Ninja in the Deadly Trap

Ninja in the Deadly Trap is a well paced, non-stop Kung Fu fight film and highly watch-able. The great Ti Lung plays the famous Chinese General Qi Jiguang, who has become the target of ninja assassination from Japanese pirates who have had their exploits halted due to his actions. Knowing little about the art of Ninjitsu, Qi sends his son out to find three mysterious fighters that can protect him from these stealthy attacks.
Of course those 3 fighters happen to be none other then former Shaw Brothers action stars (collectively known as Venoms) Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, and Kuo Chui (aka Philip Kwok, who also directs and choreographs this film)! The leader of the ninja assassins is played by the always excellent Yasuaki Kurata, an actual Japanese martial artist who made his name, oddly enough, acting in Hong Kong action films (you may know him as the elder Japanese fighter that squares off against Jet Li in Fist of Legend). Direction, music, script, choreography, and effects are all very nicely done here and the lack of ineptitude is actually somewhat surprising as a fan of chop-socky cinema; it is always appreciated though! Ninja In The Deadly Trap isn’t quite on the level, and shouldn’t be confused with, Chang Cheh’s infamous cult classic Chinese Super Ninja’s, though it does take some obvious cues from that film (and was even produced by director Cheh). This movie has a more realistic feel to it, with less scenes filmed on a studio set, toned down gore, and ninja’s that seem a tad more believable (although they do melt when they die LOL!). On the flip side, the action isn’t as good and doesn’t happen nearly as much either. This interesting and exciting Kung Fu movie delivers a finale (The Venoms versus Yasuaki Kurata!) that will leave most genre fans on their feet cheering and jeering! A must see for any self respecting Kung Fu movie fan.