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.

[–] TheRealFriction 11 years ago

I don't think it has anything to do with Adkins' skills or style as a martial artist, but the story and direction of the film. He is only performing the action required by the director from the story. So if Isaac Florentine tells Adkins to be an aggressive revenge driven assassin, then that's the character he plays. I'm sure of the movie was more like they were in the 80's with the likes of Sho Kosugi, then the character Adkins played would have been different. Besides, we don't want to rehash old Ninja movies.

[–] Verdugo85 11 years ago

Adkins does well as a Ninja after Sho Kosugi and Michael Dudikoff.

[–] dmc101 11 years ago

I'd have to ask Steven Hayes tbh

[–] cyguration 11 years ago

You know, this is true. A good director should have made Adkins appear more stealthy, though.

In comparison to his rival, Adkins looked clunky and conspicuous. I suppose that would be on the director/writer/choreographer's part because it was made harder for me to believe that he was a ninja.

[–] ryan-399-310572 11 years ago

This is Hollywood in the 21st century! What do you expect him to do? The only way a ninja movie is going to be successful is if it has all of the fancy Martial Arts Moves because that is what the mainstream media thinks about Ninjas.

A Ninja that hides in the shadows and kills people from a distance is not going to sell.

[–] Mysticstrider 11 years ago

That's your opinion. Scott Adkins actually fits really well as a ninja. Did you see his stuns in this movie? Man, you probably have no idea what the hell you're talking about since you didn't even watch this movie yet. Stop being so biased about ninjas having to be 100% assassin because he did showed his asssassination skills in this movie when he infiltrated the base of the suspected killer of his wife but in the end it turns out that it was his friend, Nakabara, the leader of the Dojo in Thailand who turns out to be a Drug Lord is a drug lord was involved with everything, not to mention he's the actual killer of Casey's wife.

Anyway,please don't talk about anything what you're talking about, it's better to have Scott Adkins than some random no skilled actor with no martial arts experience or training in ninjutsu or whatever martial arts to play as a Ninja. Scott Adkins portrayed a decent Ninja who was seeking revenge and isn't being used as a complete tool and do assignments for whoever he works for and infiltrate some base and kill people to do whatever mission he/she needs to accomplish.

[–] Mysticstrider 11 years ago

I don't think it has anything to do with Adkins' skills or style as a martial artist, but the story and direction of the film. He is only performing the action required by the director from the story. So if Isaac Florentine tells Adkins to be an aggressive revenge driven assassin, then that's the character he plays. I'm sure of the movie was more like they were in the 80's with the likes of Sho Kosugi, then the character Adkins played would have been different. Besides, we don't want to rehash old Ninja movies.

This is Hollywood in the 21st century! What do you expect him to do? The only way a ninja movie is going to be successful is if it has all of the fancy Martial Arts Moves because that is what the mainstream media thinks about Ninjas.

A Ninja that hides in the shadows and kills people from a distance is not going to sell.

This, exactly this.

[–] kavman 11 years ago

Scott isn't a Ninja, he's Boyka