Let’s look at Enter the Ninja. First created and incorporated in 1967 by Christopher Dewey and Dennis Friedland, Cannon Films got its start making and distributing small budget films; the company first attracted mainstream critical and commercial notice with John G. Avildsen’s Joe (1970), which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and established Peter Boyle as a reliable actor. However, the rest of the decade didn’t give the company much more success following that breakout and in 1979, Israeli producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus purchased Cannon and proceeded to revamp the company’s business model. That model – which saw lower tiered scripts that most studios would pass up being bought and put into production – would give rise to many cult films in the 1980’s, of which Enter the Ninja was among those future cult favorites. Kino – who had previous released the movie on Blu-ray in 2015 – has given the movie a brand new Blu-ray release here.
The Production: 3.5/5
After completing his training in the art of ninjutsu in Japan, former mercenary Cole (Franco Nero) travels to the Philippines to visit his former brother in arms Frank Landers (Alex Courtney) and his wife Mary Ann (Susan George). Upon arriving, Cole learns that Frank and Mary Ann are having trouble because their farmland is coveted by greedy executive Charles Venarius (Christopher George), who wants to acquire the land due to the vast oil deposits contained. When Cole easily dispatches much of Venarius’ henchmen sent to “persuade” the Landers to sell their land, the businessman decides to call in another practitioner of the ninja arts: Cole’s rival Hasegawa (Sho Kosugi). This twist leads Cole to not only defend his friend’s plantation by taking on Venarius, but also leads to a final showdown between him and Hasegawa, where only one will emerge victorious…
The movie that kickstarted the ninja craze in the 1980’s, Enter the Ninja is also one of Cannon Films’ most notable cult hits in the Golan-Globus era of the company. Coming from a story by martial arts expert Mike Stone, Menahem Golan – who not only produced, replaced Emmett Alston as director during production (Alston would be credited for some second unit work here) – clearly aspired here to popularize the art of ninjutsu the same way that Enter the Dragon (1973) did for martial arts in general. Though originally cast in the lead, Stone’s influence is still felt in the final product, as the action sequences are among the best of the martial arts genre; David Gurfinkel’s location cinematography in Manila is another asset to the film. Performances are what one would expect for a Cannon action film and Golan’s direction is better than his previous effort for the company, the notorious musical The Apple (1979). In the end, Enter the Ninja is still one of the noteworthy films of Cannon’s cult heyday of the 1980’s, one which is still entertaining for its ability to tap into the art of ninjutsu and create an interest in the martial art cinematically; to prove it was no fluke, Cannon followed up this movie with Revenge of the Ninja (1982) and Ninja III: The Domination (1984).
In a twist on the several loners he played in several Spaghetti Westerns in the 1960’s and 1970’s, Franco Nero makes a commanding presence as the former mercenary and skilled ninja Cole; since Nero couldn’t muster a convincing Texas accent for the character, his voice was dubbed by Marc Smith. Notable for her appearance in Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs (1971) and appearances in several cult movie of the 1970’s, Susan George is appropriately feisty and headstrong as Mary-Ann, the wife of Cole’s friend Frank; a couple more cult entries would follow this movie: Venom (1982) and The House Where Evil Dwells (1983). Stealing the movie here is Sho Kosugi as the vengeful ninja Hasegawa; Kosugi would assume cult star status with this film and the two succeeding entries in Cannon’s Ninja Trilogy. Rounding out the cast here are Christopher George as the slimy Venarius, Alex Courtney as Cole’s buddy Frank Landers, Zachi Noy as Venarius henchman “The Hook”, Constantine Gregory as Venarius’ right hand man Mr. Parker, Leo Martinez as the Landers’ plantation hand “Pee Wee”, Dale Ishimoto as ninjutsu master Komori and Will Hare as the village trader/snoop “Dollars”.
Video: 4/5
3D Rating: NA
The film is presented in its original 1:85:1 aspect ratio, taken from the same HD transfer Kino used from their previous 2015 Blu-ray release; the difference here is that this release is a BD-50 dual layer disc compared to the initial release. Film grain, fine details and color palette are all faithfully presented with mostly minor cases of scratches, dirt and tears present on the transfer. This release is still likely the best the movie will ever look on home video, barring a future release utilizing a brand new HD transfer.
Audio: 5/5
The film’s original mono soundtrack is presented on a DTS-HD Master Audio track for this release. Sound mix, dialogue, and music score – composed by the duo of W. Michael Lewis and Laurin Rinder – are all given a faithful presentation with minor cases of flutter, crackling, distortion, popping, clicking or hissing present. Overall, this release is still likely the best the movie will ever sound on home video.
Special Features: 3/5
Commentary by action film historians Mike Leeder & Arne Venema – Newly recorded for this release, Leeder and Venema enthusiastically talk about the movie, including its production history and some additional and humorous banter between them.
Theatrical Trailer (2:54)
Bonus KLSC Trailers – Revenge of the Ninja, The Challenge, American Ninja, The Octagon & Ghost Warrior
Overall: 3.5/5
Though critics thought nothing more of it, Enter the Ninja was successful with audiences, paving the way for Cannon’s future and enduring cult success during the 1980’s. Kino has done a good job of bringing the movie back into print with this re-release, improving on the previous HD transfer while adding a brand new commentary track to sweeten the pot. Highly recommended for fans of Cannon Films and those who missed the previous Blu-ray release.
Enter the Ninja (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]
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Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.
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