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Enter the Ninja

  • 1981
  • R
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
6.1K
YOUR RATING
Shô Kosugi in Enter the Ninja (1981)
Trailer for Enter the Ninja
Play trailer2:54
1 Video
95 Photos
B-ActionMartial ArtsActionCrimeDramaThriller

After passing a ninja master test in Japan, Cole visits a war buddy in the Philippines. He helps him fight men, who want his buddy's plantation.After passing a ninja master test in Japan, Cole visits a war buddy in the Philippines. He helps him fight men, who want his buddy's plantation.After passing a ninja master test in Japan, Cole visits a war buddy in the Philippines. He helps him fight men, who want his buddy's plantation.

  • Director
    • Menahem Golan
  • Writers
    • Dick Desmond
    • Mike Stone
    • Menahem Golan
  • Stars
    • Franco Nero
    • Susan George
    • Shô Kosugi
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.3/10
    6.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Menahem Golan
    • Writers
      • Dick Desmond
      • Mike Stone
      • Menahem Golan
    • Stars
      • Franco Nero
      • Susan George
      • Shô Kosugi
    • 70User reviews
    • 78Critic reviews
    • 35Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Enter the Ninja
    Trailer 2:54
    Enter the Ninja

    Photos95

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    Top Cast25

    Edit
    Franco Nero
    Franco Nero
    • Cole
    Susan George
    Susan George
    • Mary Ann
    Shô Kosugi
    Shô Kosugi
    • Hasegawa
    • (as Sho Kosugi)
    Christopher George
    Christopher George
    • Venarius
    Alex Courtney
    Alex Courtney
    • Frank
    Will Hare
    Will Hare
    • Dollars
    Zachi Noy
    Zachi Noy
    • 'The Hook'
    Constantine Gregory
    Constantine Gregory
    • Mr. Parker
    • (as Constantin de Goguel)
    Dale Ishimoto
    Dale Ishimoto
    • Komori
    Joonee Gamboa
    Joonee Gamboa
    • Mr. Mesuda
    Leo Martinez
    Leo Martinez
    • Pee Wee
    Ken Metcalfe
    Ken Metcalfe
    • Elliot
    Subas Herrero
    Subas Herrero
    • Alberto
    Alan Amiel
    Alan Amiel
    • Maroon Ninja
    Douglas Ivan
    • Maroon Ninja
    • (as Doug Ivan)
    Bob Jones
    Bob Jones
    • Maroon Ninja
    Jack Turner
    • Maroon Ninja
    Derek Webster
    Derek Webster
    • Venarius' Man
    • Director
      • Menahem Golan
    • Writers
      • Dick Desmond
      • Mike Stone
      • Menahem Golan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews70

    5.36K
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    Featured reviews

    Filmbuff-55

    A Good film

    This action film is about a westerner named Cole(Franco Nero) who has learned the ways of the Ninja, until a Hosagowa(Sho Kosugi) has bitter frustration against him after he realizes that Cole having the right to be a "Ninja Warrior". He later visits an old army buddy Frank(Alex Courtney) who is having some personal problems of his own with a greedy landgrabber named Charlie Venarious(Christopher George). However Cole has to take the matter of taking on the landgrabbers as well as Hosagawa who was just recently hired by Venarious to help eliminate Cole. The ending is very fascinating and the battle scenes between the Ninja warriors is the best sequence in this film. The cast is excellent in the film. I give it ******** out of **********.
    8AlmightyBanyan

    A Must See for Ninja Fans

    As far as Ninja movies go, this is THE Ninja movie. All of the classic elements are here: smoke bombs, climbing claws, shurikens, villainy... you name it, it's in there.

    The movie opens with an excellent trial, where Cole must defeat legions of opposing ninjas (fellow students), then make it back to base and calmly recite the Nine Levels of Power in front of Master Komori. To this day I have a .wav file of the Nine Levels of Power... it is a cool scene.

    MINOR SPOILER FOLLOWS

    The bulk of the movie is setting up the rivalry between Hasegawa and Cole. Hasegawa, being the evil, black-clad Ninja that he is, causes as much mayhem as possible culminating in the killing of Cole's buddy Frank. Cole, being the good white-clad Ninja, must now (of course) avenge his buddy's death and face Hasegawa one-on-one.

    I won't tell you the outcome of the final battle, but I will say that it is a classic Ninja battle. You won't be disappointed.

    Sure it is a silly movie, but you aren't watching it for its screenplay, are you? You may never want to see it more than once, but Enter the Ninja is definitely worth seeing.

    "Surrender or Die!"
    8cheeks2k

    The Daddy of the Golan-Globus Ninja series

    Anyone like myself who is a great fan of poorly-acted Ninja movies - especially the ones produced by Golan & Globus - will enjoy this, the Daddy of the series.

    The acting is wooden, the humour flat, the jeans tight; the fight scenes make no sense whatsoever and everyone dies dramatically.

    But that's the point; if you can't pass an evening laughing wildly at this, there must be something wrong with you.

    And any film which ends with a freeze-frame of the main character winking at the camera justifies its price fully.
    4silversurfer_umit

    A ninja movie classic but below the average

    This is a very famous Ninja movie but it isn't a nice movie. If you want to see some ninjas and some figures, want to know some things about Ninjas see this movie. This movie only for ninja fans and who wants to make nostalgia.

    First 20 minutes and last 20 minutes of the movie are best. You can just see Ninja figures and fight in this scenes. Between these are below the average, nearly bad as a movie. Acting is bad. Sho (black ninja) is the best actor in this movie. Frank Nero is a good actor and charismatic but he cannot fight good. Scenario is also not good. Its so simple. Franko Nero comes near to his best , old friend from army and war. He also protects him from mafia but he is having sex ( go to bed ) with his wife and his friend knows this but don't say anything to Nero negative. Is this possible in life ? What a friendship !

    Finally this movie started a genre ; Ninja movies. Also there is the ninja master Sho Kasugi but some fighting scenes are not realistic and not fast even with shoo. This film is below the average even it is a classic.
    5waldosanmiguel

    fantastic crap

    I still remember watching this movie with my friends in the 6th grade and walking out of the theater like we had just seen the greatest martial arts movie ever. I was one of the first kids on my street to have a videocassette recorder and i would rent this movie every week for at least a year. We would look at the film like investigators probably looked at the Zapruder film.I don't like to trtash it because every time i see something associated with this movie i remember my childhood and a feel very nostalgic about those memories. It is my first writing here so excuse my English if there are errors or there is a lack of sense to what I'm trying to say.

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    Related interests

    Mathew Karedas in Samurai Cop (1991)
    B-Action
    Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon (1973)
    Martial Arts
    Bruce Willis and Taniel in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Franco Nero's voice is dubbed. Cole is from Texas, and Nero couldn't master an American or Texas accent.
    • Goofs
      Throughout the opening scenes, the white ninja moves around with a katana on his back. Later on, he shoots an arrow using his bow but where was the bow?
    • Quotes

      Cole: I'll be back.

    • Alternate versions
      The UK version was heavily cut by around 4-5 minutes by the BBFC when submitted in 1981. All shots of weapons that were not allowed in UK film releases at the time (e.g. nunchakus, shuriken etc) were cut, as were some highly-dangerous combat techniques such as throat-cuts, repeated punches, ear-claps and limb-and neck-breaking. Also missing is a scene that contravenes the UK's Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937, namely some genuine scenes of cockfights. Video releases, plus the MIA DVD, all featured the same cut print. The 2011 Optimum DVD restores the violence though 1 min 5 secs are cut to remove the cockfight footage.
    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: Night Shift/Smash Palace/Xica da Silva/An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

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    FAQ16

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 2, 1981 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Die Rache des Ninja
    • Filming locations
      • Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
    • Production companies
      • The Cannon Group
      • City Film (1980s)
      • Golan-Globus Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,500,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 39m(99 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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