MovieChat Forums > Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (2013) Discussion > I really like Scott Adkins but he's not ...

I really like Scott Adkins but he's not a Ninja

posted 12 years ago by cyguration
23 replies | jump to latest

The first film landed on a sour note for me. I love Adkin's acrobatics and his stylistic and dedicated martial arts skill. When he's in character as Yuri and says "I am the most complete fighter in the world", you believe it.

However, a complete fighter is not a ninja. There's a fundamental difference between the two and the way they approach combat, and in the first film I noticed Adkins was still...well...it was like a guy who was a really good martial artist who put on a ninja costume and not a trained assassin using all his auxiliary skills to come across as a complete ninja.

I don't want to say it, but it reminded me a bit of American Ninja with Michael Dudikoff.

Hopefully, they can get Adkins to portray a more deadly ninja in the sequel, closer to Tsuyoshi Ihara's portrayal of a very believable ninja in the first film.

[–] KingMassive 12 years ago

What the hell are you talking about? Yuri is Adkins' character from Undisputed II and III. Casey and Yuri are completely different characters, Yuri might be "the most complete fighter in the world" but Casey has never said that.

I take a whiskey drink, I take a vodka drink
And when I need to pee, I use the kitchen sink

[–] FlipcrackaE 12 years ago

i believe that was OP's point.. scott adkins style is believable as yuri.. but his style doesn't go with the ninja character casey. ninjas are supposed to be about stealth.. clearly not the way they directed scott's character to be in ninja..

[–] cyguration 11 years ago

Yup, exactly this.

If you compare Ninja to Sho Kusugi movies you can see how a "good guy" ninja is supposed to behave (not very far off from bad guy ninjas) but stealth, deception and cunning always play a big role in the depiction of the character.

We just don't get that at all from the Casey character in the Ninja movie(s).

[–] Ivan_Drago21 11 years ago

I disagree. There were two different set pieces that required stealth in the sequel.

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[–] Skaathar 11 years ago

I guess I kinda agree as well. I do love Adkins, he's one of my favorite martial artists, but I feel as if his moves are a bit too... hmmm... let's say too big for a ninja. It's like he's meant to perform martial arts in a clear open space like the ring or octagon or on a clear street where he's free to do all his acrobatic awesomeness... but he doesn't look so good in tight cramp quarters that require small movements.

[–] the_bamboo_spear 11 years ago

Well I would take Scott Adkins over 99 percent of the Bujinkan guys if I had to fight for my life, and only got to take one buddy.

Historically, most ninja were probably nowhere near Adkin's level. Most of them were probably 5'1, lived off of rice and fish and vegetables, and most of their ninja activities involved crawling under floorboards and taking notes about enemy troop movements.

"Two tigers cannot live on the same mountain"

[–] Proctorism 11 years ago

Historically, ninjas did more than crawl under floorboards and assess the enemy. In fact they did very little of that. They didn't need to because they dressed as your friendly neighborhood gardener. The black garb you see them in is nothing more than movie apparel. True enough, if they did night missions and was infiltrating while the enemy was sleep or whatever then they did dress in black garbs, but for the most part the did killings during the day as much as night.

They took on the role of a peasant, or delivery man, even as a waiter carrying poison to put in the food or whatever it took to get close to their target. You are correct on their size, because they were small people and had to be in order to get into certain places, and were health fanatics. Mass was minimal with them because it would reduce their effectiveness and mobility.

[–] Cyborg1989 11 years ago

Yeah theres nothing better than hiding in plain sight. The Cool Ninja outfit was a movie gimmick.

Realistically, true "Ninjas" would be more like modern day hitmen we know today. Acting like normal people and being secretive. You won't know they're assassins until somebody has fallen over from poison in their drink, and then good luck picking them out from a crowd when they appear like your average joe.

[–] Hulksmash247 11 years ago

These movies were made to showcase Adkins high flying acrobatic style of martial arts. Not to be 100% beholden to the art of the "ninja" persay..

[–] Hulksmash247 11 years ago

These movies were made to showcase Adkins high flying acrobatic style of martial arts. Not to be 100% beholden to the art of the "ninja" persay..

[–] kenneth_1857 11 years ago

I agree completely. On more than one occasion I wondered why he blundered into a fight instead of getting all the intel first. When he gets into the compound in the jungle he sets off a grenade while he still wasn't detected he didn't hide the bodies either even though there were several objects around that could've been used for exactly that.

[–] constance_c888 11 years ago

Wow! Thought I'm the only one who thought of this. I like ninja movies but Scott Adkins is not the ninja type. I love him in Undisputed III thought.

I think using Asian in ninja films will be nicer? Not that using Jet Li or Donnie but *beep* Rain in Ninja Assassin.

I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good.

[–] Mysticstrider 11 years ago

Rain in Ninja Assassin? Lol. Please, no just no. I like ninja movies too but it doesn't take a super stealthy ninjutsu skilled actor to portray a ninja. Rain did alright in his Ninja Assassin film. However, there wasn't a whole lot of ninja-like characteristics that he did in the movie like back flips or crazy stuns like Scott adkins did in the fight scenes here( if you've seen this movie that is). There's no way in hell that Rain did all the stunts in the movie, he's not even a martial artist. He only received intense training and preparation for this movie with the help of people making the film, only this movie. Other than that he's no dedicated martial artist like Scott Adkins. Rain had a lot of stunt doubles but also I gotta be honest tho that Ninja Assassin was way to unrealistic. Super fast instant teleportation ninjas like the leader had when he was fighting in the end. None of that in real-life ninjas long ago or highly trained ninjas can't move like the speed of light with those "magical powers" to make them move like lightning flash. You really think that movie was good? What the actual **** are you thinking man? We don't need all asians to be ninjas. I mean come on, just look at Mortal Kombat with ninjas like Ninja Smoke, that character is white and isn't Asian. Stop being so stereo-typical and thinking that all actors and actresses have to be Asian to play a ninja.