Revenge of the Ninja (1983) (2024)

Popular reviews

• Review by Jeff ★★★★ 16

  Turns out I just really like sh*tty movies. This one has terrible writing and even worse acting, but it is packed with tons of hot ninja action.

  There is a karate brawl between 7-year-olds, a fight scene involving a 60-year-old Japanese woman (which is truly amazing), and the lead character fights a gay cowboy using a pair of decorative fans. I bet you're into this now, huh?

  It's also awesomely violent. Many people get various sharp weapons chucked into their faces, and I laughed with glee every time (which probably reflects a serious psychological problem, but whatever).

  There's also a ton of sweet ninja gadgets like hidden knives, zip lines, mini flame throwers, smoke bombs, and robot arms.

  I'm pretty sure it might be racist as f*ck, too. But the stereotypes are so broad and ridiculous, and everyone's already a cartoon character anyway, so whatever.

  Highly recommended!

• Review by Todd Gaines ★★★½ 3

  Kane, the coolest ass kicking kid ninja in the history of cinema. Grandma ninja. Ninja groupies. A scary mask ninja. A Spider-Man ninja. Some hot tub ninja action. Some ninja stars. A lot of ninja fights. Remember that only a ninja can kill a ninja.

• Review by 20oldboy03 ★★½ 27

  English Version below

  
  Mottenkiste

  
  Setzt Euch, setzt Euch zu diesem Spektakel (hust) ich meine … ach, so wie man es drehen und wenden will die in der Pfanne brutzelnden Würstchen Marke: „Ganz schön angebraten“ … wir finden uns heute um Ortszeitpunkt „ach warum bloß diese Zahlen, dieser Rezensent im wollenden schreiben des Rezetuinist (???) ist das wurstegal wie ein zweifacher Flickflack schlagender Kautz und damit ist nicht, unter keinen Umständen so war ich mit einem Fuß in der Hundescheiße meines überaus mormonischen Nachbars seiner ganz eigenen Interpretation vom „Rein-Raus-Spiel“ seiner Schaar seine Wohnung betretenden wie verlassenden Weibchen, Mario Gallo als die eben doch menschliche Reinkarnation des Disney Kauz wie-auch-immer, sondern vielmehr im Aufblitzen des – merke – Rezensent auch im…

• Review by Timelord007 ★★★★ 6

  Trivia.
  1) Shô Kosugi personally crafted many of the weapons in the film.

  2) First "Ninja" film directed by Sam Firstenberg for Golan-Globus' Cannon Films. Firstenberg who would go on to direct Ninja III: The Domination (1984), as well as American Ninja (1985) & American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987).

  3) Kane Kosugi plays Kane Osaki, the son of Cho Osaki, who is played by Shô Kosugi. Kane actually is Sho's son. His younger brother, Shane Kosugi, appears uncredited as Cho's first son.

  4) The second of three "Ninja" movies in the Golan-Globus Cannon ninja series. The others were Enter the Ninja (1981) & Ninja III: The Domination (1984). All three were unrelated in terms of story.

  Timelord Thoughts.
  Arrrhh 80's nostalgia,…

• Review by More_Badass ★★★★ 1

  When a kid gets shuriken-ed in the face within three minutes, you know exactly what kind of movie you’re in for.

  Revenge of the Ninja is a concentrated dose of pure unadulterated NINJA-ing. Right from the start, there’s wholesale slaughter by ninjas and of ninjas. Even though Kane Kosugi doesn’t suit up till the finale, there’s also an evil drug-kingpin ninja waging a one-man war against Mafia rivals. So don’t worry, there’s bloody murder-by-ninja all over the runtime; that kid may suffer the first shuriken to the face, but he’s certainly not the last!

  Adkins’ Shadow of a Tear essentially perfected this Cannon Ninja formula in terms of action choreography, but Sam Firstenberg delivers such an ‘80s-AF celebration of the…

• Review by Carlo V 2

  Yeah baby now we're talkin!! Sam Firstenberg (more like Sam BESTenberg) givin' me a shot of that sweet, invigorating, Americanized ninja juice. Hard to tell which parts are done facetiously but the fact that it's never obvious is why this works so well, you're always left wondering if he intentionally made that woman groan with ecstasy as the Evil Ninja is loading a dart in his blowhole. And that's not a euphemism.

• Review by CinemaVoid 🏴‍☠️ ★★★

  That fight between a 6-year old ninja and a blonde bimbo is something that cinema hasn’t been able to surpass yet.

• Review by Dylan van Frankfoort ★★★½ 4

  My experience with ninja flicks is limited, comprising just the Dudikoff and Adkins examples, so this was a welcome treat when announced as the secret film for the Mayfair's Saturday Night Sinema members event—sign up if you're in the Ottawa area! What I like is that it kinda combines the respective elements of those, i.e. luscious '80s cheese and solid, hard-hitting fights (to be clear, Shadow of a Tear's fights rise high above "solid," reaching God-tier). Where this movie sets itself apart, though, is its ninja implements, which are incredibly varied, and a gd blast whenever they're introduced—typically suddenly, having been produced from a larger implement or concealed pouch. The whole theatre cheered when buddy threw down little spikes and…

• Review by Yves Bouwen ★★★★ 4

  Cathy: I just want you to teach me the way
  Cho Osaki: Well, if you wanna work out, you forgot your pants!
  Cathy: Do you really think I forgot?

  Now if you think Ashley Ferrara who plays Cathy was casted on a miss-forget-my-pants election, you make an understandable mistake. Later in the movie it becomes apparent how she was casted. She is tight up in a hot tub (really? Why tight someone up in a hot tub?) After being rescued by a baby ninja, it is obvious that the casting was done on a miss wet t-shirt contest. And a rightful champion she was! Her battle with baby ninja is the rediculous dumb highlight of this movie. Glorious.

• Review by Joshua ★★★★★ 2

  The ultimate Cannon ninja joint. Never a dull moment. Bloody kills. Nonstop over the top action. Sho Kosugi is just wonderful. The finale rooftop fight is pure ninja madness. Absolutely love it.

• Review by Justin Decloux ★★★★½

  The best american made ninja film of the 80's.

• Review by Headhunter666 13

  Da streift mich doch der Wurfstern!

  Hab ich vor ungefähr 328 Jahren mal gesehen in einer ganz sicher zerschnippelten Fassung - zumindest kann ich mich an einiges nicht mehr erinnern. Der Einstieg zum Beispiel war mir neu und da werden auch keine halben Sachen gemacht, vor nichts zurückgeschreckt und somit schonmal ganz dezent den Rahmen für die kommenden 90 Minuten abgesteckt.
  Dieser prächtige Action-Pfeil im CANNON-Köcher bietet alles nur keine Langeweile.
  Irgendwie ist sowas wie ein "Drehbuch" zwar vorhanden, aber um diesem "Etwas" Leben einzuhauchen lassen sich die Akteure nicht lumpen.

  Allein die anschließende Verfolgungsjagd nach dem Galerie-Überfall und die Keilerei auf dem Spielplatz sind schon 2 Sterne mindestens wert.
  Die Eigendynamik des Streifens donnert ohne Reibungshemmung und zudem hat…