Ninja (2009)

Story by Boaz Davidson
Written by Michael Hurst
Screenplay by Zaki Rubenstein

Directed by Isaac Florentine

Ninja is Isaac Florentine's new film, we got free tickets to go see a promotional screening, I doubt this will ever hit theatrically, so we might have been one of the few audiences to see it in a theater. Pretty cool. Anyway, it centers on an orphaned white kid who grows up studying Ninjitsu in Japan named Casey, who is one of the two brightest students in the dojo, along with another student named Masazuka, who is more brash, lacks the respect that Casey has, and eventually is kicked out of the dojo for his failure to conduct himself in a manner that satisfies the Ninja way.

After being kicked out, Masazuka plots his revenge on the dojo, planning to steal the Yoroi Bitsu, an armored chest that contains the weapons of the last Koga Ninja. The Sensai has it moved to a safe in New York City, so Casey and a female student go there to protect it. When the Sensai is killed, Casey knows that the Yoroi Bitsu is under attack, and he must do everything he can to protect and honor his dojo and sensai.

Overall, not a great film, I mean, it's Isaac Florentine. With that said, of course the fights are very well choreographed and shot, but there is just too much silliness in this film to take it seriously. Then again, when were martial arts films ever taken seriously? The lead actor wasn't very good, reminded me of the kid from Never Back Down, but more douchey and annoying. At least he can actually fight. The guy who plays Masazuka was great, a classic ninja villain complete with his own moral compass that really overexposes the "subtext" of the film, which is about two different cultures stepping away from their differences to explore their similarities.

A fun movie, almost willing to bet money it won't get a theatrical release, but it was definitely a cool movie to see for free, and I actually filled out the little card with useful information, rather than just checking boxes and leaving as soon as possible.

8.4/10