Super Ninjas

Thanks to Netflix, I've finally had the chance to take in some Shaw Brothers movies and see what all the fuss is about them, this movie included. It's a pretty enjoyable martial arts exercise overall; if you like the 1970s to early 1980s style of Hong Kong martial arts, you'll certainly like this one. That's not to say that it's perfect, however. The script does have a few patches that while I won't say are boring, do come off as kind of padding and may have you mildly urging the movie to get on with it. Also, the basic story is one that has been told in dozens of other martial arts movies. But with the inclusion of ninjas, it definitely has a fresh element to liven things up. Indeed, the scenes with the ninjas have enough nuttiness (not to mention well choreographed and exciting action) to make it worth sitting through the parts that are routine or a little slow. The production values are also pretty solid for this kind of movie, even though it's clear that the "outdoor" sequences are actually on a soundstage. Definitely give this movie a look if you're craving some martial arts action with a little silliness.

Since the previous comments have pretty much nailed it on this one, all I have to add is that if you've only seen this in the seriously edited- for-television version that ran as part of the BLACK BELT THEATER/DRIVE-IN MOVIE package back in the '80's, seek out the version that can still be found for rental in some video shops. The uncut ending is a real mind-blower!!! However, this film is so good that even edited it turned enough of us on back in the days to keep us tuning in every Saturday afternoon for years.

There's something about the Chinese take on the ninja that has always captured my attention. I think its the way they take the art of invisibilty a bit further than expected. This film, known as Chinese Super Ninja in the US and is probably one of Chang Cheh's best, performs the above beautifully. The featured element of the 5 element ninja is unique and well done. Each ninja clan has its own unique attack setup (gold-shields that fire spires, wood-ninjas posing as trees and using claws, water-ninja frogmen that pull kungfu fighters to the water where they can be easily killed, fire-smoke screens and fire setting traps, earth-underground spearmen). The first 30 minutes are practically non stop action sequences, with the opening showing a tournament between japanese bushidos and kungfu weapons experts. Then we get to the ninja scenes, which are some of the goriest of kungfu films (the stepped on intestines scene is memorable). After this, however, the films slows down until the end where the main character has to use certain techniques to defeat each element. All and all worthy of any collection. If you havent seen it, go!

Cheh had a long and colorful career as one of the top directors at the Shaw studio but by 1982 his stock had fallen as trends moved away from the period costume kung fu action films he was so fond of. While fellow kung fu film director, Liu Chia Liang was still able to pull off hits, Cheh was perhaps getting too quirky and obvious with his favorite themes of heroic men in revealing outfits, gruesome fights and few if no women in the story. A few films followed in this year with one released the next, but none rival Five Element Ninjas. Cheh was out of the Shaw studio by 1983 and working in low budget Taiwanese cinema he never was able to achieve anything remotely near his past successes. This is his swan song at the Shaw studios,

The plot is absolutely silly and full of absurdities even for your average Chinese made Ninja film. It's as if Cheh saw the competition and said, "Oh yeah? Well watch this!". Except for Venom star Lo Meng, the cast is composed of Shaw second stringers but that doesn't mean the action is anything less then excellent. This film has the best fight scenes in a Cheh film since "The Crippled Avengers" of 1979. Everyone is fighting with weapons in mass fight scenes that are incredibly choreographed. Unfortunately, many production credits are not translated and I don't know who was the genius behind the fight scenes. Lo Meng is the only one doing open hand fighting and he fights a samurai in the first extended fight scene! Granted the samurai sword skills on display are from outer space but it goes with the absurd nature of the entire movie. So much of this film is wacky that it's a waste of your time to recount it. It's as if everything you'd expect from a late Cheh film (good and bad) was turned up to "11" including the pace.

Bloody and nuts. Just the way a good Cheh film should be. See it.

If you don't like Ninja movies then don't watch this movie. If you can't appreciate that this movie does not take itself too seriously then don't watch it. This is a well crafted movie. The are a lot of things wrong with this movie but there are more things that are right and work. The story is good and leaves me satisfied at the end. This is VERY key when watching any movie. The creativity is great, clever and very funny. The fighting is in no way extremely slow paced (like one person writes in the comments) but it is possible to see that it is rehearsed here and there which of course it is for safety reasons. Most of the locations are horrendous especially where the elemental confrontations take place. I don't care so much about that because the story works and the dialog is funny so these flaws don't ruin it for me.

There are a lot of movies from this period that are REALLY bad and leaves more questions than answers. This is not the case here because this movie is one of the best Ninja movies out there. I have seen A LOT of Ninja movies (well nearly all I think):)

Another wonderful albeit very different movie from that era is "Ninja in the Dragon's den". I give both these movie 7/10. Also if you like goofy Ninja movies you might wanna watch Shogun's Ninja. It's hilarious :D