Ninja Vengeance

This is an independent film with a lot of heart. First time director Karl Armstrong makes his debut with this Ninjitsu inspired story of a couple on the run from the KKK. The drama moves along at a disarmingly easy pace only to be interrupted by a blitzkrieg of fighting. A very non-Hollywood ending caps off this fine work from a maverick director who is working outside the system with limited funds.

This could have been one of those movies that's so bad it's good. And based on the cover art, that's exactly what you'd expect. A ninja fighting the KKK? Sounnds awesome! Too bad that's exactly what you don't get. There is no action in this movie. NONE. The so-called "ninja" that is the protagonist spends the entire movie running away from the KKK hicks and occasionally getting his butt kicked. You only know he's a ninja because the flashbacks tell you so.

You'll find more action in an episode of Sesame Street. More believable acting too. Don't watch this movie unless you're having trouble sleeping. That's about all it's good for.

The plot. Yes, so many technical aspects of this movie go wanting - dialog, editing, direction, etc. Even with all its weaknesses relative to your average Hollywood blockbuster, this movie stands out - and the direction may be partly responsible - in one big way: It feels real. The constantly twisting plot, the constant self-questioning by the main character, the mixture of decisions based on principles and passion - even if clouded by a script that needs work - the many unusual features of the production actually add up to a story worth watching.

In fact, the editing, along with the cinematography and clumsy-seeming acting, help give the film its real-life feel. So maybe it's better than it might seem at first glance.

This film depicts a human realism that doesn't shout out at us - we have to look beyond the expectations we might have about a movie called "Ninga Vengeance" to see it.

Yes, this is a B movie, no question. But what the other reviewers don't get is that this movie features authentic ninjutsu. It features Stephen K. Hayes, the man who brought ninjutsu to the west. The techniques are actually ninjutsu, instead of some flashy movie-friendly dance steps like you would see in a Sho Kosugi movie of the same era. I can see why this wouldn't impress viewers used to seeing pretty-boy actors dangling from invisible wires and doing the splits and the cha-cha-cha, but this movie is a must-see for any student of Bujinkan ninpo taijutsu. It's great for us to see effective fighting techniques instead of Broadway dance steps. For authenticity alone I give this a 7 out of 10.

The plot, dialog and acting are horrible. Why can't a movie be made about the south without featuring the Ku Klux Klan? I guess that's what New York and Hollywood writers think about when they think about the South, but it's as tiresome now as it was tiresome in the late 80s when this movie was made.

The on-line comedy review company - Red letter media watched this film with a group of people and found it so bad that it wasn't even funny. I then managed to find the film and watch it myself and I'm afraid I must concur. The story is supposedly about a ninja fighting members of the KKK, which sounds really hilariously awesome. The one thing is though - that it isn't in the slightest cool at all. It's just him running away a lot. And then he gets beaten up numerous times and then the girl shoots someone with a shotgun. He's not really a ninja at all. It only shows he is one in flashbacks. Redlettermedia after watching it, dropped a cinder block on it and smashed it to pieces. I wish I could have done the same. I think that's all I have to say...