I had the 'fortune' of watching this gore fest last night and i've got to say it was rather dissapointing. If Dr Hatsumi was correct in his prediction that the next 'ninja boom' would bring about the true essence of budo, then i hope this movie doesnt herald the new 'ninja boom'.

about 2 minutes after the opening credits, we are treated to 2 decapitations, a man being sliced in half and a man being torn to pieces with a kyuketsu from an unseen omnipotent figure from the shadows. The 'ninjas' in question also posess the ability to through tens of shurikens at once. On top of which, the main protagonist's sensei is a sadistic brute who beleives ''all weakness must be hated''. In one scene a student cries after being hit in the face with a bokken to which he replies ''You think that is pain?... ...This is true pain!'' after stabbing him in the belly with his fingers.

Suppose i shouldve expected as much, with it being a hollywood popcorn movie, but it couldve been so much more.

How can you expect anything else?

I liked it. I also like the James Bond movies, Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan, and other action adventure movies. I love the shuriken and thought it would have better in 3D.

Fantasy is fantasy. Some portion of our training is stimulated by this. I also think we have a more cerebral side. But if you have spent any time with Soke you have to have a sense of humor!

As a piece of entertainment it has it's place. Maybe we could get them to re-make "The Power of the Wave"!

Marty

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Oh, i agree. I just find it a real pity that the first ninja movie to come out for so many years is just more of the same trash we got during the 80's but with CGI.

For my money the best i've seen yet is 'ninja scroll' by Manga. One of the main characters in it, Kagero, is my avatar.

I will certainly take a look at power of the wave though.

Ninja Scrolls (the series - not the movie) also has one of the best Soundtracks ever! The movie sound track was all orchestra!

"The Power of the Wave" was a promotional Video made by SKH early in his association with OUR art. It was full of dramatic pauses, the elements, and early bujinkan movements!

A remake with CGI by some of the folks at Embu would be great!

Marty

Some how when a person puts on black pajamas they become super human?


I Think the only semi accurate ninja movie i have ever seen was NInja Vengence. With SKH

Shinobi No Mono seemed feasible at least. Movies like Ninja Assasin have plenty of entertainment but obviously not much realism.

Most entertaining review of this one was by the Ask a Ninja guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLJFzz ... next_from=PL&index=83

I suppose if they made it as real to life as they could it wouldn't have the entertainment factor that it could have. You have to add a bit of unrealism here and there to attract the wider audience.