Lotus666
06-08-09, 10:05 PM
The 'Bu fires off another one - from 2004...
Who remembers Sho Kusugi?
Once upon a time in the '80s there was a small film company called Cannon Films ran by two Israeli chaps by the name of Gohan and Globus. Their company was basically like any other in that decade: making cheap action films that made money. And one of the men who made it big in that short time where action stars were kings was Sho Kusugi.
Kusugi was a martial artist who rose to fame quickly with a few films in which he basically made the ninja image that still exists today. If Bruce Lee bought martial arts to America, Sho is the man who created what you now think of as ninja. All the suits, the weapons, the mannerisms of the American idea of ninja is Sho's creation. And he did it in Enter the Ninja, continued it into a few movies and a TV series in the first half of the '80s, then seemingly vanished off the face of the earth when Cannon Films dropped the action genre in the latter half of the '80s and began their slow fall into oblivion until they were bought out by MGM.
As for Sho, he reappeared as a fight chereographer for 2002's The Scorpion King. But today let's explore what many consider to be his best movie in which he rocks the house. The sequel to Enter the Ninja which is Ninja 2...or rather, Revenge of the Ninja.
The story is simple: Sho's family is killed in Japan by a group of ninja. After seeking some vengeance he moves to America, opens a school with his youngest surviving son and begins anew only to be tracked down. His son kidnapped by his traitorous woman, Sho's only recourse is to find the man who killed his family, stole his son, and take him on ninja to robotic double to ninja.
The movie's main point is to kick ass and has a bent appeal to people who find the ninja lifestyle somewhat cool. The entire movie is basically masturbatory on the details that it betrays any sense of plot. But it doesn't matter. This movie is about fights, battles, ninja honor, and kicking ass. The final scene atop an office building in Silicon Valley (guessing here) is possibly one of the most fantastic and action-packed ones seen in a B-movie in a very long time. In fact, if there was ever a GI Joe live action film made, it would resemble the last part of this flick. It's that action-packed and....well, I would be repeating myself.
The only bad thing I can think of is that the current DVD from MGM isn't widescreen but is uncut. Blood, guts, and all. Fantastic.
BOTTOM LINE: Wish it was uncut, but the movie itself is one of the best ninja movies out there from the '80s. Enjoy. Four stars out of Four.
Who remembers Sho Kusugi?
Once upon a time in the '80s there was a small film company called Cannon Films ran by two Israeli chaps by the name of Gohan and Globus. Their company was basically like any other in that decade: making cheap action films that made money. And one of the men who made it big in that short time where action stars were kings was Sho Kusugi.
Kusugi was a martial artist who rose to fame quickly with a few films in which he basically made the ninja image that still exists today. If Bruce Lee bought martial arts to America, Sho is the man who created what you now think of as ninja. All the suits, the weapons, the mannerisms of the American idea of ninja is Sho's creation. And he did it in Enter the Ninja, continued it into a few movies and a TV series in the first half of the '80s, then seemingly vanished off the face of the earth when Cannon Films dropped the action genre in the latter half of the '80s and began their slow fall into oblivion until they were bought out by MGM.
As for Sho, he reappeared as a fight chereographer for 2002's The Scorpion King. But today let's explore what many consider to be his best movie in which he rocks the house. The sequel to Enter the Ninja which is Ninja 2...or rather, Revenge of the Ninja.
The story is simple: Sho's family is killed in Japan by a group of ninja. After seeking some vengeance he moves to America, opens a school with his youngest surviving son and begins anew only to be tracked down. His son kidnapped by his traitorous woman, Sho's only recourse is to find the man who killed his family, stole his son, and take him on ninja to robotic double to ninja.
The movie's main point is to kick ass and has a bent appeal to people who find the ninja lifestyle somewhat cool. The entire movie is basically masturbatory on the details that it betrays any sense of plot. But it doesn't matter. This movie is about fights, battles, ninja honor, and kicking ass. The final scene atop an office building in Silicon Valley (guessing here) is possibly one of the most fantastic and action-packed ones seen in a B-movie in a very long time. In fact, if there was ever a GI Joe live action film made, it would resemble the last part of this flick. It's that action-packed and....well, I would be repeating myself.
The only bad thing I can think of is that the current DVD from MGM isn't widescreen but is uncut. Blood, guts, and all. Fantastic.
BOTTOM LINE: Wish it was uncut, but the movie itself is one of the best ninja movies out there from the '80s. Enjoy. Four stars out of Four.