Revenge of the Ninja (1983)

Director:

Sam Firstenberg

Writer:

James R. Silke (writer)

Release Date:

16 September 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

400 years of training in the art of sudden death... unleashed on 20th century America.

Plot:

After his family is killed in Japan by ninjas, Cho and his son Kane come to America to start a new life...

Plot Keywords:

Doll | Ninja | Japan | Heroin | Murder Of Family

Cast

Shô Kosugi	...	Cho Osaki
Keith Vitali	...	Dave Hatcher
Virgil Frye	...	Lieutenant Dire
Arthur Roberts	...	Braden
Mario Gallo	...	Chifano
Grace Oshita	...	Grandmother
Ashley Ferrare	...	Cathy
Kane Kosugi	...	Kane Osaki
John LaMotta	...	Joe (as John La Motta)
Mel Hampton	...	Detective Rios
Oscar Rowland	...	One Eyed Informant
Professor Toru Tanaka	...	Sumo Servant (as Prof. Toru Tanaka)
Don Shanks	...	Chief
Joe Pagliuso	...	Alberto
Ladd Anderson	...	Thief #1

Also Known As:

Ninja II
Way of the Ninja (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1983) (1984) (1988) | Australia:R | France:-12 | Norway:(Banned) (1985-2001) | Norway:18 (re-rating) (2001) | UK:18 (heavily cut) | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Company:

Cannon Films

Trivia:

The total shoot for the film was 8 weeks (48 days).

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Cho's son Kane is walking the streets, he stops at a unknown building, at a short distance away from the entrance. The scene cuts to him inside the deserted building, hitting piles of broken wood with a stick he found. In a scene later on, you can see him walking into the same building entrance, only the building is not the same deserted building he walked into earlier, it is his father's Japanese doll shop.

Quotes:

Cho Osaki: Only a ninja can stop a ninja.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

My favorite "American Made" Martial Arts Movie.

After seeing "Enter The Ninja" in the movie theater that I worked at in the early 80's, I cringed of the thought of having to watch another American made martial arts movie when my boss notified me that "Revenge..." would be our next attraction. When the movie opened in 1983 and I watched the opening scene, I was drawn in and hooked!

Everything about this movie seemed perfect (except the acting). The locations were great. The colors and lighting in the film were great. And the fight scenes were fantastic.

I just purchased the DVD to see how well this has held up through the years, and I must say it has held up quite well. I didn't even remember this movie being so bloody and violent (I had to quickly usher the "under 10" crowd away from the TV). Even by today's standards, this movie holds on tight to its "R" rating for violence. There is very little profanity and very little sex in this film.

It's funny that a movie with such good production values would have such bad acting. I mean some of the lines in this movie are delivered so badly I had to laugh out loud. And the "thugs" in the park look like the Village People!

Honestly though, this is, in my opinion, a great action movie. And the characters, in spite of bad acting, are quite likeable (or hateful, whichever appropriate for the character).

I also thought the music track was excellent, and doesn't really sound dated now like a lot of early 80's movies.

I recommend this movie with eight out of ten stars.