Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Dennis Dugan

Writers (WGA):

Mark Feldberg (written by) &
Mitchell Klebanoff (written by)

Release Date:

17 January 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Tagline:

Kung fool!

Plot:

An unlikely man raised by ninjas, goes against a counterfeiter with the help of the criminal's girlfriend.

Plot Keywords:

Ninja | Damsel In Distress | Beverly Hills California | Martial Arts | Bikini Girls

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Chris Farley	...	Haru
Nicollette Sheridan	...	Allison Page / Sally Jones
Robin Shou	...	Gobei
Nathaniel Parker	...	Martin Tanley
Soon-Tek Oh	...	Sensei
Keith Cooke	...	Nobu (as Keith Cooke Hirabayashi)
Chris Rock	...	Joey
François Chau	...	Izumo
Dale Ishimoto	...	Old Japanese Man
Daming Chen	...	Head Kobudosai
Burt Bulos	...	Mr. Ozaru
Curtis Blanck	...	Billy
Tom Bailey	...	Billy's Dad
Jason Tobin	...	Busboy
Richard Kline	...	Driver

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sex related humor, martial arts violence and a humerous drug related scene.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | UK:12 (cut) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34329) | Singapore:PG | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Beverly Hills Ninja Productions

Trivia:

Chris Farley was injured on the set while doing one of his own stunts. (The scene where he is trying to hide like a ninja and jumps through the wall.)

Goofs:

Continuity: When he is swinging on a rope from the roof he falls on the balcony and crashes into a lying chair. A few shots later, the chair is whole again.

Quotes:

Sensei: You must stop comparing yourself to Gobei!
Haru: But why, master? He is the best ninja.
Sensei: We would all be fortunate to have a heart as big as yours, Haru.

Movie Connections:

References Better Off Dead... (1985)

Soundtrack:

One Way or Another

True Masterpiece

Beverly Hills Ninja may not reach the same level as Tommy Boy, but what Chris Farley movie could possibly top that comic masterpiece. Beverly Hills Ninja is nevertheless a valiant attempt. It is filled with classic moments which will not be soon forgotten. Examples include Haru protecting Sensai's ninja "house" when he first meets Alison and nearly destroys singlehandedly the entire place and the superb dialogue (such as, "You do not have Ninja intuition. In fact, you do not even have normal intuition.") Who can forget such classic movie moments?

But, probably the most enjoyable aspect of Chris Farley's movies is watching the response of others watching Chris Farley in action. Chris is one person you really love or you really hate. One of these extremes always prevails. And, for those of us who truly enjoy his work, nothing brings more joy than seeing the look of disgust and outrage on another person's face as they watch Chris Farley. Watching people toss and turn in their seats just hoping to get out of the theater as soon as possible really brings happiness to Chris Farley fans everywhere. It only highlights the high quality of his work (and the lack of a sense of humor on others' part). Although we can always enjoy his movies in video, nothing will compare to the full theater experience. Beverly Hills Ninja takes this aspect of his work to a new level.

A great movie and one definitely to watch (multiple times).