Revenge of the Ninja (1983)
(On Cable TV, June 2021) Words fail me in describing the odd abomination that is Revenge of the Ninja. Second in Cannon Films’ “Ninja trilogy” that familiarized western audiences with the idea of a ninja, it’s both a decent action film and a completely ludicrous, almost parodic take on ninja movies. Coming from Canon Film, purveyors of not-so-fine action spectacles, it’s expected that the film will be nothing subtle, and it is not. As slapped together by director Sam Firstenberg, the action is gleefully over-the-top, cheaply produced and not bound to any amount of credibility. By today’s standards, it’s incredibly racist as well, with clichés being thrown about as frequently as blows to the face. The film is not interested in acting or plotting — as long as it gets to stage fights and breathlessly worships a highly unlikely vision of “ninjas,” it’s satisfied going from one ludicrous set-piece to another. Revenge of the Ninja is terrible and yet, at the same time, compelling if only to see what else the filmmakers will try to pass off as worth showing.