Gosh.. I first watched this movie when I was ten and own a bad quality copy of VHS. Fortunately though, it has original Japanese soundtrack. Having not seen the English dubbed version, I am little puzzled by other reviews because overall I thought this was a quite decent film. Although I have to admit that 7/10 rating was somewhat based on nostalgia. In any case, I like the concept of Cyborgs and robots fighting with swords, wearing samurai armors, and knives shooting out from hands. Plus you have to admit that putting ammos into katanas is kind of cool. Not to mention different types of robotic ninjas. There were actually action figures of shiranui(main character) and shouki(badass white ninja)!!
13 Reviews
It has a lot of creative inventions that show effort and energy.
tarbosh2200018 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
When Raimei Dark Bishop (Yamamoto) creates "the perfect cyber ninja to please Dark Overlord's birthday" (Dark Overlord is a menacing vision on a screen played by Masaaki Emori, by the by) , he doesn't realize he has set in motion the ultimate battle between human ninja/samurai, and the kind of the cybernetic variety. When Princess Saki (Morishita) is kidnapped, bounty hunter Akagi (Kawai) snaps into action. Told he will be paid for every Cyber Ninja head he brings back to his master, he ends up teaming up with the aforementioned "perfect Cyber Ninja", who laments the loss of his human soul. Henceforth a wild, unmanageable and messy battle ensues. Will humans come out victorious in the war between them and their mecha-ninja assailants? Find out today...? Well, here's a movie that delivers on its promises. It offers cybernetic ninjas, and indeed cybernetic ninjas are what you get. This is a movie that is completely Japanese, with absolutely no concessions made for any Western audiences. It's certainly the "most Japanese" thing we've witnessed in some time: seemingly out of nowhere huge robots appear, seemingly ultra-futuristic but with traditional Japanese home architecture affixed to the front of their panels (!!!), then Japanese men in traditional garb swordfight against constant volleys of "pew-pew" lasers, then a beautiful princess is kidnapped by a guy named "Raimei Dark Bishop", whose costume seems to fuse Kabuki makeup with modern updates like stylized insect-like tines sprouting out his back. Then ninjas have helmets that stream Japanese writing in their field of vision. Then a creature who looks like a cross between Predator and Terl named Shoki appears, who has a tiny face on top of a huge mass of snakelike wires...I think you get the idea. If you're looking for anything remotely resembling coherency, run screaming in the other direction. If you're looking for something weird and Japanese, this is the movie for you.
The movie plays like a live-action Anime, and contains all the insanity an attempt like that may create. Apparently it was based on a Japanese video game, which again is not surprising. Normal movie-watchers are used to seeing the Paramount or Columbia logos before the movie starts. Cyber Ninja begins with the Namco logo complete with a smiling Pac-Man giving us the thumbs-up. You know before the movie even begins that if it's a Namco production, you're in for something...unusual. But surely that makes this one of the very first video game movies. The Japanese are always ahead of us.
Even though the film starts with a couple of silent movie-style intertitles "explaining" what's going on, not only do the explanations make no sense, the fact that they're done in that style just adds to the confusion. The overall concept seems to be "old school meets new school" in a mix of crazy inventions, swords, lasers and explosions. But the visuals are very strong, and whoever created the costumes and special effects should be commended. Not only does the movie have funny dubbing, it also has funny running, as the ninjas have their own way of moving which in itself is very amusing, which you just have to see, it's too hard to explain.
Amazingly, this movie was released in the U.S. by Fox Lorber Home Video. Cyber Ninja is seemingly incomprehensible to us round-eyes, and we're not even sure if the video game it's based off of, Mirai Ninja, was even released here. Presumably this would have come out on Nintendo...any guesses? But the bottom line is that while the movie itself is utterly nonsensical, it is strong visually and has that wacky sensibility with a lot of creative inventions that show effort and energy. If that appeals to you, do go off and seek this movie out. If you're obsessed with coherency, you probably wouldn't be considering Cyber Ninja anyway, so, everybody wins.
The movie plays like a live-action Anime, and contains all the insanity an attempt like that may create. Apparently it was based on a Japanese video game, which again is not surprising. Normal movie-watchers are used to seeing the Paramount or Columbia logos before the movie starts. Cyber Ninja begins with the Namco logo complete with a smiling Pac-Man giving us the thumbs-up. You know before the movie even begins that if it's a Namco production, you're in for something...unusual. But surely that makes this one of the very first video game movies. The Japanese are always ahead of us.
Even though the film starts with a couple of silent movie-style intertitles "explaining" what's going on, not only do the explanations make no sense, the fact that they're done in that style just adds to the confusion. The overall concept seems to be "old school meets new school" in a mix of crazy inventions, swords, lasers and explosions. But the visuals are very strong, and whoever created the costumes and special effects should be commended. Not only does the movie have funny dubbing, it also has funny running, as the ninjas have their own way of moving which in itself is very amusing, which you just have to see, it's too hard to explain.
Amazingly, this movie was released in the U.S. by Fox Lorber Home Video. Cyber Ninja is seemingly incomprehensible to us round-eyes, and we're not even sure if the video game it's based off of, Mirai Ninja, was even released here. Presumably this would have come out on Nintendo...any guesses? But the bottom line is that while the movie itself is utterly nonsensical, it is strong visually and has that wacky sensibility with a lot of creative inventions that show effort and energy. If that appeals to you, do go off and seek this movie out. If you're obsessed with coherency, you probably wouldn't be considering Cyber Ninja anyway, so, everybody wins.
Cyber Retro Futuro Japan (with a cheesy aftertaste)
the_wolf_imdb9 November 2011
This movie is nothing amazing for sure. Yet it is very interesting scifi retro futuro B-class movie with a lot of swordplay and somewhat acceptable effects.
The only way how to describe this movie is mix of Star Gate with a lot of Kurosawa and maybe a little bit of Tron and Doom (the computer game, not the movie). Both parties, the cyber demons and the humans fight as they would were teleported from medieval Japan. The story leaves a lot of parts unexplained and it is open for the imagination of the viewer as it it typical for "genuine, non-Westernized" Japanese movies. This is not bad in general but it will probably leave a lot of Western viewers confused.
The movie is definitely not something special. It is probably not worthy to seek on DVD either. But it is enjoyable and well done in terms of its probably tight budget so it is not insult of the viewer nor a loss of time. It allows us to see "retro cyber punk" as it is perceived by the Japanese authors. It is comparable to "Mutant Chronicles" which is not miracle either but it is solid fun anyway. I think the more hardcore scifi fans will like it.
The only way how to describe this movie is mix of Star Gate with a lot of Kurosawa and maybe a little bit of Tron and Doom (the computer game, not the movie). Both parties, the cyber demons and the humans fight as they would were teleported from medieval Japan. The story leaves a lot of parts unexplained and it is open for the imagination of the viewer as it it typical for "genuine, non-Westernized" Japanese movies. This is not bad in general but it will probably leave a lot of Western viewers confused.
The movie is definitely not something special. It is probably not worthy to seek on DVD either. But it is enjoyable and well done in terms of its probably tight budget so it is not insult of the viewer nor a loss of time. It allows us to see "retro cyber punk" as it is perceived by the Japanese authors. It is comparable to "Mutant Chronicles" which is not miracle either but it is solid fun anyway. I think the more hardcore scifi fans will like it.
Teenage dream
BandSAboutMovies27 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Also known as Mirai Ninja: Keigumo Kinin Gaiden, Warlord and Robo Ninja, this is one of the few successes I can think of when it comes to making a movie out of a video game.
In a future time - hey let's call it 200X, that line never gets old - cyborgs and humans at war when one of the cyberninjas decides to save a human princess destined to be sacrificed to the machine gods. And if Shiranui the cyberninja ends up being related to the humans and hoping to find his old body, then so be it, and so be machines that have moved beyond zeros and ones to their own digital religion that can summon demons.
Director Keita Amemiya also made Moon Over Tao: Makaraga, which is another wild take on traditional Japan myth mixed with future tech, and Zeiram amongst many other efforts. This looks absolutely wild and you know, do you need an involved story when you have walking feudal buildings and ninjas with laser swords?
There's a bad guy named Dark Overlord - at least in the English dub - and the evil army is called the Lords of Darkness, so this is like the drawing a metal kid would make in their notebook when they should be paying more attention in school, but no, they should in no way be paying attention because if I paid less attention and drew more and only cared about movies more, my life would be infinitely better than the drone to the grave workaholic that I grew up to be.
In a future time - hey let's call it 200X, that line never gets old - cyborgs and humans at war when one of the cyberninjas decides to save a human princess destined to be sacrificed to the machine gods. And if Shiranui the cyberninja ends up being related to the humans and hoping to find his old body, then so be it, and so be machines that have moved beyond zeros and ones to their own digital religion that can summon demons.
Director Keita Amemiya also made Moon Over Tao: Makaraga, which is another wild take on traditional Japan myth mixed with future tech, and Zeiram amongst many other efforts. This looks absolutely wild and you know, do you need an involved story when you have walking feudal buildings and ninjas with laser swords?
There's a bad guy named Dark Overlord - at least in the English dub - and the evil army is called the Lords of Darkness, so this is like the drawing a metal kid would make in their notebook when they should be paying more attention in school, but no, they should in no way be paying attention because if I paid less attention and drew more and only cared about movies more, my life would be infinitely better than the drone to the grave workaholic that I grew up to be.
excellent sci fi samurai film
simonbutcher732 January 2009
i first watched this in the late 80s when it first hit video in the UK.i only saw it once but i never forgot it-no matter how i tried i couldn't find a copy but then after learning its original title i managed to locate a us release on video.its still as good i just wish it would be released on DVD and even in its original Japanese audio. i thought about this film every few months for nearly 20 years until i found a copy on amazon which cost me a lot more then i would normally pay for a video. I've since shown the film to several mates and they all think the same,a brilliant samurai sci fi film which yes does borrow from tons of films but it still works and needs to be seen by more people.
Reminiscent of "Star Wars," my butt
craigjclark14 October 2002
Ahh, "Cyber Ninja," where to begin with you?
I got to see this movie at a gaming convention during a weekend-long program wherein a group of people in lab coats showed B-movies to test subjects and then monitored them, keeping track of who said the most funny comments during the movies. Sound familiar? If you're a fan of MST3K, it should. And if you can track down a copy of this movie, you'll probably be able to come up with as many riffs as I did.
I realize I haven't said anything about the movie yet, but that's just as well. The more you discover for yourself as you watch, the more brazen and outlandish the whole thing becomes. Suffice to say, it's a Japanese rip-off of "Star Wars" with "Power Rangers"-type villains and some of the silliest-looking ninja I've ever seen in my life. (Once you see how the mecha-ninja get around, you'll know what I'm talking about.)
Calling this movie "reminiscent of 'Star Wars'" -- as somebody did in the blurb on the front of the box -- is amusing since it's set in a quasi-futuristic feudal Japan (with laser guns and sword battles existing side-by-side), and "Star Wars" itself is "reminiscent" of Akira Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" (i.e. Lucas stole characters and plot points wholesale from it). Does that make this a second generation rip-off? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I think it does.
I got to see this movie at a gaming convention during a weekend-long program wherein a group of people in lab coats showed B-movies to test subjects and then monitored them, keeping track of who said the most funny comments during the movies. Sound familiar? If you're a fan of MST3K, it should. And if you can track down a copy of this movie, you'll probably be able to come up with as many riffs as I did.
I realize I haven't said anything about the movie yet, but that's just as well. The more you discover for yourself as you watch, the more brazen and outlandish the whole thing becomes. Suffice to say, it's a Japanese rip-off of "Star Wars" with "Power Rangers"-type villains and some of the silliest-looking ninja I've ever seen in my life. (Once you see how the mecha-ninja get around, you'll know what I'm talking about.)
Calling this movie "reminiscent of 'Star Wars'" -- as somebody did in the blurb on the front of the box -- is amusing since it's set in a quasi-futuristic feudal Japan (with laser guns and sword battles existing side-by-side), and "Star Wars" itself is "reminiscent" of Akira Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" (i.e. Lucas stole characters and plot points wholesale from it). Does that make this a second generation rip-off? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I think it does.
Cheesy special effects, but an intriguing story.
Zorknot1 November 2003
I liked this. Granted, the Godzilla-like sfx are laughable at times...but I kind of like that part about it too. Regardless of what a previous review has said, this IS a little like Star Wars. The original three movies especially. However it is also like Godzilla, Krull, Tron,Dune and any number of science fiction movies made in the eighties. you have your laser blasts, your enemies wearing strange costumes, your princess that needs saving etc. What's cool about this movie is that it's from Japan and so its ALSO like anime and you have all these shinto symbols and what not. The first scene of the movie looks an awful lot like the movie Ran, (the samurai version of King Lear)and if you take away the scifi elements its stylistically extremely similar. In fact, one of the actors worked in both movies!
Anyway, maybe this movie isn't for everybody, but if you like Godzilla movies, or eighties scifi, or if you've ever enjoyed an episode of mystery science theater 3000, you'll probably like this movie.
Anyway, maybe this movie isn't for everybody, but if you like Godzilla movies, or eighties scifi, or if you've ever enjoyed an episode of mystery science theater 3000, you'll probably like this movie.
Ha Ha Ha....
electronsexparty10 June 2005
Wow. MST3K fans check this film out out, especially the English dubbed version. It's absolutely hilarious- so bad it's good. The story is ridiculous, the hero is stupid, and the villains are like something from Power Rangers. One of the villains looks like he has a bunch of snow crabs glued to his back. I especially love the horrible dubbing. For example, the opening fight sequence involves a man (our hero, I believe) rolling down a hill. Instead of the oof's and oww's that one might imagine a man rolling down hill would make, he screams like he's been chucked over a 300 ft. cliff. God, I couldn't stop laughing. A funny movie that's not supposed to be.
Star Bores
NoDakTatum10 November 2023
At eighty minutes, this film can be summed up in a few sentences. The good guys must rescue their kidnapped princess from the bad guys. One of the good guys recognizes his dead brother as the title character, now working for the bad guys. Happy ending.
This film is a cross, or the unholy spawn, of "Masters of the Universe" and "Star Wars," with a little "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" thrown in. The film was shot in Japanese, and is dubbed so badly, I thought the film makers were making a joke. The cast wears more makeup than Tammy Faye Bakker, and they act just as sincere about their script, which consists of odd place names like "The Fortress of the Dark Overlord." The film is nothing but very long, very boring fight scenes, crescendoing in some of the cheesiest special effects since pre-CGI Godzilla movies. The old VHS video cover art even quotes some critic saying the effects here are reminiscent of "Star Wars." That is like saying the warlord with the mustache is reminiscent of Orson Welles in "Citizen Kane." Don't bother with this one, you will be a better person for it.
This film is a cross, or the unholy spawn, of "Masters of the Universe" and "Star Wars," with a little "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" thrown in. The film was shot in Japanese, and is dubbed so badly, I thought the film makers were making a joke. The cast wears more makeup than Tammy Faye Bakker, and they act just as sincere about their script, which consists of odd place names like "The Fortress of the Dark Overlord." The film is nothing but very long, very boring fight scenes, crescendoing in some of the cheesiest special effects since pre-CGI Godzilla movies. The old VHS video cover art even quotes some critic saying the effects here are reminiscent of "Star Wars." That is like saying the warlord with the mustache is reminiscent of Orson Welles in "Citizen Kane." Don't bother with this one, you will be a better person for it.
Extremely entertaining
mightymothra13 May 2015
Worth a watch for the intro battle alone. This is a hugely ambitious far-future samurai flick filled with awesome effects and goofy sentai- esque villains.
The plot is okay. It is very convoluted and confusing, but it does make sense. The main draw here is the action, the design of the world, and the surprisingly likable cast.
I see it compared to Star Wars here, and I can see some similarities, but it didn't FEEL similar to me. It's a revenge flick about a robotic ninja clashing against Ultraman-style monsters. You're gonna see something you won't see anywhere else.
Enjoyable, weird, and entertaining.
The plot is okay. It is very convoluted and confusing, but it does make sense. The main draw here is the action, the design of the world, and the surprisingly likable cast.
I see it compared to Star Wars here, and I can see some similarities, but it didn't FEEL similar to me. It's a revenge flick about a robotic ninja clashing against Ultraman-style monsters. You're gonna see something you won't see anywhere else.
Enjoyable, weird, and entertaining.
A Little Tedious But Fun
DavyDissonance10 January 2018
Cyber Ninja is about a cyber ninja and some dip$#!+ who must rescue a warrior broad with a tight little booty from some cybernetic wizard. The movie combines cyberpunk with 16th century samurai genre. Whoopie do-do. The film is creative with some nice 80s style special effects and the costumes look cool. The action is very well choreographed with a sort of kung fu action feel to it. The story is absurd but straightforward and pacing was tedious. Blah blah blah blah blah blah. God I hate it when my reviews get this typical and boring and gay and $#!+.
Keita Amemiya is a bad ass
dislocatedego22 December 2023
I really enjoyed this film. Is there some cheese? Sure, but Keita Amemiya's films are so very entertaining and use every trick in the book to successfully suspend disbelief and add in great effects. Usually these kinda cool effects are just things you wont see in other films. For open minded, Japanese sci fi lovers this is a fun film with use of some minatures and decent lighting. Really love Zeiram, Zeriam 2, and Moon Over Tao as well from the same director. Cyber Ninja is a hard standalone film to source, but comes in a set called The Ninja Collection on dvd with english dub and decent quality- like a very good vhs tape.
Sci-fi Masterpiece that is very ahead of its time - my favorite movie of the 1980s
kingreenied18 March 2023
The best Ninja film ever made (next to Ninja Scroll), the creativity and action here is as good as movies get. The middle action scene where out heroes fight mechanical ninjas inside of a strange rock compound evokes (somehow) the first levels of Halo: Combat Evolved, with a song playing that sounds remarkably similar to Martin O'Donnell's track "Perilous Journey". And the first sequence not only features amazing tension, but the climactic score in the background echoes the main theme music to The Matrix movies. I have a hunching suspicion that more than the Halo crew and Watchowksis watched this wonder of a film. And it even beats Blade Runner for me as my favorite movie of the 80s. It's so underrated and needs a re-evaluation. The choreography and sfx are incredible. A masterpiece of sci-fi action. Shouki is one of the coolest villains ever.
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