Shinobi: Special Edition [Blu-ray] [2005] [US Import]

I want to warn you because this blu ray is offered as an All region product. But it is encoded as A region. Don t forget that now you hace A B and C region on blu ray. A doesn t mean "all region". I like this movie very much so it was very dissapointing when I got the wrong disc.

If you were to make a live action anime, you couldnft do any better than what director Shimoyama Ten has done with gShinobi, a film that is parts superhero comic book, parts tragic love story, and when it hits its stride, a seriously insane manga come alive. Essentially a familiar story about duty bounded souls caught up in circumstances not of their own making, the film is an excellent example of not re-inventing the wheel, but rather taking what is there and making it work nonetheless. The presence of good actors, a tender and affecting love story, and wild action makes for one excellent action-adventure romp through feudal Japan .

gShinobih opens with an accidental meeting between ninja warriors Gen-no-suke (Jo Odagiri) and Oboro (Yukie Nakama). The two are members of opposing ninja clans that have been at war for 400 years; she of the Iga, and he of the Kouga. Itfs love at first sight, but alas, they are very much star crossed lovers, and as Oboro sighs, only meant to be together gin their dreamsh. Oboro and Gen-no-sukefs forbidden love is made worst when the Shogun, fearing that rebels may use the ninja clans as instruments of insurrection, revokes the long-held truce between the ninjas, thereby allowing them to kill one another once more. Doubly worst, Oboro and Gen-no-suke gets chosen as the leaders of their respective battle squads, and must face off in deadly combat for the right to survive.

Itfs a good thing, then, that Gen-no-suke isnft the gfollow orders at all costh type, as he bucks against what he (correctly) perceives to be a foolhardy way of life that seems to have no purpose. Thanks to a measured performance by Jo Odagiri, last seen romancing another female assassin named gAzumih, the character of Gen-no-suke is the filmfs central core, and it is he who gives voice to the viewerfs questioning of the madness taking place. Although his rebellion is obviously steeled by his affections for Oboro, Odagiri plays Gen-no-suke as such a thoughtful young man that we think he would still question the sanity of the situation even if he didnft know who Oboro was.

Less successful is Japanese beauty Yukie Nakama, whose Oboro oftentimes infuriates with her inability to commit. Granted, the prospect of usurping onefs entire upbringing for the love of a man one was never supposed to talk to, much less fall in love with is not exactly an easy choice. The problem, then, lies in the script, which makes Gen-no-suke so sane in his objections that Oborofs passive acceptance of her role becomes all the more odious. The less than steely nature of Oboro can be blamed on a Japanese malefs attitude toward Japanese woman, as even when she breaks out her superpowers to, literally, crush her opponent, Oboro still gives the impression of being weak and vulnerable.

Another hiccup is the ending, which though heavy on emotions and pathos is empty of action. A curious decision, considering all the wild sequences that had come before. Of particular note is the fearsome match between ninja heavyweights Chikuma (Mitsuki Koga) and ex-hVersush star Tak Sakaguchi, which kicks off the one-on-one duels between the two clans in fine style. The ninjas themselves (though they never actually wear ninja garb) are easy enough to tell apart, but unfortunately with only five on each side, they get dispatched much too quickly. By the time the film hits its 90-minute mark, the dueling is all but over, and audiences will be left wishing there was more.

gShinobih works because the filmfs many superpowered and CGI-assisted ninja battles are always grounded by the very mortal romance between Gen-no-suke and Oboro. As the two conflicts with their loyalties, the other ninjas do battle around them, killing each other with wild fury. Restrained from doing battle for 400 years, the clan lets it all rip when presented with the first opportunity. As Tenzen (Kippei Shiina) remarks, their very existence was a prelude to these moments. It is not only who they are, but the only thing they know, which makes the doomed love between Oboro and Gen-no-suke all the more tragic as we realize that they never had a chance.

The filmfs one major disappointment is that it kills off its characters much too quickly, and itfs to the filmfs credit that I wanted more. And not just more action, but more exploration of the characters because theyfre all so original, managing to be surprisingly well-developed in the brief moments they are onscreen. I wanted to know more about Kagerou (Tomoka Kurotani), the beautiful Kouga ninja who is a living, breathing well of poison. Then therefs the seemingly immortal Tenzen, a character that begs to have his history recited in detail, including those worm-like things that instantly heals him when hefs wounded.

At less than 2 hours, gShinobih is sadly too short, and a longer running time is needed not only to explore the filmfs many fascinating ninja characters, but also to fully delve into the reasoning behind the Shogunfs decision to kill off the Iga and Kouga. We understand that the Shogun sees the two clans as threats, but we never really get a sense of the man himself, and whether his actions are really for peace or if he fears being overthrown. Obviously it speaks volumes for gShinobi: Heart Under Bladeh that I wanted the film to go on longer. If gAzumi 2 failed to live up to the hype, gShinobih more than exceeded my expectations.

I saw this last night and felt obliged to write even just a short review to stop others falling for the hype / trailers / website etc. and buying this rubbish. This film is absolutely awful, and has no redeeming merits that I can think of... The plot is simplistic and predictable, the special effects derivative (X-Men, Spiderman, Lord of the Rings), the dialogue laughably cliched (although the English subtitles are well translated), most of the actors have no chance to develop a screen persona (the main two are mind-numbingly dull with no chemistry between them) -- basically it's a terrible adaptation of a manga which might just work as anime, but not as a vehicle for 3rd-rate wannabe 'talento'. Best use is as a soporific sedative.