Nine Deaths of the Ninja (1985)

User Rating:

1.7/10   

Director:

Emmett Alston

Writer:

Emmett Alston (writer)

Release Date:

April 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

The Ninja Master... is now The Ninja Avenger

Plot:

Two anti-terrorist agents are assigned to free a busload of American schoolchildren in the Philippines who are taken hostage by terrorists.

Plot Keywords:

Philippines | Severed Head | Martial Arts | Art | Terrorism

Cast

Shô Kosugi	...	Spike Shinobi
Brent Huff	...	Steve Gordon
Emilia Crow	...	Jennifer Barnes (as Emilia Lesniak)
Blackie Dammett	...	Alby the Cruel
Regina Richardson	...	Honey Hump
Vijay Amritraj	...	Rankin
Lisa Friedman	...	Tour Guide
Kane Kosugi	...	Kane
Shane Kosugi	...	Shane
Bruce Fanger	...	Dr. Wolf
Sonny Erang	...	Rahji
Aiko Cownden	...	Marisa Lee
Jennifer Crumrine	...	Amanda
Helen McNeely	...	Mrs. Garcia
Protacio Dee	...	Feng Fu

Also Known As:

9 Deaths of the Ninja (UK) (video title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-15 (2003) | Finland:K-18 (1985) | Australia:M | UK:18 (cut) | USA:R | West Germany:18 (nf) | Norway:15 (DVD rating) (2005) (uncut)

Filming Locations:

Philippines

Soundtrack:

Take Me High

Entertaining tongue in cheek action movie parody

Make no mistake, Nine deaths Of The Ninja is not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, however, reading a number of reviews on the web for this film, it is plainly overt that a great many of the reviewers have woefully missed the point.....this is NOT a movie that begs to be taken at all seriously!

What it actually is, is a deliberate tongue in cheek parody that mixes and simultaneously pokes fun at a number of other movies such as its main star's previous ninja films which were produced by Golan Globus. Also added to the mix we have elements that could well have jumped straight out of a James Bond film such as a group of midget assassins, a sadistic lesbian militia leader and a megalomaniac wheelchair bound Nazi!

With such exaggeratedly comic characters on display it frankly baffles me how any reviewer could perceive this as and subsequently attempt to judge this against the criteria of a serious action film!

As to the actual quality of the film in question, and adjudicating it for what it actually represents, Nine Deaths Of the Ninja comes out as a fairly entertaining watch.

Sho Kosugi plays Spike Shonobi aka lollipop (on account of his predilection for them!), head of the fictional highly elite 'DART' team. Under his command are Steve Gordon aka Macho Man and Jennifer Barnes aka Foxy (and she is to!!!) Their mission in this case is to free a group of hostages who have been seized by the exceedingly evil Alby the Cruel.

The above plot provides a great excuse for lots of martial arts action, big explosions, military shenanigans and even some ninja along the way!

As mentioned previously, the whole thing is basically played for laughs and plenty of fun can be derived throughout (check out the hilarious scene when our man Sho is besieged by some villainous midgets!)

Overall then, whilst ambiguously labelled as an 'action' film, this is not a classic by any means, but is in fact a refreshingly light hearted and self effacing take on what is for the most part a stoic and humourless genre.

All in all, good fun!