Revenge of the Ninja (1983)
While picking up directly from the events of Enter the Ninja might have seemed appealing, capturing the same unique blend of chaotic joy that made the first film such a special, trashy delight would have been a difficult challenge. Cannon Films wisely recognised this when they saw how audiences latched onto Sho Kosugi, who memorably played the villain Hasegawa. Kosugi’s mesmerising display of ninjutsu skills truly stole the show, and Cannon quickly realized he was the undeniable star.
Instead of a direct sequel, the filmmakers crafted a new, stand-alone story that cleverly repurposed one of the original’s villains as the hero. The result, Revenge of the Ninja (1984), became a much-loved cult classic.
As a kid, Revenge of the Ninja was arguably even cooler than its predecessor. Packed with martial arts action, impressive stunt work, and cartoonishly evil villains, it delivered everything you’d hope for in a Saturday afternoon adventure. The tone, while perhaps slightly more grounded than the original, still stayed closely aligned to the fun, action-packed spirit of Enter the Ninja where expectations of a Bruce Lee-level masterpiece are quickly dismissed as these films are more like The A-Team compared to Die Hard, entertaining, stylish, but with a distinct campier edge.
The story finds ninjutsu master Cho Osaki (Sho Kosugi) relocating to America with his young son and aging mother, seeking peace after dark times in Japan. He opens an Oriental art gallery with an American business partner, Braden (Arthur Roberts), but has secretly set up a heroin-smuggling operation, the rascal. Drugs are cleverly concealed within Japanese dolls. Braden’s secret identity is that of a rogue “Demon Ninja,” and when he betrays Cho to eliminate witnesses and settle a mob war, he brutally murders Cho’s mother and kidnaps his son.
Cho is forced to abandon his lifelong vow of non-violence and don his ninja gear once more. His mission: rescue his son and avenge his family in an explosive, final showdown against Braden on the rooftop of a Salt Lake City skyscraper.
This was Director Sam Firstenberg’s debut in the action genre, and he made the most of it. He openly credited Shô Kosugi and Steven Lambert for significantly contributing to the film’s constant flow of action. Firstenberg would go on to build a career around directing action movies for Cannon Films and other direct-to-video actioners, helming notable titles like American Ninja, Operation Delta Force, the Cyborg Cop series, and a particular favourite or mine Avenging Force. Notably, he also directed the legendary Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo.
As a Cannon production, budget constraints are clearly evident. This sometimes impacts the editing, particularly noticeable during quieter moments where the acting can become quite hammy, allowing the dialogue to breathe (or stumble). However, it’s hard not to forgive and enjoy the film. Dialogue sequences merely serve as a link between the action sequences.
A highlight is Mario Gialli’s surprisingly large role as a recurring as the mob boss character who is constantly armed to the teeth and itching to deploy his weaponry, a blast of much-needed (and very 80s) humour. This would be Gialli’s final role and is the only significant screen role I can recall outside of the 1976 version of King Kong (where I don’t think he had any lines) and his career highlight, Raging Bull. Arthur Roberts, playing the villain Braden, feels slightly out of his element in the action, but thankfully, his Demon Ninja guise unleashes a capable stunt double (Steven Lambert,) echoing a similar substitution point from the first film.
Cho isn’t fighting alone. He’s backed by kickboxer Keith Vitali and Ashley Ferrare as Cathy (who, let’s be honest, is no Jedi). You also have Grace Oshita bringing grandmotherly ninja vibes. Virgil Frye stays on the beat as the detective tracking the mayhem, and then, of course, there’s Kane…
When it comes to kids as notable characters in action movies it can prove frustrating, but this doesn’t happen here. Kosugi’s son plays Cho’s son Kane, performing admirably alongside his father in the action scenes, making him an engaging, watchable young hero. There is a fun fight sequence with Ashley Ferrare that’s a benchmark for kids in action movies.
Revenge of the Ninja delivers what you’d expect from an 80s action flick, non-stop thrills. Much like its action sequences, the film doesn’t let up easily, just as you think a particular sequence is coming to an end it introduces another twist or flourish. It avoids resorting to crass humor or gratuitous nudity to maintain its audience’s attention. Instead, it keeps things creative and exciting. While some moments, especially the opening home invasion, could perhaps be tighter, Revenge of the Ninja is widely regarded as the best entry in the series and stands as one of Cannon’s most memorable action pictures.
A new scan of Revenge of the Ninja has been released on 4K UHD by Kino Lorber in the states. Whilst the 4K is region free, the blu-ray in the set is Region A locked with some of the special features. It does appear to have the same as the excellent blu release some years back.
