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Best ninja movies? (2 Viewers)

Matt Broeska

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Jun 18, 2000
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i'm affraid this'll get lost amongst the disccusions of whether star wars or spiderman will be better, however this is a topic which i feel is severly lacking on this forum. i'm looking for ninja movies. not martial arts movies like bruce lee, but straight up stealthy ninja movies. i want people's recommendations as to 1) what's good, 2) what's bad, 3) what's campy, and most importantly... 4) which one's take themselves so seriously that they're outright hilarious.

i've never seen any ninja movies. i'm tempted to see "american ninja" but i don't know what category of "quality" it'd fit into, however i've got a feeling that there's gotta be something better out there.

and please... no "3 ninjas"...
 

Dave Falasco

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Oct 2, 2000
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I think the "American Ninjas" movies would fall either under "bad" or "campy". But I actually like 'em! I don't know how "ninjetic" they actually are, they are more the type of movie where Michael Dudikoff wastes hundreds of goofy guys in ninja suits simply by whacking them on the head or the neck. But when I was in high school they would come on Showtime really late on Saturday nights, and I couldn't wait for my g/f to fall asleep so I could watch them. Haven't seen them since then, but they were good fun when I was but a lad. :)
 

Robin Warren

Second Unit
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Jan 24, 2002
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Great topic Matt. I love ninja movies. I recommend the trilogy of ninja movies with Sho Kosugi.
Enter the Ninja -- good
Revenge of the Ninja --- good
and
Ninja III: Domination --- so bad its good
I had Enter the Ninja on videodisc in the early 80's and wore the disc down to nothing with repeated viewings.
Also,
Beverly Hills Ninja -- bad....it does not offer much in the way of stealth, now that I think about it. Chris Farley is not the most limber guy on the block, but he wields a mean nunchuck.
 

John Spencer

Supporting Actor
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Mar 2, 2000
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Mafia vs. Ninja
One of the most unintentionally funny films ever made. You will never again look at a pile of dead straw the same way.
 

Ben Osborne

Second Unit
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Mar 9, 2002
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The Michael Dudikoff American Ninja movies are all unintentionally hilarious. The fight scene between Joe and Jackson in part 1 where Joe puts a bucket on his head and chokes Jackson with a garden hose will have you doubled-over (in a combination of laughter and disgust). It's a great movie to watch with your friends and make fun of.

The only serious ninja movie I can think of is "The Hunted" which puts Christopher Lambert between a master ninja trying to kill him and a master samuri trying to protect him. No, it didn't win any awards for originality. It does feature some decent martial arts and gratuitous bloodshed though. The bullet train scene where ninjas mercilessly slaughter dozens of innocent people, in particular, will have you wondering how it can possibly be justified artistically.
 

Andy Sheets

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Aug 6, 2000
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I'm not entirely sure if this absolutely counts as a NINJA film, but I have to mention it anyway: Gymkata. I only point it out because while it's not about ninjas per se, it does basically fit into that mid-80's ninja film style, and is the ultimate in unintentional hilarity :)
 

Greg_S_H

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smiley_puke.gif

I've seen many people say Gymkata is so bad it's fun to watch. I just couldn't do it. About a half hour in, I had to shut it off. Beyond awful. At least American Anthem had Gretzky's wife to look at. :D
 

AJ Johnson

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I'll throw my .02 in.
I second Revenge of the Ninja
Pray for Death...also with Sho Kosugi, one of my favorites
Shaolin Challenges Ninja - this movie is very hard to find but a classic with Gordon Liu.
 

Jeremiah

Screenwriter
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Jun 22, 2001
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The only Ninja movies I can think of are the "American Ninja" ones and they are not great but I used to watch them when I was younger. There is also another bad Ninja movie with a female ninja, I don't know the name but one scene she crushes a Q-Ball with her and and then beats everyone up in a bar.lol.
Here is a great ninja site for those who care.
http://www.realultimatepower.net/
 

Larry Fletcher

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Jun 16, 1999
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Hands down: Super Ninjas directed by Chang Cheh, you can pick up a edited & horrible transfer version on dvd. It is called Chinese super ninja.
 

Justin Doring

Screenwriter
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Jun 9, 1999
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1,467
I LOVED the American Ninja movies as a kid! I took Karate, so I would watch them all the time. I remember that the second one was my favorite. If they were released on DVD I'd actually buy them, assuming the presentation was good and the price was reasonable.

Do any of you remember the movie Avenging Force? It wasn't a Ninja movie exactly, but Michael Dudikoff and Steve James were in it, and they used their martial arts skills. It was a fun, if cheesy, adaptation of "The Most Dangerous Game." I love those cheesy Golan/Globus '80s movies!
 

Matt Broeska

Stunt Coordinator
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Jun 18, 2000
Messages
132
holy cow! i went home from work last night and forgot to check to see how this thread was doing. thanks for all the responses so far guys.
i first hafta address this... "mafia vs. ninja!" where can i find this?! it sounds too good to be true.
and i know that someone at work once mentioned that he might have liked "the hunted" and i know i've seen the beginning of it, but no more than that. i might have to rent that too.
surprisingly i've never seen "beverly hills ninja" and the last time i saw TMNT i was almost bored to tears. i wish i had left it alone as a childhood memory...
and lastly, in case anyone hasn't seen it, here's the "official ninja homepage." good lord it's a brilliant site.
 

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