Top 10 Best Ninja Movies Reviews

I created this page on the website hubpages to try to find out what people think are the 10 best ever ninja movies. I’ve started it off with a few of my favourites which I have reviewed, but ultimately I want to find the top 10 using suggestions and poll votes from people who visit this page - all suggestions will be added to the poll for voting and left on the page for others to see, and then the top ten will be featured for a full review and links will be included to where you can buy them or watch them for free.

Romeo Must Die Review

Romeo Must Die is a 2000 film directed by Andzej Bartowlak and stars Jet Li, Aaliyah, Isaiah Washington, Russell Wong, DMX, Delroy Lindo, DB Woodside and Anthony Anderson. It tells the story of a wrongly accused jailed cop who escapes prison in order to find his brother’s killer.
Hang Sing, played by Jet Li, heads to the US to find out what happened with his brother. While conducting his own investigation he comes upon a woman named Trish, played by Aaliyah, and they form a friendship. From this friendship she begins to help him find out what happened to his brother when tragedy strikes her family. They both jump into the investigation head first. They are just trying to figure out what is going on within their families, when it is discovered that it all has to do with their families doing business in a bad way to get ahead of the game. Amidst this story they fall in love with each other and in an effort to protect her, Hang Sing takes on her father’s men, so she will not be harmed. He also tells his father how he feels and takes on his men.
One of the most poignant fight scenes is the one between, Hang Sing and Kai, Russell Wong’s character. He has to be one of the most underrated Martial Artists in the world. He has been in quite a few movies, but the rarely show off his talent like this one did. If you are looking for a great interwoven story between love of family and friends along with bad business deals, then this is the movie of your choice. Between Jet Li, Russell Wong, Aaliyah and countless stunt members the martial arts in this film is a best bet for all martial art movie lovers.

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Review of Redbelt Movie

When creating a story, David Mamet, like Michael Mann, has a way of delving into the inner core of his characters. What makes them who they are, what personal code do they adhere to in the face of adversity. The movie Redbelt is a case study of such a man.

Mike Terry, (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Inside Man, Serenity) a jiu-jitsu master and owner of his own dojo, is just barely keeping it afloat and ahead of the creditors and mounting bills. Standing stedfast, Mike prefers to keep the arts pure, rather than sell out to a diluted, commercialized version, tainting the arts. Thankfully, his wife Sondra (Alice Braga, I Am Legend, Crossing Over) is able to keep him afloat the best she can with her own seamstress business, but the strain it causes between the two is present.

A chain of events, almost as if fate has chosen Mike to test his mettle, directs him closer and closer to the very thing he is avoiding. A woman, lost in the neighborhood, enters the dojo. An unfortunate circumstance ensues, which also costs money the school can’t afford. A visit to a nightclub and his brother in law for a loan brings Mike into contact with Chet Frank, (Tim Allen, Mr. Tool Time himself from the TV show Home Improvement) an actor with a chip on his shoulder. Bad Incident #2, moving him closer down the undesired path.

A dinner invite and a gold watch from Chet Frank may sound like a nice ‘thank you’, but it contains loaded ramifications. A present that brings fatal consequences for all parties directly or indirectly involved. A business partnership and deal for Sondra that doesn’t materialize as believed, costing more money that Mike and Sondra do not have in their possession. A stack of bills that won’t go away on their own. And the heavy guilt of everything that has transpired weighing on Mike’s shoulders. And beneath it all, the call and beckon of a mixed martial arts tournament with a huge cash prize that would go a very long way in dissolving all the financial pressures and burdens requiring immediate answers.

At some point in our lives, we’ve had to swallow our pride, sacrifice our core beliefs and painfully go against the grain in order to advance forward. Mike Terry becomes one of us, and enters the tournament.

While warming up for his fight, Mike discovers things aren’t as they seem and regains his dignity and his personal code of honor to not sellout to commercialism. His awakening to the corrupt truth and resultant showdown (which is definitely worth watching more than once) against his brother in law and the system brings closure to what it means to deserve the prized red belt.

Anyone familiar with David Mamet’s movies will also realize things aren’t always on the level. Was it destiny that led Mike to the tournament, the unfolding circumstances, or was it a well conspired plan with a trail of bread crumbs leading Mike to his MMA decision? The end of the movie makes it all come together in more ways than one.

Look for MMA stars Randy Couture and Enson Inuoe who both have small acting roles.

The martial arts scenes in Redbelt are solid and real. No artificial sweeteners here. No wire fu or defy the laws of physics, gravity and motion type stuff. What you see can be studied and added to your own personal repertoire.

As any true practitioner will tell you, the martial arts isn’t always about fighting, and neither is Redbelt. It’s also about knowing when not to fight, and when to stand up for honor. Even the choice of the title has a deeper meaning. You never find out until the very end of the movie the significance of the red belt, which makes it all come together.

A very enjoyable movie, Redbelt is definitely worth the cost and viewing time.

Get It Now from Amazon.com: Redbelt
or Amazon.co.uk: Redbelt [DVD] [2008]

Challenge of the Master Killer

Challenge of the Master Killer is also known as Fury of the Tiger. The 1989 film was directed by Cheung Laap Kan. This film was released under the Shaw Brothers production company. The Shaw Brothers are famous for bringing all the Bruce Lee films as well as the early films of Jackie Chan and Jet Li to life.
This movie tells the story of two recent released convicts, who the police station, think that continuing to terrorize Hong Kong. This movie tells of a weapons, prostitution and drug cartel going on, along with a rapist terrorizing the city. The two detectives are trying to catch a break and find out with of the two convicts, if either of them is involved in the crimes being committed. One of the detectives falls in love with a young lady only to loose her in a tragic accident after she leaves him for a much older man. They find one of the convicts when he is being chased down by Triad members for supposedly killing off one of the master’s. He claims he has no idea what they are talking about and tells them that he is busy caring for his sick father. These officers finally catch a break when they discover just what it is the rapist likes and try to catch him in the act. What they don’t know is just who the convict is looking for. It is a shocking end to an action filled martial art film.
This movie is dubbed in English and is chock full of martial arts action. The Shaw Brothers have always put out some of the best martial arts films and this is one of these films. They never fail to make sure that the films are action packed with a decent story behind them.

Get it now from Amazon.com The Challenge of Master Killer/Invincible Super Guy DVD
Or from Amazon.co.uk The Challenge of Master Killer/Invincible Super Guy [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Review of Street Fighter - The Legend of Chun Li

Released on DVD June 30th 2009

Adaptations. Somewhere in your cinema viewing experience, you’ve come across one. Many of them come from books modified for the big screen. Not all of them, due to many internal and extraneous factors, are successful. The Rambo series, very successful, came from ‘First Blood’, by David Morrell, an excellent writer. ‘The Firm’, by John Grisham, a damn good book. Loved it. Movie adaptation? Big letdown.

Lately, video games and comic books have also become a potential blockbuster source, again depending on many factors. Anyone remember the very first ‘Punisher’ with Dolph Lungren? Ouch. On the other side of the spectrum we have ‘Iron Man’. Sweet.

One underlying item that these various sources have in common - they have a built in audience very familiar with the story line and the characters. Many times this familiarity works against the adaptation. Purist expect to see exactly what they fell in love with from the original. To receive a fair assessment of an adapted movie, the viewer must have an open mind and flush their preconceived expectations.

Never having played the video game, I can say I come into Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li with an open mind.

This Street Fighter is the second movie to be created after the video game series, the first being Jean Claude Van Damme’s 1994 Street Fighter. Updated with a different look and feel, the movie begins with the youth and innocence of Chun Li, aspiring to become a concert pianist, also being guided by her father Xiang in the arts of Wushu. As all innocent dreams and hopes of the young, Chun Li is introduced to the cruel side of life one evening, when Bison and his ne’er do well band of miscreants (the second in command none other than the deep bass voiced Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog. Loved him as Frankie Figgs in The Whole Nine Yards) take Xiang away, never to be seen by Chun Li again.

We are then taken to an older Chun Li, (Kristin Kreuk, Smallville’s Lana Lang) now an accomplished concert pianist, where events are shaping and directing her life in a different path. A subway mugging of a man with a spider webbed tattoo on his hand. An ancient Chinese scroll. What does it all mean? Fate guides Chun Li to an old woman who deciphers the scroll, again revealing the spider webbed symbol. And a life changing journey from Hong Kong to Bangkok in search of a man named Gen.

A late night back alley brawl leads our heroine to the mysterious Gen, or rather he finds her. Out cold. (Yes, she did win the fight. After all, there were only five of them). We are now introduced to the master / pupil part of the movie, where Chun Li discovers her father is still alive, a captive of Bison (Neal McDonough, by the way, who seems to revel in movie parts as a sleazy villain with visions of grandeur). Of course, this is where Chun Li’s emotions run ahead of her smarts, desiring to retrieve her father and teach Bison a thing or two about manners and late night visits. Gen, (Robin Chou. Yes, Mortal Kombat lives on!), an ex-compatriot of Bison’s, shows her the true way and instructs Chun Li how to tap into and direct her inner powers to work for her. Now armed with smarts and a new found spirit, Chun Li discovers Bison is a big shot slum lord who dresses better than the usual street sleaze, and is located where else but Shadoloo HQ, right in the heart of Bangkok.

As a side interest, we are also given the pleasure of Moon Bloodgood as a crime task force inspector (very nice eye candy, too) and Chris Klein as an Interpol agent. Both hellbent on bringing down Bison, intent on increasing the crime rate, driving out the poor, and cheaply purchasing as much Bangkok property his greedy hands can manage. After all, how else is he going to develop his own real estate kingdom? The rat bastard.

Now into the inner meat of the movie, we discover all three sides are after the White Rose. A weapon of destruction (aren’t they all?) or something else just as sinister? The chase is on to see who obtains the mysterious White Rose first.

As a movie of depth, this isn’t Robert Redford and Meryl Streep gazing towards purple hued majestic mountain ranges as the sun sets on our two award winning stars. On the other hand, it isn’t as cheesy as Van Damme’s flick. It tries to take itself more seriously, but doesn’t raise the excitement level very high, if at all. The fight scenes aren’t awe inspiring (I’m still waiting for someone to top Trinity’s opening Matrix scene. Remember when your jaw hit the floor watching that?)

Observing Kristin Kreuk go thru the paces, I kept waiting for an unknown tougher older sister of Chun Li’s to appear and show her sibling how kicking ass is really done. Where a video game movie such as Mortal Kombat was expected to be over the top, and certainly delivered the goods, Street Fighter doesn’t give the viewer anything that hasn’t been seen or done already, and a lot better. And livelier.

Rent Street Fighter if you’re in the mood for something, but don’t expect to increase your martial arts skills picking up valuable Wushu tips from this one.

A redeeming factor? Moon Bloodgood did make my heart skip a few beats. OK, several.

Get it from Amazon.com: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li OR: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (Three-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]

Get it from Amazon.co.uk: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li [DVD] [2009] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Transporter 3 Review

Sequels and remakes. In recent years, Hollywood has turned to these two areas for one main reason. To milk that cow for all its worth. With a built in audience fresh off the original, or a similar demographic nostalgic for an update of a movie or TV series they remember when music used to be delivered on huge double sided, twelve inch plastic flat, round things called albums, all they need is a director who can pull it off, and actors and actresses who can sell it. Sometimes it works. Rambo, the second X-Men, Spider Man 2. Man On Fire. Other times, not so much. Starsky and Hutch.

One aspect sequels rarely deliver to the viewer is the surprise factor. Who is this new hero? What makes me care about him? How am I drawn into the dilemma that’s been thrust upon him? What is the movie going to provide me, that will kick in the ‘suspension of disbelief’, allowing my emotions to join the rollercoaster ride as the hero is put into one dangerous situation after another, building up to a final climax? Will the hero live, or will I be surprised of his impending doom? See Samuel L. Jackson in Deep Blue Sea. These days, even free falling from a helicopter high in the sky and going splat onto a busy center city intersection doesn’t necessarily mean the hero has passed onto Saint Peter and The Pearly Gates. See Crank and Crank:High Voltage.

One day, someone must have sat in a board meeting and said, “There must be a teat or two we missed last time. Let’s give that cow one more squeeze and make a sequel out of the sequel.

Henceforth, Transporter 3.

The original Transporter put Jason Statham on the map as the latest and next action star for us to embrace. Handsome, athletic, capable, the British accent. And a more than believable set of on-film martial arts skills. But an impressive feature set will only take you so far, especially when you’re fed the same meal, over and over again. See any Steven Seagal movie after Under Siege 2.

In the third go round, Jason’s character, Frank Martin, in drawn into an unavoidable situation when another transporter literally brings his problem home to Frank. As in, straight thru Frank’s wall and into his living room. After the associate becomes transporter kibble and bits, Frank is forced to do what he does best, under the thumb of Robert Knepper, fresh from his role of Prison Break’s T-Bag. When you awake with an explosive bracelet around your wrist, which will detonate if you stray too far from your vehicle, well, see the aforementioned pile of kibble and bits.

Where the first Transporter gave us some enchanting eye candy in Qi Shu, as well as a worthy cause to fight for, we are now presented with the grating, irritating, fingernails on the chalkboard, get on your nerves Natalya Rudakova. Given the choice of transporting her thru Europe or blowing up, I’d run from the car.

The main gist of the film is to get the father of Valentina, Natalya’s character, to sign a treaty allowing very bad radioactive waste material into the country. After all, where else could they dump it? Henceforth, the kidnapping and transportation of Valentina in order to force the father’s hand.

While we are treated to car stunts performed by real stunt drivers and not a CGI blue screen, and Frank’s Ex-Special Forces skills, including the obligatory warehouse/garage fight scene where several bad guys are coming out of every portal and crevice possible, all itching to get their own piece of Frank, it’s pretty much everything we’ve seen before, and not enough to raise this edition to new heights. Or even high. Clearly it speaks of a good thing done one too many times. And Natalya Rudakova really is irritating. Placing the explosive bracelet on her would have been doing the world a favor.

Pass on this one, watch the original Transporter. It’s still the best Frank around.

Buy now from Amazon.com:
Transporter 3 (DVD)
Transporter 3 Video Download
The Original Transporter (DVD)
Buy Now from Amazon.co.uk
Transporter 3 [DVD] [2008]
The Transporter Trilogy [DVD] [2002]

The Five Deadly Venoms Kung Fu Movie Review

The Five Deadly Venoms was a Cheh Chang directed film and definitely one of the better ones out there for all you hardcore martial art movie lovers. This 1978 release starred Sheng Chiang, Philip Kwok, Feng Lu, Pai Wei, Chien Sun and Meng Lo. This movie has an all male cast. There was no room for deadly beauties in this film. This film entails a student, Yan Tieh; to find his teachers other five former students who he believes have become evil. The students all know different forms, the Centipede, Snake, Scorpion, Lizard and Toad, of a deadly martial art with the final student knowing a little of the all the forms.

The final student must team up with one to find the others, but he is unsure of just which one to trust. The student must determine whether he can trust any of them or if he needs to destroy all of them in order to save humanity. Throughout the film he does discover that some of the students have turned evil. In this story of greed and treachery there is more blood shed then in any other martial art movie out there.

With the amount of violence in this film any action or martial art film lover will get this biggest enjoyment from this film. There are more martial arts displayed in this one film then any other ten films combined. For the true martial art form lovers out there this is a must in the library of martial art films you watch. Film is even referenced in the popular live action game World of Warcraft in the city of Stormwind with a poison selling shop called “The Five Deadly Venoms.” This has not been the only cultural reference to this film. There are many out there for this cult classic.

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