C.I.A." serving as inspiration for "New York Ninja," with his "mad genius" difficult to decipher at times. The often puzzling Liu Experience is on full display in both pictures, with Spieler encouraging a double feature event, getting the full effect of the filmmaker's special cinematic magic.

• Commentary features film historian Chris Poggiali.

• "The Wonder of Vanity Action Films" (10:59, HD) is a video essay by Justin Decloux.

• Image Gallery (1:34) collects magazine articles, VHS art, and lobby cards.

• Alternate Title Card (:17, HD) identifies the movie as "Made in China."

• And a Trailer (4:24, HD) is included.

Ninja in the Claws of the CIA Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Ninja in the Claws of the C.I.A." starts to fall apart in the second half, lost to nonsensical (even for this film) plotting that finds John heading to Mexico and then Paris, where he suddenly has two new lovers and an entirely different life (there is no time jump to explain any of this). The picture eventually settles into Barcelona for the final act, which involves the sudden mission to find classified materials he's keeping. The changes in plot and character are jarring (there's a little twin business stuffed in here as well), and Liu doesn't help matters with his lack of storytelling focus. He's relying on fast feet and hands to guide the viewing experience, and that's infinitely more inviting to watch than the vague motivations and personalities involved in the plot. "Ninja in the Claws of the C.I.A." is far from a competent production, but it does make for a strong Bad Movie Night offering, as the ridiculousness of it all is amusing when it isn't baffling. And martial arts activity is sufficiently distracting, helping to digest an endeavor that was possibly one thing, before it became another thing, eventually ending up as a whole bunch of things.