Zhang wu shuang

If you are looking for a movie with Ninjas: This movie has not even remotely to do with anything Ninja. The cover and the title are purely a marketing lie, there are non Ninjas in it.

Story: Lame, but if you like martial arts movies you, like me, probably don't always expect a witty story.

Martials arts action: Like another reviewer wrote, the editing is bad. But it's not the kind of super-fast editing that covers up completely lame fight choreography, it just feels amateurish. Here and there the choreography lacks a bit of diversity but it is definitely above average. There is some wire work but for my taste it wasn't overdone. And Luxia Jiang got some fine moves.

Bottom line: If you love martial arts movies and don't need outstanding acting and a good story, go for it if you can rent it for a buck or if all the good movies are already rented out.

This film is pathetic.

The actors are clearly skilled martial artists but not skilled actors.

The plot is stupid, it makes no sense and then the 'twist' at the end to try and make it makes sense is so forced and idiotic that it makes you wonder why they bothered.

The martial arts scenes are endless and dull, they have nothing original to offer and are unconvincing in the extreme, I actually switched the film off after the appearance of the 'hip-hop' fighters, I only returned to watch it again because I figured it couldn't get worse than that and it doesn't but unfortunately it doesn't get better either.

There is no plot, the direction is bad, the acting is non-existent and the fights are long, unrealistic and boring. This is like the films they made in the seventies in the US when martial arts were new and trendy, it's amazing that someone would make it now.

Ninja Masters is yet again further proof that Americans, it seems, have great difficulty attempting to market products from overseas (no offense). Korean movies, like The Voice and The Wig both, respectively, when released in America, received incredibly violent covers, despite the general lack of blood present in both features. In the case of this particular martial arts film, to title it Ninja Masters would be like calling me an astronaut - it is false advertising at its most ridiculous.

Initially titled Coweb when released in Asia, this is an entertaining martial arts feature, and though not the greatest movie in the genre, it certainly deserves to be viewed. I might be criticized for writing this, but I wasn't a huge fan of The Protector, a movie this particular film can be contrasted with: in both titles, a brilliant martial artist goes out of their way to save those they've been tasked to protect. Although the choreography, action scenes and direction could not be faulted, I found much of the dialogue in The Protector to be rather uninteresting, and many of the individuals involved to be severely lacking characterization.

Although a similar argument regarding character depth could be made concerning Coweb, the frequency and focus on the fights make up for any lacking substance, and entertainingly keeps the audience vested. The fights do occasionally go for longer than they probably should, and during other moments, it is unfortunately obvious no contact is actually made during a physical altercation, an irritating fact furthered when some characters are kicked backwards, occasionally appearing as though they're either on wires, or jumped at their own volition.

This aside, the use of slow motion that is occasionally employed accentuates the speed and agility of the combatants, while the use of ambient sound during one scene, rather than non-diegetic resources, assists in thrusting the viewer right into the middle of the fights. Although each of the fights are very obviously filmed on sets, the film offers a range of locations, including a traditional fighting ring, a disco club, and a street tourists generally flock towards, the vivid incorporation of color adding an additional visual treat for the senses.

Story-wise, Nie (Jiang Luxia) is an exceptional Wushu trainer, who, after coincidentally bumping into an old acquaintance, is allowed the opportunity to demonstrate her skills, alongside other adept fights, in an attempt to acquire a position as the bodyguard to Ho Kwon (Cheung Siu-Fai), a well respected and revered business man.

Nie, an attractive and honorable individual, who desperately needs the money in order to restore the martial arts academy developed by her father, accepts the offer, however it doesn't take long before her skills are put to the test. When Kwon is abducted, Nie goes to extraordinary lengths to reacquire him, in the process discovering that the kidnappers are directly linked with an online fighting ring, that she will have to descend into if it means saving the man she has sworn to protect with her life.

Over the course of the film, there are a number of predictable moments, including the ending, which doesn't offer a total sense of completion, while on other occasions, annoyingly, characters are unable to see the obvious surprises coming to fruition, though some of them are equally well hidden. Potentially, the film could be accused of revealing some plots a littler too hastily, the decision to hold some moments back for a while longer perhaps been something deftly advantageous the writers ought to have considered. Adjunctively, there are occasions when further explanation might have been a requirement: an example would be when Nie finds herself up against dozens of antagonists, and pulls nunchucks out of, well, to be honest, I'm still unsure where.

Over the course of the title, Ms Luxia is very impressive, her commanding stance being equaled by the confidence she displays in her abilities. Ms Luxia brilliantly coveys emotion through facial and bodily expression, the piano soundtrack that accompanies some of the films more story-oriented moments establishing her personal journey and proficiency, alongside the internalized struggle of what humanity will remain of her once all the fighting is over.

Despite other martial arts features offering material that is potentially more outstanding, there are several moments in the film where Coweb will leave you breathlessly riveted. Though the story is limited in its capacity to hold one's attention, Ms. Luxia not only commands the screen, but is easy on the eyes as well (actually, she's gorgeous), and it's peculiar this talented young woman hasn't appeared in more films. Although Coweb won't appeal to everyone, it certainly doesn't deserve to be discarded simply because American public relations specialists have little idea how to market this product.

Anyone remotely familiar with the Hong Kong action industry during the 1980s and early 1990s should know that the pool for martial arts actors was overflowing with capable talent. Pick your poison: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Donnie Yen, Collin Chou, Ken Lo, etcetera ad infinitum. In like manner, there were a number of martial arts actresses floating around: Yukari Oshima, Moon Lee, Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock, and Joyce Godenzi, to name but a few. Unfortunately, the girls were not allowed to attain their full potential because the directors and producers were either too stupid or too incompetent to use them properly, opting to saturate their films with boring filler material and lame humor. How many times did Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima sign for the same film, only to then fight for a grand total of 2 friggin minutes over the course of a 90 minute running time? I honestly lost count, and it really ticks me off because Yukari and Moon should have accounted for at least 30 minutes of action per movie. There's no excuse for falling short of that quota, and these "Golden Age" directors/producers should be ashamed of themselves for essentially wasting these actresses careers.

If there's one type of action movie that really hits the spot for me, it's the "girls with guns" or "girls kick a$$" subgenre. Some of my favorites involve non-athletic actresses, but there's something really special about watching a highly athletic girl strut her stuff without the help of stunt doubles. JeeJa Yanin, in and of herself, demands excitement after her phenomenal debut in "Chocolate" (2008). And despite the fact that the pool of martial arts actresses is very thin at the moment, Luxia Jiang has impressively demonstrated her abilities in "Coweb" (2009).

A female bodyguard attempts to rescue her kidnapped boss. It's no understatement to say that this film is as action-packed as humanly possible. Within the opening 15 minutes the viewer is treated to a brutal, lengthy kitchen fight and the subsequent brawls (in a knee-deep water pit at a disco, at a warehouse, on a bamboo scaffold, in a marketplace with breakdancers, etc.) follow in quick succession. The plot simply serves the purpose of transporting our heroine from one clash to the next, which isn't a problem for fans of no-brain action. Jiang is a highly athletic specimen who easily carries the film on her back. Her spin kicks are awesome, and she breaks out a few nifty acrobatic jumps. There are other flaws here for sure. Direction and sound design are amateurish, wires are used regularly, and the martial arts choreography is a bit repetitive at times (more variety would have been nice), but this is very entertaining fare that will please those viewers who love to see girls kick a$$.

It's definitely nice to see that modern filmmakers are capable of avoiding the same mistakes of those during the "Golden Age." I'm sure lots of people will complain about the weak plot and characters in "Coweb", but a non-stop exhibition of girl-inflicted destruction is a major rarity in the world of cinema. How many more crappy big-budget Hollywood action flicks (with actresses who have ZERO talent) do you need to watch before appreciating a Luxia Jiang or JeeJa Yanin flick? I've seen more than enough already to fully appreciate these girls. If they are fortunate enough to each make one action-packed film per year over the next decade, I'll be in heaven.

Although a fairly OK martial arts movie I believe there may have been a marketing flaw with this movie. The poster to the movie shows a "Ninja". Set in the background are old / classic style structures. With the tag line of "They are the perfect weapon" When watching the movie however it is set in the modern day. There is no "They" only one main protagonist fighter. No ninjas to speak off.

The movie as I say is OK on its own merits as a Hong Kong style martial arts movie but due to some error along the line the wrong poster was attached to it.

The action seems solid enough to hold your attention with a pretty good female lead. Which in movies like these, are always trying to show / prove that they can be as strong as their male counterparts. In doing so the female characters becomes arrogant the same way, but more a fault of the writing.

No titillation here if that is what you are looking for as seen in many of the other action style movies with female leads, dressed in skimpy revealing clothing. Cheap tricks designed to distract you.

I believe this movie was made mainly as a response to 2008's Chocolate. Still worth checking out in any case. A few of the fight scenes especially the one vs one fights do last a little longer than I would like, to show the skills of the cast maybe? As it is not based on the fantasy setup. No wire-work or anything like that, so actions and stunts done under their own steam.