Ninja Movies - Love 'em Or Hate 'em, What Are They?

Some of the more modern day Ninja seem less creative or impressive. Films like GI Joe featured Snake Eyes, although looking the part, not the best Ninja action i've seen. Sub Zero and Skorpion were ok in Mortal Kombat. Even the tv series had them pulling off some impressive martial arts, although more Ninja tricks would have been good.

Ninja Assassin is a newish one i've watched on youtube, but although bloody, it seems rather heavy on the cgi effects when there not really needed.

Thanks for the link RAMPAGE. I will have a look on youtube for Goemon and Izo. Ninja Hunter didn't ring any bells but Wu Tang vs Ninja did, and I enjoyed that film despite it's age. Great old skool kung fu/ninja action. I may even try and pick that up again.

Ninja : The Final Duel, I will check on youtube too. A nice bunch of oldskool Ninja films to check out, maybe i'll remember some of them.

I found a tv series from the 80's called 'The Last Ninja', has anyone seen this? Is it good or bad?

'Ninja Hunter' is also known as 'Wu Tang Vs Ninja' (Taiwan 1987). Cinemageddon have a lovely looking widescreen print of it. Not seen it myself but it looks great so i will have to get it.

RECOMMENDATION - 'Ninja:The Final Duel' (Taiwan 1986). Ninja: The Final Duel is a legendary piece of trash from the ultimate in ninjasploitation from Taiwan; Robert Tai. In the case of Ninja: The Final Duel, Tai roped in an investor, and filmed until he stopped receiving money, and with supposedly 13 hours of usable footage, more than one movie was culled. Out of this 13 hours of footage a 3 x 100 minutes TV series has been created, and out of this series Ninja: The Final Duel was made. So the plot is somewhat hard to follow. With its naked kung fu chicks, water spider assault teams, jive-talking black monks, ninja swastika formations, cackling bad guys and long-eyebrowed Shaolin monks, this movie is like a dream-come-true for fans of trash cinema.

Yep sho kosugi though i've not seen it for years. I used to have a vhs called ninja hunter old skool kung fu flick that was awesome can,t track it down though.i remember Goemon and Izo were preety awesome too

http://www.hollywood.com/feature/Top_Ten_Badass_Ninja_Movies/5734391

just checked out netflix they have got shed loads of ninja films and all the best one,s too

I remember as a young teen, me and a mate had a pile of Ninja films to watch. Back then I remember having a hugetcollection of them, but now they have been forgotten and I just wanted to ressurect that collection with old and new. It's annoying when you forget those ninja films of old. Hopefully a list of the best will gradually mount up with this thread.

I've yet to watch Revenge Of The Ninja. Alot of love for that film on here. Is that the one with Sho Kosugi?

After watching five elements ninja on youtube, I realised I have seen it before. Ninja of Earth, Fire, Water etc. Great film. Nice use of weapons and gadgets too.

Loved revenge of the ninja when I was a kid, just searched it after seeing someone mention it in one of the opening posts and when I saw the case the whole film came back to me!

Err in his mission and more important in life since he will be most likely be dead when he gets caught...

Failed in what exactly?

Are you trolling? Thats exactly what they didn't do.
The moment a Ninja enters a fight he completely failed.

"Don't really get why everyone thinks that they got them fancy battle skills and noone can beat them."

Because that's what Holywood tells them they were like and we all know films are a accurate representation of the real world.

Maybe it was because they dedicated their lives to the fine tuning of their bodies into killing machines?

Just saying.

"fought bloody battles, stole, or spied on the enemy"
Well, ninjas actually didn't fight ANY "bloody battles", they were mainly spies for hire, an on some rare ocassions assassins. And they didn't rely on their Ninjutsu the way you think (Ninjutsu has like one or two fighting styles the rest is about warfare stategies, spying etc.), they were relying heavily on their tools, their sword for example was serving as a blowpipe, a "bag" for throwing darts, poisons and other things, well and of course battle. They even relied on chemical warfare, so mainly used all the "dirty" tricks to succed (which is why they were merceneries in the first place I guess, since honor was and is pretty important in Japan).
So ninjas weren't assassins for hire but more spies for hire with some extras.

Don't really get why everyone thinks that they got them fancy battle skills and noone can beat them.

Thanks for the recommendation. I will check this Lone Wolf Boxset. So many recommendations, i have to take a look now. :)

The Complete Lone Wolf & Cub Boxset [DVD] [1972]

That's what's worth getting, would love for the series to be remade ( better fight choreography and maybe follow the graphic novels more story wise ) but I doubt it'll ever happen.

But Mr Miyagi would kick Michael Dudikoff arse any time! IMHO.

P.S.
Agree Shogun Assassin (Widescreen) [DVD] good cult movie, bleak atmosphere, narrated by little Shogun's kid.

Shogun Assassin is awesome and was previously banned for the huge amounts of gore. Do you remember Big trouble in little china, the bad guys well there is three like that in shogun with some really bad ass weapons like claws and stuff you got to check them out they are one of my favourite bad guy characters

I have 'shogun assassin' greyfox, there's a ninja attack or two but still a great little movie and definately worth picking it up in uncut format

Been watching the fight scenes on youtube Jay-D. Not bad at all. Good choreography for it's time. Some Ninja tricks are abit ott, but great stuff overall.

I've heard that 'Shogun Assassin'? or BabyCart? Has Ninja in it? Anyone seen this?

Sakura Killers if memory serves is a fairly decent movie, but I last saw it almost 15 years ago so don't hold me to that

I'll take a look at them. Thanks RAMPAGE.

I'll look for Sakura Killers while i'm on there.

For fans of 'Super kicker' Wang Jang Lee, there's an excellent fight with him at the end of 'Ninja In The Dragon's Den'. Wang Jang Lee is an invincible fighter because he has a pure mind. So two fighters who can't. Beat him use a mischievious tactic to weaken and defeat him. Genuinely funny in places, great martial arts action with clever Ninja tricks. Definitely recommend it.

After my post the other day i decided to watch 5 element ninja,s on you tube and can say it is still a great kung fu movie.

You can watch pretty watch all of the shaw brothers kung fu classics on you tube in high quality as well
id recommend Legendary weapons of China with Gordon Liu and The kid with the golden arm. All free whenever you want

Micheal Dudikoff's name sounds like a joke name. Dudikoff? No, he was just clearing his throat.

I saw American Ninja when I was a nipper and thought it was fantastic. Then I watched it a year or so ago, all excited to see that Ninja action again. It was awful. Cheesy and silly, lacking any real looking martial arts action. Dudikoff looks the part, but it's when he starts moving around that I have to cringe.

I've been recommended Sakura Killers? has anybody seen it?

American Ninja [DVD]
All samurai feared Michael Dudikoff. That's a fact.

Cerberus - I have never watched Naruto mate lol

Samurai were generally said to be from the higher class, agreed. And many of the lower class were said to be Ninja, particularly the Ninja that executed basic missions such as theft. Ninja or Shinobi during the Sengoku period, is an assassin that steals, steal (stealth) to steal silently, sneakily, remaining invisible or undetected. Ninja were just as fearless as Samurai, lets not get too carried away with Samurai folklore stories, just as 20th century Ninja folklore gets carried away, depicting that Ninja could fly, or run across water.