Shadow Ninja is a little gem. It isn't gloriously original; much of the plot actually seems lifted from Dynamite Shaolin Heroes (1977). Like in DSH (where we have the white-dressed Lotus Man), we have a mysterious killer (here called The White Killer), of whom there also turn out to be two. But where DSH is a clear and neat story with a consistent (and serious) storytelling style, Shadow Ninja is rather more uneven and typical of the derivative, mass-produced '80s kung fu movie.
But even so this is one of the good ones. Granted, there are passages of really stupid "humor" (guys with big fake teeth making stupid faces - that kind of thing) which you should just fast-forward past. But there are also oodles of really good kung fu scenes. Pretty high-level stuff. And it's entertaining. The main hero is extremely self-confident, and he fights with a constant aloof, relaxed and self-satisfied smile on his face, almost as if he was a TV chef working a wok. Fun!
So yeah, there are some good fights. The climactic fight is more brutality than kung fu, though. The hero gets seriously wounded (like, his left arm is broken in three places), but refuses to give up. He's beaten and battered, but he just keeps on coming, until by a fluke he gets a chance to turn the tables on the bad guy, and slice him to ribbons with his own sword. Quite bloody and quite exciting. And when you see the final scene you will know exactly what I mean by "an abrupt ending" (which I have also mentioned in other comments for similar movies)! These Hong Kong guys sure don't waste time on unnecessary closure! :-)
7 out of 10. I also rated Dynamite Shaolin Heroes a 7, but DSH is a much more wholesome and well-rounded product than this movie is. The reason Shadow Ninja deserves a 7 is because of the quality of the kung fu scenes. The story itself doesn't earn more than a 5.
Oh, by the way, I spotted Jackie Chan in a short cameo role fairly early in the movie.
But even so this is one of the good ones. Granted, there are passages of really stupid "humor" (guys with big fake teeth making stupid faces - that kind of thing) which you should just fast-forward past. But there are also oodles of really good kung fu scenes. Pretty high-level stuff. And it's entertaining. The main hero is extremely self-confident, and he fights with a constant aloof, relaxed and self-satisfied smile on his face, almost as if he was a TV chef working a wok. Fun!
So yeah, there are some good fights. The climactic fight is more brutality than kung fu, though. The hero gets seriously wounded (like, his left arm is broken in three places), but refuses to give up. He's beaten and battered, but he just keeps on coming, until by a fluke he gets a chance to turn the tables on the bad guy, and slice him to ribbons with his own sword. Quite bloody and quite exciting. And when you see the final scene you will know exactly what I mean by "an abrupt ending" (which I have also mentioned in other comments for similar movies)! These Hong Kong guys sure don't waste time on unnecessary closure! :-)
7 out of 10. I also rated Dynamite Shaolin Heroes a 7, but DSH is a much more wholesome and well-rounded product than this movie is. The reason Shadow Ninja deserves a 7 is because of the quality of the kung fu scenes. The story itself doesn't earn more than a 5.
Oh, by the way, I spotted Jackie Chan in a short cameo role fairly early in the movie.