The Master: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

The Master: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 1, 2018

The 1980s were filled with strange fads, including the Rubik’s Cube, breakdancing, and Cabbage Patch Dolls, but the oddest pop culture uprising from the decade has to be the surge of ninja-themed entertainment. While there’s nothing wrong with a good ninja adventure, the ‘80s were chock full of them, triggered in part by the cult success of 1981’s “Revenge of the Ninja,” which spawned a few sequels and partially inspired “The Master,” with franchise star Sho Kosugi returning in a supporting role, reclaiming his position as the go-to actor for all cloaked martial arts business. Crazily, the production didn’t give Kosugi a weekly shot at impressing American audiences with his physical skill, handing starring duties to Lee Van Cleef, then a 60-year-old man stroking a filmography had him playing all types of hard creeps and antiheroes. When one thinks about the basic flexibility and weapon mastery of a stealthy ninja, Van Cleef and his slight limp doesn’t come to mind, but “The Master” has a funny way of making the crazy casting work, finding Van Cleef the most appealing element in the action series, which plays like much of the kid-centric escapist fare from the era, mixing Eastern culture with “A-Team” antics, keeping things sufficiently kick-happy and shuriken-spinning.

“The Master” only made it to 13 episodes, spread throughout 1984 as NBC tried to find an audience for the continuing adventures of Max Keller (Timothy Van Patten), a loner with a hair-trigger temper and a pet hamster, and John Peter McAllister (Lee Van Cleef), his older, wiser partner who also happens to be seasoned ninja, ready to train the younger man in the ways of balance and control. The overall quest features John searching for Teri, his missing daughter, and there’s occasional trouble from Okasa (Kosugi), John’s former pupil who’s determined to have it out with his roaming teacher. On the go, John and Max encounter plenty of trouble, with their weekly escapades taking them across the country, dealing with villainous intent and frightened innocents, employing the ninja way to solve problems and fight crime.

“The Master” isn’t a slow-build endeavor, with the pilot (“Max”) quickly pairing Max and John for future missions, finding the older ninja responding to the kid’s big heart and thick head, open to teaching him a few things about the shadow lifestyle. Training sequences pepper the series, showcasing John’s love of balance and care with weaponry, with the most exotic of all ninja tools, the shuriken, repeatedly utilized throughout the effort. Why these two get along so well isn’t explained, but most of the fun of “The Master” is watching Van Cleef and Van Patten share the frame, trying to summon enough buddy chemistry to pass. With lowered expectations, the performances pass, though Van Cleef is easily the most magnetic element of the show, displaying all the practiced steeliness he can muster, keeping still enough for close-ups while his stunt double does all the work for fight scenes. Van Patten takes the hunk role, kissing women in nearly every episode, also trying his hand at stunt work without the benefit of a ninja hood to hide the hurt.

“The Master” offers no grand arc of drama, with most subplots unresolved by the end of the series. It’s better with weekly challenges, watching John and Max visit cities to investigate crimes, always caught in deep with surprisingly even-tempered villainy, as the series largely favors white- collar crimes, often supported with kidnappings, giving the heroes a rescue element to go along with martial art displays. It’s all formulaic, but enjoyable enough, especially during the more straightforward outings, where capable directors eagerly try to sell Van Cleef as a squinty, flipping warrior of the night, giving the whole thing a matinee serial feel. It’s low-budget and outrageously silly, but falls in line with shows like “Knight Rider,” believing in itself enough to camouflage its obvious deficiencies.

Episodes:

“Max” (48:38)

Max Keller (Timothy Van Patten) is a hothead who lives to defend the helpless, roaming around the country with his hamster pal, Henry. Saving pilot Holly (Demi Moore) from the wrath of Sherriff Kyle (Bill McKinney), Max is soon introduced to the mystery of John Peter McAllister, a.k.a The Master (Lee Van Cleef), an aging ninja from Japan who’s returned to America to find his daughter, Teri. In need of a student to share the ancient ways with, Max and John team up for ninja training, setting their sights on Christensen (Clu Gulager), a nasty businessman trying to put Holly’s father (Claude Atkins) out of business through violent acts of intimidation. John also encounters trouble with Okasa (Sho Kosugi), a former pupil who’s followed him across the globe to challenge his teacher.

“Out-of-Time-Step” (47:43)

Max and John make their way to the Truffles Disco, hoping to find John’s missing daughter. Instead, they discover club owner Patterson (Charles Collins), a former Hollywood dancer who’s now stuck in a dangerous situation with gangster Chan (Brian Tochi) and his enforcer, Mr. Lika (Soon- Tek Oh). When his daughter is kidnapped by Chan to encourage compliance, Patterson seeks help from Max and John, who encourage his other child, wheelchair-bound Jill (Lori Lethin), to overcome her fears and help with the rescue mission.

“State of the Union” (48:30)

Hoping to reclaim his position as a motocross champion, Max is bested by Carrie (Crystal Bernard), a spirted young woman who’s also trying to organize a union at the Clearwater Cannery, hoping to make her town a better place. Standing in the way is Webster (Cotter Smith), a local goon who doesn’t take kindly to women or labor movements, working to intimidate Carrie into backing down, requiring Max and John to step in and make the town safe again.

“Hostages” (47:41)

After rescuing Alicia (Jennifer Runyon), the daughter of Senator Clayton (Robert Dowdell), from a car accident, Max and John are invited to the politician’s annual garden party on his sprawling estate. During the festivities, Alicia and some of the guests are taken hostage by a terrorist organization led by Castile (David McCallum). Requiring the special skills of a ninja, the government tasks John with a rescue mission, joined by Mallory (George Lazenby), a former associate.

“High Rollers” (48:50)

Looking for a little rest and relaxation, Max and John pay a visit to Las Vegas. Hoping to reconnect with Tracy (Terri Treas), an old flame, Max instead discovers her unwilling participation in a casino robbery masterminded by Blake (Art Hindle), requiring help from her friend. As Blake attempts to pull off a major heist, Max and John work to prevent the crime, using ninja skills and a visit to a western movie set to capture the crooks.

“Fat Tuesday” (46:52)

Following a tip, Max and John travel to New Orleans to find Teri, meeting newspaper reporter Eve (Susan Kase) instead. Working to expose evil in town, Eve is trying to locate enough evidence to expose local tycoon Beaumont (Robert Pine), who’s made his fortune in arms dealing, planning a new shipment soon. Helping Eve take down a dangerous man, Max and John join the fight, adding some ninja-style fireworks of their own to the city’s Mardi Gras celebration.

“Juggernaut” (48:15)

Making their way across the country, trying to adhere to a new non-violent lifestyle, Max and John encounter trouble when they meet Cat (Tara Buckman) and her mother, Maggie (Diana Muldaur), who are trying to defend their farm and the homes of others from the corporate interests of the Intercontinental Express Company, run by Hellman (Stuart Whitman). Unwilling to stand by while Hellman tries to intimidate the community into selling their land to him, Max and John elect to join the dispute, helping the locals fight for their future.

“The Good, The Bad and the Priceless” (48:20)

Max, John, and Cat travel to New York City with hopes to find Teri working for a modeling agency. However, she’s gone, with lookalike Gina (Janine Turner) taking her place, hoping to get close to unsavory business conducted by Garrett (George Maharis). John, reaching out to Gina, carries hope to find his lost daughter, only to end up in deep with Garrett, who forces the ninja and Max to mastermind a museum theft of the Crown Jewels.

“Kunoichi” (48:13)

Traveling to Washington, D.C. to check on his friend, Brian (Jack Kelly), John learns his wartime companion has been fed weeks of lies through letter-based manipulation, creating hostilities between the men the ninja sets out to solve. Max ends up on his own mission, encountering the return of Okasa.

“The Java Tiger” (47:50)

Summoned to Hawaii to help out Leo (Dick O’Neill), John discovers his pal has been murdered, with his daughter, Shelly (Cynthia Cypert), possessing information concerning a map to buried treasure on a volcanic island her father was protecting. Targeted for punishment by Kruger (Kabir Bedi), John and Max set out to find The Java Tiger before their enemy collects the valuable statute.

“Failure to Communicate” (48:15)

Max accepts an invitation to check in on his father, Patrick (Doug McClure), with the pair hoping to work out some of their considerable differences. However, trouble clouds the reunion, with Patrick in deep with Straker (Marc Alaimo), requiring Max and John to accept sensorial help from Laura (Rebecca Holden), a blind woman who aids the investigation.

“Rogues” (47:11)

Back in California, Max pays a visit to old friend Talia (Cindy Harrell), who believes her brother, Jerry (Paul Tulley), is missing. Accepting the missing persons case, Max and John follow clues to Jerry’s whereabouts, finding a way to police conspiracy.

“A Place to Call Home” (48:16)

In Arizona, Max and John discover a mission run by Kim (Susan Woollen), which is home to a group of needy orphans. Kim and her property are a problem for wicked land developer Richards (Jock Mahoney), while the locals are habitually cold to the kids, urging John and Max to teach the bullies a few lessons as they protect Kim’s mission.

The Master: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Newly re-mastered in HD," the AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The Master" is likely the best this forgotten TV show will ever look. Clarity is secure throughout the 13 episodes, with excellent detail on location visits and character particulars, with special attention paid to Van Cleef's stunt double, who stands out crisply now, making it easy to spot the weird gray bald cap the production slaps on him. Costumes are fibrous, leading with silkier textures on ninja outfits. Colors are bold, with strong primaries emphasizing period fashion, nightclub decoration, and southwestern environments, while skintones are natural. Delineation preserves extensive evening encounters. While the source is in decent shape, scratches and speckling are present, along with a few jumpy frames. Some very brief pixelation in the episode "Max" is also detected.

The Master: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix serves up a basic listening experience for "The Master," which tries to pack a network television punch, stuffing in layers of loudness to retain viewer attention. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, without slipping into distortive extremes, retaining performance intensity and mumbling (Van Patten has periodic trouble with his lines). Scoring supports as required, and while instrumentation isn't precise, it holds together, selling the intended mood. Sound effects are big, with thicker explosions and displays of weaponry. The "Juggernaut" episode is the only real problem of the bunch, with a high-pitch tone running throughout the first act.

The Master: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on these discs.

The Master: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Master" is a game attempt at creating television for pre-teens, serving up a cartoon assessment of the ninja lifestyle, buttered with simmering hostilities and domestic issues. Granted, the show was never guided to its full potential, but the short solo season has its appealing moments and overall action momentum, with the production aware enough to fill the run time with explosions, chases, wall-scaling, and hearty stunt work. And a hamster sidekick. Because that's what every ninja story needs.