Enter the Ninja (1981)

Director:

Menahem Golan

Writers:

Dick Desmond (screenplay)
Dick Desmond (story)

Release Date:

2 October 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

Warriors of a lost martial art! Hired assassins ...human killing machines!

Plot:

After just completing his training at a ninja school, an army vet travels to the Phillippines and finds...

Plot Keywords:

Fight | Ninja | Army Buddy | Extramarital Affair | Friend In Distress

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Franco Nero	...	Cole
Susan George	...	Mary-Ann Landers
Shô Kosugi	...	Hasegawa
Christopher George	...	Charles Venarius
Alex Courtney	...	Frank Landers
Will Hare	...	Dollars
Zachi Noy	...	Siegfried 'The Hook' Schultz
Constantine Gregory	...	Mr. Parker (as Constantin de Goguel)
Dale Ishimoto	...	Komori
Joonee Gamboa	...	Mr. Mesuda
Leo Martinez	...	Pee Wee
Ken Metcalfe	...	Elliot
Subas Herrero	...	Alberto
Alan Amiel	...	Maroon Ninja
Douglas Ivan	...	Maroon Ninja (as Doug Ivan)

Also Known As:

Ninja I

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1981) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1984) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (DVD rating) (2008) | Australia:R | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1983) | Norway:(Banned) (video) (1984) | Norway:(Banned) (1981-2003) (cinema release) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Metro Manila, Luzon, Philippines

Company:

City Film (1980s)

Trivia:

Shô Kosugi choreographed all of the battle sequences featured in the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Over the course of the opening sequence the white ninja's sword changes position from shot to shot. At one point, the sword keeps jumping between his back and belt with every camera angle change.

Quotes:

Frank Landers: You know Mary Ann there are times when I... when I wake up in the morning and I look at this guy in the mirror and I say "What the hell are you doing with your life frank?" and you know something, son of a bitch never answers me!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Transformers: Enter the Nightbird (#2.6)" (1985)

ninjas take the elevator

As B-movies go, this movie is hilarious and absolutely entertaining. The renegade macho posturing, over-the-top costuming and sound effects, and the genuinely comic manners of death can easily coalesce to something transcendent for you; if you're worried that a camp film will leave you feeling that you've merely wasted your time, worry not. This film is much funnier than anything you've seen on MST3K, and would be delightful even without irony for anyone who likes to watch lost paint-ballers, Chuck Norris movies and/or right-wing survivalist nut-jobs. After this movie, I like to slap on some "Brut" cologne, do squats and hold my breath until laughter prompts release.