Shinobi Review

"clumsy plot, hugely unsympathetic characters and meandering, unfocused run time" in a Kitamura film? No Way!!!

:) Yes, that is sarcasm.

I'm gonna have to get this one. The trailer has been scream MUST-SEE for quite some time now...

Damn you, Credit Card limit!!!

what scares me is not the credit card limit, the real ninja is the credit card statement... ^_^

Got this baby coming too. Trailer looked too fun to pass.

I could definitely go for some sweet ninja action right about now. I've been looking forward to this ever since I saw the trailer.

hah, I just finished watching Shinobi and u guys have a review already! I'll have to disagree w/you between Azumi and Shinobi. I had more of an emotional connection with Azumi's characters, plus the fight sequences, direction, and musical score were revolutionary. Shinobi is a good movie, I agree that's its one of the sharpest-shot flicks, and the special FX are 2nd to none. The only problem I have is that the characters were under-developed. Whereas somebody died in Azumi, I'd care about the character. In shinobi, it was like 1 down, 2 more to go. Nonetheless, peeps should watch the movie just for the amazing ninja duels! I'll give it 3 of 5 stars

I must disagree with the review. The film was pretty darn weak in my opinion - even for a mindless ninja action flick. I have no love for Azumi, and this was better than that, but certainly not by much.

To me this film just seemed dead. First I was expecting this to take the action-route but in the end, there wasn't that much action in the film. Well, no problem, good characterization is better anyway. Wait.. there isn't much about the characters either! OK, they've sort-of defined the relationship of the main leads here but what's this guys background? What does.. oh, he's gone already. Well then, who's she, why would.. oops, she's down.
I can't really find anything to write home about in this film. Acting was so-so, cinematography was below average - even the effects didn't 'wow' me. Even the presence of Yukie Nakama didn't help.
I'd rather rather watch Fukasaku's Satomi hakkenden instead - that was at least pretty entertaining, all things considered.

The trailer I saw at the official Shinobi site has a couple of uninspiring scenes of lovers standing atop cliffs framed by reddish sunsets, encircled by sweeping mountain vistas; then what appears to be the same building blowing up a couple of times; the proceedings all accompanied by some undistinguished sentimental singing suitable for a sappy melodrama; and barely any sign of the cool deadly martial arts scenes you describe. Question: does the trailer completely misrepresent the film?

I thought it looked pretty bad but I ordered it anyway, but I highly doubt its going to be anywhere as good as Azumi was.

Somewhere in the middle for me. Yes, it's much, much better than Azumi, but it still falls flat on a number of levels; the cinematography is a little too Kodak-moment, there's little or no characterisation beyond the facile, the effects are hit and miss (I did like a lot of them but one or two moments were very poor) and the love story never turns into anything - the ending was horrible, insulting and seemed to make a mockery of most of what had gone before. On the other hand, the fight choreography was tremendous - not the best I've ever seen by any means, but I did frequently have to keep reminding myself I was watching a Japanese martial arts film and not something from HK or mainland China. Plus some of the effects were admittedly far better than I expected - again, much, much better than Azumi. It was pleasing everyone got their little moment to shine, too.

Good, worth a watch, possibly even a buy - but ultimately somewhat disappointing, and Duelist basically stamps all over it both as an artistic spectacle and a love story, and with fight scenes that have an emotional impact. :P

I'm currently watching the live action Gokusen TV show, also with Yukie Nakama. My expectations for Shibobi aren't that high or anything, but I can't wait to see her in it. :)

Yeah, Nakama's not an ugly girl, is she? Zowie.

I can't believe a couple of you are digging at the cinematography because this thing is just beautiful. I'll agree most of the secondary characters are little more than rough sketches, though.

As for the ending, I can see why you feel that way, Eight Rooks, but I disagree. The ending ultimately is about Gennosuke pushing Oboro to fight against fate for the good of their people. Everybody other than Gennosuke is very passive in the face of 'fate' - some even welcoming and hurrying their own destruction becasue they believe it is fated - and his actions at the end are meant to spur Oboro into rebelling against that mindset, which she was slipping into. Basically the Shogun is right, the shinobi clans as they are will destroy the peace of the realm leaving the shinobi with only the choices to embrace that and destroy the realm, accept their own extermination, or find a way to change their basic nature. Gennosuke pushes Oboro to take door number three when everybody else is pushing for one and two.

And yeah, Jon, the trailer focuses almost exclusively on the love story and that nasty pop song is nowhere to be found in the body of the film. It strikes a much better balance than the traile indicates.

I'm not saying Shinobi is high art or anything, but it aims really high for a popcorn flick and it hits pretty much all of its marks. While I was writing this I was trying to think of a recent ninja film that came anywhere close to this one and I couldn't ... Azumi and Red Shadow can't lay a finger on it ...

Geert Jan. Ah yes, Gokusen's Yukie Nakama was about the only reason I actually wanted to see Shinobi for. I was a bit letdown though. I liked her a lot better in Gokusen, and I believe comedy like that is more suited for her style.

I think she's in a recent one (or two) part tv "special" of Satomi hakkenden. Might need to check that out.
I just wish they would subtitle some of these Japanese series on DVD like they're doing in S.Korea.

Thanks Todd, I'm always interested in what kind of soundtrack the director's chosen. I'm pretty allergic to syrupy melodies, especially when bloodthirsty hordes of shinobi warriors are exacting revenge on other tribes, clansmen are flying out of trees hurling knives, and characters are being disembowled alive! :)

Don't recall any disembowlings but there is one very impressive impaling. I've never seen anything quite like this one and it's pretty spectacular ...

anybody remember Azumi's ending theme song at the end? That was a great song. Shinobi's song at the end was ok, I don't mind it. Btw, isn't Odagiri Joe the same dude who played the gay villain in Azumi>?

Indeed he is. He and Yoshio Harada were the best parts in Kitamura's flick. Thanks for this review. Now my interest is piqued.

I got what the ending was trying to do, but I don't think it worked with what ended up happening, if you take my meaning (though obviously you disagree). I don't think _any_ of the characters were sketched out in any way beyond the most basic, so I didn't much care about the supposedly awful thing threatening to happen at the end, and I thought what happened was an appalling way to illustrate the "change your basic nature" theme and made it seem like they hadn't struck out for independence and/or establishing themselves as human beings at all. The ending of Duelist did a far, far better job of saying "well, yeah, in a way this had to happen, but at the same time it's all a pile of shit and we should be ashamed of ourselves for kow-towing to custom and expectations, shouldn't we?" Not to mention their peculiar insistence on an almost complete lack of gore meant the impact of it was pretty much robbed altogether by that final scene.

Much better than Azumi (1 or 2), oh God yes. Great film, hell no. Tissue-thin, nothing about it that spectacularly beautiful (some lovely shots of those red and yellow leaves, and the odd landscape shot, but I've seen far better), too many cheap moments (that beheading was unintentionally laughable) and fails to deliver any sort of real message. Fun fluff, a lot more stylish than I expected, some very creative moments, but ultimately fairly forgettable. But hey, different strokes. :P

I just watched this last night, and I agree with many of the comments previously stated. I thought the special effects and the cinematography were good (it definitely wasn't an eyesore), but this movie fails to be great because of the weak characterization. There is no emotional connection whatsoever and even when watching the planned fate of both villages, I felt little sorrow. Even Gennosuke's fate failed to illicit any real emotional response from me, and I was essentially watching the movie for Odagiri Joe. Everyone seems so passive in this movie, even Gennosuke who is supposed to be the one fighting vehemently against his fate.

The only moment that even came close to hitting any real emotional point was at the end when Oboro showed how she was going to deal with the fate that was dealt to her. And even then, the shock of her decision didn't feel quite as climatic as it should have been.

Still. Odagiri Joe and Nakama Yukie are always a treat to watch.

I can't believe the lack of love for Azumi - Azumi was so much fun in an admittedly not very cerebral way - but its a film I can watch fairly often. If Shinobi is better, I should go back to NYC on the next train because it's waiting for me!

I think the thing with many Kitamura films for me - Azumi included - is that I can't shake the feeling that he's capable of far, far better so when he takes the easy - or lazy - way out it just drives me crazy ...

YO! This movie is AWESOME! It's special effects are rad and so are the characters. It's got the Pizzazz of Ninja Scroll and look of Flying Daggers. A Very pleasent purchase!

This movie rocks! My only complaints are I REALLY wish we got to see Gennosuke kick some butt! He had the one small (although kick ass)fight scene, then...nothing. While watching this make sure you enjoy everything up to the ending because there's nothing waiting there for you. Waited the whole movie to see the final confrontation between the 2 star crossed lovers? Don't expect anything intense or flashy there. The moment just comes...and passes. Although great it also has to be one of the most anticlimatic movies I've ever seen. I may seem to have a more than a few gripes about this flim but the amazing CG, fight scenes, characters and cinematography more than make up for what was lacking. 7.5/10

woot! saw it last night, lovely.

Nice chick, unique characters, plenty of breathtaking actions, straight forward story, ending somewhat dissatisfying but not surprising given Japanese culture, and yea... nice chick :D

Overall a very enjoyable film much different to my original expectation after seeing a couple of boring Ninja movies before.
I guess compared to Azumi there's a striking difference: Azumi has a nice DVD cover. Shinobi has a nice DVD cover and nice DVD.

where can i get quotes from the movie?

THIS MOVIE OFFICIALLY SUCKS
I DONT KNOW WHY EVERYONE THINKS ITS SO GOOD
THE GUY COULD'VE JUST USED HIS SUPER SPEED TO RUN TO THE SHOGUN'S PLACE INSTEAD OF TAKING 5 OF HIS CLAN MEMBERS TO GET KILLED WITH HIM AND NOT GET KILLED BY HIS GF HIMSELF. AND WTF IS UP WITH EVERYONE'S POWERS, NOTHING IS EXPLAINED IS IT SUPPOSE TO JUST BE LIKE "OH OKAY, SO HE CAN DO THAT." WTF! AND DIDNT THE IMMORTAL GUY HAVE A SWORD?! WHERE DID THE RINGS COME FROM?!?!? AND WHEN HE PULLED OUT THE RINGS WHERE WAS HIS SWORD?!?! GODDDD DAMNNNN. OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE! I THINK YOU'RE ALL JUST AMAZED BY THE FACT IT WAS A KITAMURA MOVIE AND YUKIE AND JO. UGHH
THIS MOVIE WAS REALLY WEAK IN MY OPINION. 1/5 TO ME.