MovieChat Forums > Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (2013) Discussion > Really good martial arts movie . . . but...

Really good martial arts movie . . . but is it really a ninja movie?

posted 11 years ago by shadow_priest_x
8 replies | jump to latest

So I watched it tonight. And I have to say it was actually better than I expected it to be from the trailer. I'd give it a solid 7.5 or even 8 out of 10.

It's clear that the production values for this film are higher in all aspects than the first film and the choreography is top notch. Everything felt more expensive in general and this is probably one of those rare instances where the sequel is better than the first movie. One thing I really have to give the filmmakers credit for is foregoing all the CGI and relying on practical effects here. The action felt grounded in reality and lot of it felt like the action movies of the 80s and 90s, which is a good thing.

Kane Kosugi does a really good job and it's interesting to see him so many years later, after seeing him in movies like Revenge of the Ninja and Prey for Death.

However, is it really a ninja movie? While the ninja element is tied into the story a bit better than the trailer would have you believe, it really feels more like a standard martial arts movie in ninja garb rather than a true ninja movie. The predominant martial art that was portrayed overtly in the film was karate. Not only were the dojos clearly karate dojos but most of the fighting we see is essentially karate + some taekwondo kicks.

Now, as a Shotokan practitioner myself, I can't say this is all bad. We need more karate shown on screen and more movies that are karate-centric. But this film is Ninja 2. And I would certainly be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that it didn't feel like a true ninja movie.

All in all though, I liked it. I was surprised by how much, in fact. I think Isaac and crew did a good job overall and you can tell they really put a lot of work into this project.

[–] the_bamboo_spear 11 years ago

I haven't seen the new one because the trailer looked more like Rambo 4 than a ninja movie, but I'll probably pick it up at some point.

However, the first one was also a karate fest. There was a lot of ninja terminology, but everything at the dojo was karate or Okinawan kobudo. Ninja arts don't look very dynamic, and are more like jujutsu or judo, so jumping spin kicks and bo-twirling and flashy sai look better for the camera.

"My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay"

[–] shadow_priest_x 11 years ago

Well the movie is really better than the trailer would have you believe. Honestly, I don't think whoever cut the trailer did a very good job. You should at least check it out because, while I don't necessarily feel it's a great NINJA movie, it is a really solid martial arts film.

As for the karate, as a karate stylist myself I actually kind of like it if that's what they want to use for their hand-to-hand art. It's at least Japanese. And one thing I have to give Florentine credit for is going the extra mile to make sure that the fight choreography looked Japanese (he talked about this in interviews). If anything, in my opinion where the choreography goes off the rails a bit is with all the jumping spinning sh!t. Granted, it looks awesome, but the need to understand that it's best in moderation because after the hundredth time that Adkins flips through the air and kicks somebody you start to feel a little numb to it all.

With all that said, regardless of the stylistic nature of the hand-to-hand combat, this movie still needed more ninja action. I am actually a film student at the University of Utah and I have an idea for a ninja film I one day want to make. Having grown up on the Sho Kosugi films and movies like American Ninja, it's a lifelong dream.

[–] Lothar_Quint 11 years ago

As long as the action is great, I can't wait to see it.

[–] excalibur1814 11 years ago

Why did you write all of that? It could be called 'Dogs in space' and I wouldn't bother wasting my time asking the question. Haven't you got MUCH better things to do? I haven't as I'm here typing this. Come on now... Is the star expected to stay in Ninja dress all the way through the movie?

[–] jmartz11 11 years ago

I have it on now dvd and i say YES its is a Ninja movie and sequel to first !

[–] jmartz11 11 years ago

Also Casey dons his ninja garb late in movie because he left it behind back in japan and not in burma or thailand and enter the camp as a Ninja and kills most of them !

[–] shadow_priest_x 11 years ago

Well as a huge fan of the 80s ninja movies, I think it's a shame that we get so few actual ninja movies these days. So if a movie that is blatantly called "Ninja" comes out, I'm going to get my hopes up that it's going to be a worthy successor to those classic martial arts films.

Unfortunately, while this one has some good action in it, it just didn't give me that "ninja" feeling that movies like "Revenge of the Ninja" and "White Phantom" did. Missed opportunity.

[–] the_bamboo_spear 11 years ago

I finally picked it up, and it was much better than I've heard. Lots of action, and the fights with Kane Kosugi and Goro's lieutenant were fantastic. Hoping for a trilogy...

"My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay"