Leofwine_draca Director Corey Yuen is the sure and steady hand behind this ninja lark which offers plenty of action throughout. It's an odd film, a mixture of typical Jackie Chan-style comedy and hard-hitting ninja action, but unusually the two styles mix together very well and the film as a result is great fun. Conan Lee – who incredibly had no martial arts training before production – is good value as the Chan lookalike who gets into various scrapes with his master, and he's ably supported by Tai Bo in a comic supporting role as a sex-obsessed servant who inadvertently ends up saving the day. However, the real star of the show is Hiroyuki Sanada as the ninja hero; Sanada is particularly graceful in his fight scenes and the eventual extended battle between himself and Lee is a tremendous ruckus that stands out as one of the best in the film.The plot is a simple one and packed with twists as the story gradually unfolds. There's plenty of humour – a little of the China-meets-Japan style – and, of course, numerous fight scenes unfold along the way. The best of these are the battles between Lee and Sanada, including an early showdown in a room full of traps that has to be seen to be believed! Ninjas play a strong presence in the film and there are some great showdowns with the black-garbed villains. However, the best fight scene of all is the last one, in which Lee and Sanada team up to fight a black magician, played by high-kicker Hwang Jang Lee. Anyone who's watched Sammo Hung in ENCOUNTERS OF THE SPOOKY KIND will recognise the inspiration for the finale, as the magician builds up his altar and sends various demon-possessed foes to battle our heroes. Yet it's just as entertaining, because it's so over the top and complete with magic swords, severed ears and legs, and a final showdown with Lee that incorporates cheesy early computer graphics! Hugely entertaining, the climax makes a fitting ending for an above average, always watchable Hong Kong masterpiece.

HaemovoreRex Without doubt one of the very finest Ninja movies ever made, this film also marked the explosive screen debut of the incredible Conan Lee. Even more amazingly, the said actor had previously no martial arts experience whatsoever prior to filming this although you would never guess this judging by his awesome physical performance here.The fight scenes (choreographed by none other than the superb Corey Yuen who also directs the film) are absolutely jaw dropping, in fact they are undoubtedly some of the best combat scenes ever committed to celluloid.Hiroyuki Sanada is the Ninja of the movies title and clearly demonstrates to us all why he is considered to be one of the very best screen martial artists ever, displaying probably some of the most graceful moves ever seen in any martial arts film.Added to this, and a real treat for fans of old style kung fu, the always superb Hwang Jang Lee, considered by many as the greatest leg fighter ever, turns up at the films climax as, yes you've guessed it – the main villain! (As he was perpetually type cast!)Special note also must be made of the extremely cool music that cranks up throughout…..highly memorable; it'll have you humming it for days!It's very strange that after such an explosive screen debut, Conan Lee's fame dissipated so quickly. The actor was in fact even being tauted at the time as the next Jackie Chan. Just goes to show what a fickle business the movie industry is.

alangiruk Personally I would advise people to stay clear of this movie. It's on the whole a bore to watch and the fighting is poorly choreographed. Slow and not very convincing. If you buy the Hong Kong Legends DVD release of this movie, then the only thing worth listening to is the Bey Logan audio commentary. But in any case, since when has there ever been a Ninja film worth watching. I cannot think of one and frankly do not wish to.Overall, when it comes to Movies, I have one golden rule: Avoid any films that contains the word 'Ninja'.

John Firth Once you get past the first twenty or thirty minutes, then this film really gets going. Of course, this section features what is surely the only fight performed on stilts.After that, Conan Lee and Hiroyuki Sanada get to showcase their talents to the full, with Sanada just coming out on top. Hwang Jang Lee makes a nice cameo appearance as a disgruntled sorceror at the end.Thankfully the action isn't too "old school". The fights are much quicker than many from the late-70s/early-80s (the white eyebrow stuff, and Eagle vs Tiger Crane nonsense), and look more realistic than most films of the period. Even when Sanada demonstrates his own Kung Fu, he seems more 1993 Iron Monkey than 1977.Oh, and Conan Lee does look a bit like Jackie Chan.