Ninja 2. En busca de venganza

Plot: Ninjitsu master Casey is back and out for revenge when his pregnant wife is murdered.

This is easily my favorite Scott Adkins film to date. This has the best story because it's straight forwarded and simple which is what I like about the action films from back in the day and this brings that back. I've always thought he had charisma whenever he was on screen, He is very likable, and you feel for him in this film which is what you should do for your main character.

The action in this film is some of the best I've seen in years, rivaling the John Wick films even. Director Isaac Florentine knows how to shoot action as demonstrated in his other films, if only Hollywood would actually give this guy a good budget and have some of his films in theaters unlike some directors who don't deserve it.

This is a really good throwback to old school action films that action fans should watch and give it a chance, you won't regret it.

The original 'Ninja' seems to be regarded by both its star and his fans as a lesser Scott Adkins vehicle. I for one absolutely loved its uncomplicated, goon-slaying action, especially the bit where a guy gets kicked out of a train and into the path of another train. That said, the sequel - Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear - is painfully superior in almost every respect.

It's disappointing that the character Namiko, who played a major role in the first movie, gets offed within the first ten minutes, but otherwise this is a perfect genre flick. The storyline is more focused, the action scenes are better and the whole thing is nicely wrapped up in ninety minutes of efficient, throwing-star violence.

American Ninja Casey Bowman's wife is brutally murdered and the only clue is the distinctive wound on her neck. In the depths of his grief, he goes looking for her killer and winds up travelling to Myanmar to take on a fearsome drug lord.

The acting is not exactly awards-worthy, but nobody comes to a genre-piece like this expecting high thespian art. This is a film with the focus on kicking people through walls, shooting blow darts into necks and impaling henchmen on Katanas. It's fast-paced, violent, beer-swilling fun. Nothing complicated, just perfect Friday night entertainment. Order some Pad Thai from the local takeaway, kick back and watch Scott Adkins murder half the Golden Triangle.

The last time martial arts king Scott Adkins and action filmmaker extraordinaire Isaac Florentine worked together, their output was fantastic. UNDISPUTED III was one of the best fight flicks ever made and remains the high standard for other karate movies to strive for. In the three years since, Adkins has continued to make a name for himself both inside and out of movie theaters, while Florentine hit a bit of a low point with his Christian Slater vehicle, but fans have unanimously wondered what sort of film the two of them would deliver if paired together again. Would it top the previous UNDISPUTED? Well, now that ol' Scott and Isaac have finally produced their fifth collaboration, I can answer that question...somewhat sadly, in the negative. No, in my opinion, NINJA II is not the equal of "U3." It is, however, a vast improvement over its flawed prequel and is without a doubt the best pure martial arts movie of 2013.

The story: upon the murder of his beloved Namiko (Mika Hiji), the returning Casey (Adkins) attempts to track down her killer - a quest which leads him into the dangerous urban sprawl and deadly jungles of Myanmar.

I think this is the kind of movie Florentine was trying to make the first time around, when he made NINJA. Improvements on the production values and the general presentation of the ninja (no more ridiculously impossible physical feats) are superficial pluses to a generally more down-to-earth movie: the villains and rivalries feel more personal this time, and the shifting environmental settings make for a more interesting aesthetic presentation. With that said, the major flaws plaguing the movie are still production-related and creative ones. The automatic subtitles are slightly off, unnecessarily announcing "Myanmar (formerly Burma)" twice and in at least one situation unnecessarily announcing what a character is saying even though it's in English. Additionally, for a movie with the word "ninja" in its title, there is disappointingly little ninja-ing: Scott's the only real representative of the shadow warriors this time around, and doesn't suit up until the final 25 minutes. Subjectively, I also question the cultural sensitivity behind casting Indian actor Mukesh Bhatt: I love his performance, but laughing at him playing a goofy, subservient taxi driver in an American movie is kind of uncomfortable.

The fight content so ample that it's a genuine surprise whenever Adkins' character *doesn't* resolve a situation by fighting. It's also, for the most part, top-notch. While I don't think it's the blow-for-blow equal of "U3," a friend of mine might comment that the filmmakers definitely took notes while watching The Raid: Redemption. There's so much going on here that I like. Virtually every fight features satisfyingly long shots, filled with lengthier technical exchanges than in a Shaw Bros. movie. While the one-against-many brawls are unanimously one-sided, none of the one-on-one encounters - comprising about half of the total fight scenes - are squash matches. There's a cool variety of fighters, too: Guinness record-setting kicker Ron Smoorenburg, karate-parkour star Jawel el Berni, RAGING PHOENIX-veteran Patrick Tang, and that second generation ninja himself, Kane Kosugi. Choreographer and on screen fighter Tim Man exercises his craft fully by accurately portraying kickboxing, defensive karate, kobudo- and kali-style weapons fighting, some grappling, and a smattering of Adkins' signature tricking. Viewers who particularly love Scott's backflips and flying moves may be disappointed that they're a bit toned down here, but personally, I can't get enough of the grounded hand-to-hand stuff, particularly the ten-star final match. Florentine's record for this kind of action remains unblemished.

Dramatically, the movie is on the upper end of average for the DTV sphere. Adkins remains more than serviceable throughout, though his reaction to finding Mika Hiji's character dead was a bit weak. Kane Kosugi is solid, though he cycles between how strong his accent should be. The surprise standout performance comes from aging villain Shun Sugata, whose only fault is that he doesn't have more scenes to show off his theatrical talent (seriously, I think he only has about three). Writer David White, one of Florentine's regulars, doesn't deliver any particularly memorable dialog but deserves credit for a surprising twist at the end of the story. The movie ends on an uncharacteristically bitter note for Florentine, though I get the impression that this was done potentially so the protagonist may yet find closure in a potential third film.

Should an additional installment of the franchise be on its way, I'd line up now to see it. In setting the standard so ridiculously high, both the star and the filmmaker may struggle to live up to their previous masterwork, but it's reassuring that Adkins and Florentine give the impression that they're all for making a great effort towards it. I can't think of any reason not to recommend buying this movie, so go for it.

I have long been a fan of Isaac Florentine, for many many years now.

His films always aim to grab that feel from the 80's classics of Hong Kong cinema, yet are often marred by weak story lines and silly acting.

That said, one thing that always stands out is the fight scenes - and none more so than this awesome sequel, Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear!

I liked the first Ninja movie and thought Scott Adkins, as always, proved his worth as a martial arts actor. There was just a small hint of 'meh' that surrounded the first causing it to be slightly forgettable.

It seems though, with Shadow Of A Tear, that hint of 'meh' has been thrown to the side!

Again, acting and story line plays second fiddle to what is possibly some of the best fight scenes ever put to film in a Western production!

Beautifully shot, crisp with amazing choreography, I felt that Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear stands punches and kicks above the over-rated hit, The Raid...

Saw this early at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and it is quite possibly the greatest DTV action movie ever made.

Though many would not be proud of it, but I am a DTV (direct to video) expert. I subject myself to watching pretty much every DTV action movie ever made. Though most of them are just absolutely awful, it is all worth it when a Unisol Regen or Blood and Bone comes along and blows you away.

The main problems with dtv movies are: 1. Zero budget 2. Shaky cam/quick edits 3. Actors not willing to put in the work for the fight scenes to look realistic 4. Stupid plots with dumb romances

Though Ninja Shadow of a Tear is on a small budget, all of the aforementioned problems are fixed. The movie is completely without shaky cam and quick editing. The plot is very basic and there is no fat to try and make it anything other than what it is....an incredible action movie. And finally, the incredible Scott Adkins and the amazing stunt team put in some amazing fights.

One scene in particular is Scott Adkins versus 6 guys in a dojo and the entire fight is filmed in one take with zero editing...like the Alphonso Cauron of DTV shots. It was absolutely amazing.

Just an amazing fight movie that takes the best fight scenes ever and mixes it with Rambo, old Cannon movies from the 80's, and Enter the Dragon and other Asian flicks from the 70's. Just a perfect movie that looks like a big budget Hollywood flick. Not a single dollar was wasted and no goofy cgi or wires were used.

I can't recommend this movie enough. The action is incredible and everything came together to make one of the best fight films of all- time.

Hollywood, please wake up and give Adkins/Florentine a budget and I think you would be amazing at what they can do.

If you are looking to check out other great DTV movies and save yourself the trouble of all the nonsense and garbage I have seen, check out the following. But most importantly, check out Ninja Shadow of a Tear when it is released. It is a definitely blu-ray buy for me.

1. Universal Solider Regeneration 2. Ninja Shadow of a Tear 3. Blood and Bone 4. Undisputed 3 5. Wake of Death (pretty much all of the Van Dammes are watchable) 6. Undisputed 2 7. Universal Soldier Day of Reckoning (just watch the last 45 minutes)