Martial arts movies are not extremely common, at least when it comes to American blockbusters. Still, we do occasionally get a flick like John Wick that emphasizes this aspect, but they are few and far in-between, and they tend to require the attachment of a big name to perform well. Rare as they might be, when one of these films clicks, they can put other action genres to shame. They not only incorporate great choreography, but also frequently feature actors who are capable of doing their own stunts. The likes of Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, Tony Jaa, and the late-great Bruce Lee have a physical presence and charisma that is hard to beat, and they all have their own styles that highlight their personalities and raw talent.
If you are willing to look beyond Hollywood's biggest blockbusters, you will open yourself up to some rough-around-the-edges but charming-as-heck martial arts B-movies. These might not have Keanu Reeves, a huge budget, or well-known directors, but they can still have incredible stunts, likable (or just cool) characters, and maybe a hint of silliness. Anyone looking to try two of these lesser-known movies will want to check out Ninja.
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What are Ninja and Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear About?
Ninja
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 22, 2009
- Runtime
- 83 minutes
- Director
- Isaac Florentine
- Cast
- Scott Adkins, Todd Jensen, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Mika Hijii, Togo Igawa, Garrick Hagon, Miles Anderson, Valentin Ganev, Atanas Srebrev, Fumio Demura, Masaki Onishi, Nikolai Sotirov, Kenji Motomiya, Asen Asenov, Ivailo Dimitrov, Kathryn Le, Judith Michelle Hill, Meglena Karalambova, Dimiter Doichinov, Velizar Peev, Assen Blatechki
The Ninja films follow Scott Adkins as Casey, an American orphan who grew up under the care of a Japanese martial arts dojo. Casey studied bushido and mastered various hand-to-hand and weapons-focused combat systems throughout his youth, turning him into a skilled warrior by adulthood. Casey's home dojo happens to be holding onto a treasure chest, which contains the armor and weapons of the last ninja from the Kōga tradition.
In the first film, Casey makes an enemy of his dojo's star pupil, Masazuka. Masazuka develops a grudge against Casey after the American strikes up an apparent romance with the sensei's daughter, Namiko. Masazuka joins a comically evil megacorporation, which also shelters a cult, murders the sensei, and forces Casey and Namiko to flee to the United States with the treasure chest. Once Masazuka catches up, he kidnaps Namiko, forcing Casey to open the chest and become a new ninja warrior to save the day.
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- December 27, 2013
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
- Director
- Isaac Florentine
- Cast
- Kane Kosugi, Scott Adkins, Shun Sugata, Mika Hijii, Tim Man, Vithaya Pansringarm, Charlie Ruedpokanon, Erika Nagamine, Pim Bubear, David Bueno, Ron Smoorenburg, Kitamoto Takato, Hiroko Yamaguchi, Yasuhiko Miyauchi, Satoshi Hashimoto, Shogo Tanikawa, Saichia Wongwirot, Jawed El Berni, Mukesh Bhhatt, Tomio Araki, Kazu Patrick Tang
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear is far darker than its predecessor, sometimes literally. Casey and Namiko have tied the knot and taken over her father's dojo. Tragically, an unseen figure murders Namiko, leaving Casey wracked with grief. While the first Ninja is a heroic quest, Shadow of a Tear is a classic revenge story. Casey leaves a trail of destruction as he travels across the world to discover who killed his wife and what he'll have to do to stop them. The second film is willing to get a lot weirder, including a flashback to ninjas during World War II and a barbed-wire kusarigama.
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Why Martial Arts fans should watch the Ninja movies
Ninja and Ninja: Shadow of a Tear are not great movies. They're silly, weirdly edited, very low-budget, and their scripts are generally awful. However, they feel perfect for the type of person who remembers renting violent schlock from their local video store. The Ninja movies speed through a barebones plot with archetypal characters to give Scott Adkins a chance to kick a bunch of people. Adkins is an underrated talent in the martial arts movie space. He's worked with the greats, but he's almost always in a distant supporting role.
Ninja was actually his first star vehicle. He worked with Keanu Reeves and Donnie Yen in John Wick: Chapter 4 after he'd already fought Yen in Ip Man 4. Adkins was the fourth-billed name in Triple Threat, a movie that sells itself entirely on bringing together Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and Tiger Chen. The Ninja movies are a great spotlight for a frequently ignored performer. They are charming, simple, and straightforward films that highlight the stunt performers and maintain a level of enjoyable madness. It's far from the best outing in the genre, but it is a worthy entry into the sillier side of martial arts cinema.
Where to Watch Ninja and Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear
Both of the Ninja movies are available to stream for free on:
- Tubi
- Pluto TV
- The Roku Channel
- Amazon Prime Video
The Ninja movies sometimes feel like parodies of martial arts cinema. They're silly and charming in a bargain bin way, but a lot of the physical talent on display remains impressive. Anyone with a love for the overblown world of cinematic violence will find a lot to love about Ninja and its sequel. Luckily, these ninjas are very easy to see.
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