Ninja (film)

Last updated
Ninja
Ninja2009film.jpg
Official theatrical poster.
Directed by Isaac Florentine
Written by Boaz Davidson
Michael Hurst
Produced byBoaz Davidson
Avi Lerner
Danny Lerner
Les Weldon
Starring Scott Adkins
Tsuyoshi Ihara
Mika Hijii
Todd Jensen
Cinematography Ross W. Clarkson
Edited byIrit Raz
Music byStephen Edwards
Production
company
Distributed by First Look
Lionsgate
Release date
  • October 22, 2009 (2009-10-22)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Japanese
Budget$10,000,000 (estimated) [1]
Box office194,243$

Ninja is a 2009 American martial arts film directed by Isaac Florentine and starring Scott Adkins, Tsuyoshi Ihara and Mika Hijii. The film's plot revolves around an American martial artist named Casey Bowman, who is asked by his sensei to travel to New York City and protect the Yoroi Bitsu, an armored chest that contains the weapons of the last Kōga ninja. [1]

Contents

Ninja: Shadow of a Tear , a sequel to the film, made its premiere at the 2013 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. [2]

Plot

Casey Bowman is an American orphan, who is adopted into a martial arts dojo in Japan. Due to his perseverance and desire to master bushido, Casey earns the respect of his Sensei Takeda and his daughter Namiko. However, the dojo's top student Masazuka becomes bitter over Namiko's friendship with Casey. One morning, during a sparring match, Masazuka loses his temper and nearly kills Casey by throwing a katana at him. In self-defense, Casey scars Masazuka below his right eye. As a result of his actions, Masazuka is expelled from the dojo by Sensei Takeda.

Years later, Masazuka becomes an assassin of an organization called "Temple Industries", which itself runs an underground cult known as "The Ring". He returns to his former dojo and claims the succession as sōke , but Takeda turns him down. Anticipating an invasion by Masazuka, Takeda assigns Casey and Namiko to guard an old chest called the "Yoroi Bitsu", which contains the suit and weapons of an ancient Koga ninja. Before Masazuka storms the dojo and murders Takeda, Casey and Namiko manage to take the "Yoroi Bitsu" to New York City, where they keep it safe at Triborough University's vault with the help of Takeda's friend, Professor Garrison. They are tracked down by Masazuka, who sends Temple's thugs to take down the couple.

While Casey and Namiko are on the run, they are framed for the murder of Professor Garrison and arrested. During their interrogation, Casey is ridiculed by Detective Traxler. Disguising himself as Namiko's lawyer, Masazuka slips into the station and cuts the power. He takes down several cops in the dark before incapacitating Namiko. In the midst of the chaos, Casey saves Traxler from being gunned down by Masazuka, who leaves with Namiko. After receiving a tip-off through a member of Temple's thugs, Casey storms Temple Industries, retrieving Masazuka's phone number from the firm's president. He calls Masazuka and sets up a meeting place to exchange the "Yoroi Bitsu" for Namiko's life. Casey then rushes to the university to retrieve the chest and don the ninja suit and the arsenal.

At a construction site, Masazuka releases Namiko once the "Yoroi Bitsu" is lowered from a crane, only to discover the chest empty. The two men prepare for a final showdown, but members of The Ring stage an ambush under Temple's orders to kill the trio. Together, Casey, Namiko and Masazuka beat the thugs. Masazuka uses a blowgun to shoot a poison dart at Namiko and taunts Casey with the antidote bottle. However, Masazuka drops the bottle, forcing Casey into a fit of rage. As an NYPD helicopter flashes its spotlight on the fight, Masazuka uses a ninjutsu technique to blind Casey with the reflections from his katana and disappears in front of him. Casey uses his instincts to counter-attack and impales Masazuka from behind. Casey is saddened that he is unable to save Namiko. However, upon remembering his sensei's teachings of a ninja's katana possessing the power to both kill and heal, and discovers the antidote inside the handle of his katana. Within seconds, the antidote neutralizes the poison as Namiko awakens. Before they leave, Casey decapitates Masazuka.

The next morning, Traxler informs Casey and Namiko that Temple Industries has been arrested and The Ring has been smashed. He gives them their passports and tells them to leave New York City for good. The couple return to Japan to pay homage to their late sensei and continue running their dojo.

Cast

Reception

Ninja has received mixed reviews. Felix Vasquez, Jr. of Cinema Crazed gave the film three out of four stars, calling it "Far better than Ninja Assassin , Nu Image's ninja follow-up is an entertaining ham and cheese sandwich that will really live up to its promises of ass kicking and blood splatter." [3] On the other hand, Brian Orndorf of DVD Talk gave the film one-and-a-half out of five stars, saying it "just wants to flip and bleed, not invite the spectator into the mayhem, hoping a few throwing stars and quick blades will be enough to satisfy the faithful." [4]

Sequel

In November 2012, Nu Image and Millennium Films announced that Ninja 2 is in production, with Isaac Florentine returning to the director's chair. Scott Adkins and Mika Hijii have been confirmed to reprise their roles from the first film. Kane Kosugi confirmed on his website that he will play the new antagonist in the sequel. Fight choreographer Akihiro "Yuji" Noguchi is replaced by Chinese-Swedish martial artist Tim Man ( Kill Bill ). [5]

Filming completed in Bangkok, Thailand, in February 2013. [6] In July 2013, Adkins revealed on his Facebook page that the film has officially been titled Ninja: Shadow of a Tear. [7] The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 31, 2013.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morihei Ueshiba</span> 20th-century Japanese martial artist

Morihei Ueshiba was a Japanese martial artist and founder of the martial art of aikido. He is often referred to as "the founder" Kaiso (開祖) or Ōsensei (大先生/翁先生), "Great Teacher".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu</span> Japanese martial art

Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, originally called Daitō-ryū Jujutsu, is a Japanese martial art that first became widely known in the early 20th century under the headmastership of Takeda Sōkaku. Takeda had extensive training in several martial arts and referred to the style he taught as "Daitō-ryū". Although the school's traditions claim to extend back centuries in Japanese history there are no known extant records regarding the ryū before Takeda. Whether Takeda is regarded as either the restorer or the founder of the art, the known history of Daitō-ryū begins with him. Takeda's best-known student was Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido.

Splinter (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Fictional mutant rat and martial arts instructor of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise

Splinter, often referred to as Master Splinter or Sensei by his students/sons, is a fictional character from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media. A mutant rat, he is the grave and stoic sage of the Turtles, their ninjutsu and martial arts instructor, and their adoptive father. The character was originally a parody of the Marvel Comics character Stick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">League of Assassins</span> Fictional villain group by DC Comics

The League of Assassins is a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The group is depicted as a collective of assassins who work for Ra's al Ghul, an enemy of the superhero Batman. The group appeared in Strange Adventures #215, but did not become officially known as the League of Assassins until Detective Comics #405.

Storm Shadow (<i>G.I. Joe</i>) Fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise

Storm Shadow is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. He is best known as the Cobra Commander's ninja bodyguard, and for his history with fellow ninja Snake Eyes.

<i>Beverly Hills Ninja</i> 1997 American martial arts comedy film

Beverly Hills Ninja is a 1997 American martial arts comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Mark Feldberg and Mitch Klebanoff. The film stars Chris Farley, Nicollette Sheridan, Nathaniel Parker, with Chris Rock, and Robin Shou. The main plot revolves around Haru, a white orphan boy who is found by a clan of ninjas as an infant in an abandoned treasure chest and is raised by them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colleen Wing</span> Fictional character in the Marvel Comics

Colleen Wing is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Adkins</span> British actor and martial artist (born 1976)

Scott Edward Adkins is a British actor and martial artist. He gained prominence with his villainous portrayal of the Russian prison fighter Yuri Boyka in the American martial arts film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006), a role he reprised in its sequels Undisputed III: Redemption (2010) and Boyka: Undisputed (2017). He has since made films in a variety of genres, such as crime dramas, martial arts movies, war films, action thrillers, sci-fi actioners and action comedies, mostly as the lead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac Florentine</span> Israeli film director

Isaac Florentine is an Israeli film director. He is best known for his martial arts and action genre films, namely Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006), Undisputed III: Redemption (2010), Ninja (2009), Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (2013) and Close Range (2015) and for launching the career of British actor Scott Adkins. Florentine completed his degree in Film & Television from Tel Aviv University.

<i>The Challenge</i> (1982 film) 1982 American film

The Challenge is a 1982 American action thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer from a screenplay by John Sayles and Richard Maxwell, and starring Scott Glenn and Toshirō Mifune. The plot follows a down-on-his-luck boxer (Glenn) who is hired to transport a valuable katana to Japan, where he becomes embroiled in a blood feud between two martial artist brothers. It was released by Embassy Pictures on July 23, 1982, and received mixed reviews.

<i>Ninja Assassin</i> 2009 martial arts film directed by James McTeigue

Ninja Assassin is a 2009 martial arts film directed by James McTeigue from a story and script by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski. The film stars Rain as a disillusioned assassin looking for retribution against his former mentor, played by Sho Kosugi. Ninja Assassin explores political corruption, child endangerment and the impact of violence. The film was produced by The Wachowskis, Joel Silver and Grant Hill under Legendary Pictures, Dark Castle Entertainment and Silver Pictures. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Modern schools of ninjutsu are schools which offer instruction in martial arts. To a larger or smaller degree, the curriculum is derived from the practice of ninjutsu, the arts of the Shinobi; covert agents of feudal Japan.

<i>Alien vs Ninja</i> 2010 Japanese film

Alien vs Ninja (エイリアンVSニンジャ), also known as AvN, is a 2010 Japanese martial arts science-fiction comedy film written and directed by Seiji Chiba.

Mika Hijii is a Japanese actress and gravure idol best known for her role as Kaoru Mitsuki in the Garo series. She is also known in the western world for her role as Namiko Takeda in the 2009 martial arts film Ninja and its 2013 sequel Ninja: Shadow of a Tear. Mika Hijii is affiliated with Stardust Promotion. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Hosei University.

<i>Ninja: Shadow of a Tear</i> 2013 American martial arts film

Ninja: Shadow of a Tear is an American action thriller film directed by Isaac Florentine and starring Scott Adkins, Kane Kosugi, Mika Hijii and Shun Sugata. It is the sequel to Florentine's 2009 film Ninja. The film was shot in Bangkok, Thailand, and it had a special pre-release screening at the 2013 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. It was officially released for download through iTunes on December 17, 2013 and for Blu-ray Disc and DVD on December 31.

<i>Boyka: Undisputed</i> 2017 film by Isaac Florentine

Boyka: Undisputed, is a 2017 American-Bulgarian martial arts film directed by Todor Chapkanov, and written by David White and Tony Mosher from a story by Boaz Davidson. It is the sequel to Undisputed III: Redemption (2010), and the fourth installment overall in the Undisputed franchise. Scott Adkins reprises his role as Yuri Boyka.

Ron Smoorenburg is a Dutch martial artist and actor, who is best known for his film debut as the high-kicking henchman in the final fight of Jackie Chan's Who Am I? in 1998. He currently lives in Thailand, where he works as an actor, stuntman, and fight choreographer.

<i>The Art of Self-Defense</i> (2019 film) 2019 American martial arts black comedy film

The Art of Self-Defense is a 2019 American martial arts black comedy film written and directed by Riley Stearns and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola and Imogen Poots. It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2019, and was released in the United States on July 12, 2019, by Bleecker Street.

Loren Rains Avedon is an American martial artist and actor best known for his portrayal of Jake Donahue in The King of the Kickboxers and Scott Wylde in No Retreat, No Surrender 2.

References

  1. 1 2 Ninja at IMDb
  2. "Ninja: Shadow of a Tear". Fantastic Fest . Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  3. Vasquez, Felix Jr. (2011-03-02). "Ninja". Cinema Crazed. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  4. Orndorf, Brian (2010-03-02). "Ninja (Blu-ray)". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  5. Young, Al (2012-11-09). "Isaac Florentine and Scott Adkins Reunite for Ninja 2". Twitch. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  6. "Ninja 2: It's a Wrap". Impact. 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  7. "Scott Adkins' Ninja 2 is now called Ninja: Shadow of a Tear". City on Fire. 2013-07-24. Retrieved 2013-08-06.