THE PLOT THUS FAR
The absorbing martial arts film that exposes Ninjutsu, the lethal, little-known “Art of Invisibility”… which includes the use of hypnotism, explosives and super-human fighting skills.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
Cole is a macho, mustachioed man who trains at a ninja school to master the art of Ninjitsu. Upon completing his studies, his rival, Hasegawa, presumably because Cole is a white Westerner, screams “He is not a ninja!” and storms off. Undaunted, Cole travels to the Philippines to visit his old army buddy Frank and his wife Mary Ann. They have a lot of property there and they while away the hours enjoying cockfights with their poor laborers.
As it turns out, the sinister, “Mr. Big”-type villain, Mr. Venarius wants their land. His henchmen, Mr. Parker and the memorable Siegfried “The Hook” Schultz are ineffectual in securing Frank’s property for their own evil ends, so Venarius commands an army of white-suited baddies to take it. But they didn’t count on one thing: Cole and his newly-minted Ninjitsu skills! Additionally, Cole’s old nemesis Hasegawa is on the loose and Cole must deal with that. Will the power of Ninjitsu prevail for the good guys? Not only did Cannon films and Sho Kosugi lead the pack during the ninja boom of the 80′s, they actually kicked it off with this, their first “ninja” film back in ’81.
The DVD comes with no special features. But, you still get the same level of commitment from the MGM Archive towards preserving original aspect ratio on DVD-R discs. The audio is supportive, but it keeps in the grindhouse vibe of the feature. I just wish we could’ve gotten something else in terms of supplemental material. I love this stuff and I wanted to watch more. This is a must-buy.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!
