Who doesn’t love the eighties? Asymetrical haircuts, day-glo spandex, Flock of Seagulls, and of course that old staple the well-intentioned “Ninja Flick”. The plot? A straight forward revenge story; but the idea of Kosugi as a Ninja who has hidden away his identity, brings the film to a super-hero like level.
Kosugi and his loving family have the misfortune of purchasing a shop in an old building where some theives had hidden their loot. The harassment of them reaches a fever pitch. But it is not until one of his innocent family members is killed does Kosugi pop into action. The action sequences are fascinating, some very interesting Ninja techniques are shown and the fighting is fast and furious. Kosugi does not have much of a western style acting range, but he is ideally suited to the unique 80s genre of “Ninja Flick”. Highly recommended. Not recommended to those fed a steady diet of computer generated “special effects” and cannot remember a time when athletic ability was required to make a martial arts movie. This film is for those of us who can really appreciate the better made Ninja movies of the 1980’s. Enjoy!