Five Elements Ninjas (1982)

When five ninjas whose fighting styles are based on natural elements unleash their fury on a rival school, a lone survivor vows deadly revenge.

Director:

Cheh Chang (as Chang Cheh)

Writers:

Cheh Chang (screenplay), Kuang Ni (screenplay)

Stars:

Tien-Chi Cheng, Tien-Hsiang Lung, Meng Lo

Cast

Credited cast:
Tien-Chi Cheng	...	Shao Tien-hao
Tien-Hsiang Lung	...	Brother Li
Meng Lo	...	Shi Shang
Michael Wai-Man Chan	...	Chin Tien Chun (as Hui-Min Chen)
Pei-Hsi Chen	...	Senji
Li Wang	...	Lien Mu
Ke Chu	...	Chen Chun
Tai-Ping Yu	...	Huang Fa
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shen Chan
Yung Chan
Kuo Chao	...	Huang Han
Hui-Men Chen	...	Chien Yuan
Hung Chen
Yiu-Sing Cheung	...	(as Yao-Hsing Chang)
Kin Ping Chow

Storyline

A young martial artist seeks revenge on the Ninja who kills his martial arts brothers and teacher. He finds help in the form of a new teacher (who knows Ninjitsu) and new brothers. Together the four pupils face the Five Element Ninja challenge: Wood, Earth, Gold, Water, and Fire.

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Plot Keywords:

ninja | ninjitsu | martial arts | kung fu classic | kung fu | 

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Taglines:

Five complete elements, one surviving ninja, what could possibly go wrong?

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Alternate Versions

The broadcast version of the film edits the scene where the heroes rip the lead villain in half, making it look as if he is still in one piece, as well as an extra scene involving Tien-Hao and Shi Sheng speaking after the master's plan is discussed is deleted.

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Connections

Referenced in Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace (2019)

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Soundtracks

Vision of Fear
(uncredited)
Written by Edward Michael
Published by De Wolfe Music Ltd.

User Reviews

Chang Cheh's last Shaw kung fu spectacular is equally daft and incredible

Cheh had a long and colorful career as one of the top directors at the Shaw studio but by 1982 his stock had fallen as trends moved away from the period costume kung fu action films he was so fond of. While fellow kung fu film director, Liu Chia Liang was still able to pull off hits, Cheh was perhaps getting too quirky and obvious with his favorite themes of heroic men in revealing outfits, gruesome fights and few if no women in the story. A few films followed in this year with one released the next, but none rival Five Element Ninjas. Cheh was out of the Shaw studio by 1983 and working in low budget Taiwanese cinema he never was able to achieve anything remotely near his past successes. This is his swan song at the Shaw studios,

The plot is absolutely silly and full of absurdities even for your average Chinese made Ninja film. It's as if Cheh saw the competition and said, "Oh yeah? Well watch this!". Except for Venom star Lo Meng, the cast is composed of Shaw second stringers but that doesn't mean the action is anything less then excellent. This film has the best fight scenes in a Cheh film since "The Crippled Avengers" of 1979. Everyone is fighting with weapons in mass fight scenes that are incredibly choreographed. Unfortunately, many production credits are not translated and I don't know who was the genius behind the fight scenes. Lo Meng is the only one doing open hand fighting and he fights a samurai in the first extended fight scene! Granted the samurai sword skills on display are from outer space but it goes with the absurd nature of the entire movie. So much of this film is wacky that it's a waste of your time to recount it. It's as if everything you'd expect from a late Cheh film (good and bad) was turned up to "11" including the pace.

Bloody and nuts. Just the way a good Cheh film should be. See it.

Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

21 April 1982 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Chinese Super Ninjas

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shaw Brothers

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1