I feel very lucky that, despite the increasingly daunting prospects of funding, I live in a time when independent filmmakers can indulge the craziest of ideas. NINJA APOCALYPSE is not the most barking cinematic outing you can find, but it is an exercise of creative abandon. I imagine director Lloyd Lee Barnett trying to decide on whether to make a movie about ninjas, superhumans, or zombies and saying "Screw it - I'll make a movie about all of them!" Though low-budget movies on all of those subjects abound, Barnett's effort is still a modestly unique and entertaining adventure. While it's not for everyone, it's an effective niche flick for adventurous viewers.
The story: Framed for murdering the master of all post-apocalyptic ninja bands (Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa), the leader of the Lost Clan (Christian Oliver) and his compatriots must face mutants, zombies, and their fellow ninjas as they fight their way out of a subterranean bunker.
The most important things director Barnett brings to the production is enthusiasm and a sense of pacing. I can't claim that any technical or dramatic aspect of the film is anything more than a mixed bag, but directorial fervor bleeds into the story and gives it the energy that's so important to B-movies. We never get a good handle on any of the characters, but the plot is fun to follow in the same way that it's fun to play a video game. There are so many cool ideas stuffed into the feature – reptilian desert ninjas, regenerating zombies, THE LAST AIRBENDER-esque control of the elements, etc. – that it's easy to feel overwhelmed, and none of them are examined thoroughly, but there's enough indulgence to recognize this as an attention-maintaining tactic. It's effective, if you know what you're getting in to.
Despite the amplitude of people throwing electricity, fireballs, and particle weapons at each other, this is foremost a martial arts film and features a ton of fighting. Like the special effects, it's a mixed bag, but even at their worst, the fights are pretty bearable and the performers are admirably athletic (including Christian Oliver, even though he's substantially doubled for his tricking). Swordfighting is the name of the game, and to this end, the movie benefits from the inclusion of supporting stars Alex Huynh, Alvin Hsing, and Ernie Reyes, Jr., even though they only get one match apiece. None of the fights are exceptional, but there are some neat examples of close-quarters choreography and an absence of annoying camera angles and editing tricks. Tentatively, I approve.
Chances are that NINJA APOCALYPSE will not dramatically affect your life, so if you decide to watch it, I suggest doing so during a time that you would have spent being unproductive anyway. Consider it a rental, but do consider it if B-movies are your thing. You can do much worse.
