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REVENGE OF THE NINJA (1983)
d. Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Sho Kosugi, Arthur Roberts, Keith Vitali, Ashley Ferrare
Ostensibly a "sequel" to 1981's Enter the Ninja, this superior film actually has no connection to the older one except that both feature Sho Kosugi. This time's he's the good guy.
In Japan, Cho Osaki's entire family is nearly wiped out by a rival ninja clan. His wife, sister, father, and son are all murdered. He renounces ninjahood and moves to America with his mother and only surviving infant son. He opens up an "art gallery" with the help of his American buddy, Braden, featuring...uh...featuring some cheap looking Asian dolls. But uh-oh....there's actually heroin hidden in the dolls and Braden had his family murdered to set all this up. How Cho's role in this stupid scheme was critical I do not understand.
Eventually Braden gets double-crossed by the local mafia don named Caifano, played by a really really ugly version of Joe Pesci. So Cho ends up having to fight all these mob guys while also seeking revenge against Braden after figuring out what the fuck is going on. Oh and Braden is also a super skilled ninja himself, resulting in an "epic" rooftop fight that goes on a wee bit too long at the end.
This movie's a lot of dumb fun and there's a lot more action than the first film. Old school wrestler Prof. Toru Tanaka is even in it and he's....ugh....mostly naked and trying to rape a woman.
Goddamit, Cannon.
But seriously, of Cannon's Sho Kosugi Ninja trilogy, this is the most fun from a pure action standpoint. That's not to say part III doesn't also possess its own weird charms....
REVENGE OF THE NINJA (1983)
d. Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Sho Kosugi, Arthur Roberts, Keith Vitali, Ashley Ferrare
Ostensibly a "sequel" to 1981's Enter the Ninja, this superior film actually has no connection to the older one except that both feature Sho Kosugi. This time's he's the good guy.
In Japan, Cho Osaki's entire family is nearly wiped out by a rival ninja clan. His wife, sister, father, and son are all murdered. He renounces ninjahood and moves to America with his mother and only surviving infant son. He opens up an "art gallery" with the help of his American buddy, Braden, featuring...uh...featuring some cheap looking Asian dolls. But uh-oh....there's actually heroin hidden in the dolls and Braden had his family murdered to set all this up. How Cho's role in this stupid scheme was critical I do not understand.
Eventually Braden gets double-crossed by the local mafia don named Caifano, played by a really really ugly version of Joe Pesci. So Cho ends up having to fight all these mob guys while also seeking revenge against Braden after figuring out what the fuck is going on. Oh and Braden is also a super skilled ninja himself, resulting in an "epic" rooftop fight that goes on a wee bit too long at the end.
This movie's a lot of dumb fun and there's a lot more action than the first film. Old school wrestler Prof. Toru Tanaka is even in it and he's....ugh....mostly naked and trying to rape a woman.
Goddamit, Cannon.
But seriously, of Cannon's Sho Kosugi Ninja trilogy, this is the most fun from a pure action standpoint. That's not to say part III doesn't also possess its own weird charms....
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