December 5 is the celebration of a special holiday known as “National Ninja Day.” Much like other fun celebrations, such as “Talk Like a Pirate” day, this holiday celebrates everything ninja and asks fans to show the world their awesome ninja skills. For those who just prefer to watch your favorite ninjas on TV, here is a look at the best ninja movies of all time.
“Shinobi No Mono” – This is the ninja movie that pretty much set the standards that all other ninja movies live by. Created in 1962, this black and white film introduced movie fans to the stealth of the ninja as well as the fighting techniques and weapons utilized by the assassins.
“American Ninja” – This might be the most entertaining movie on the list. This ninja is an American soldier with mad skills, who takes on the role of a ninja to save his colonel’s daughter, kidnapped by rebel forces. It is complete cheese and completely awesome.
“Kill Bill” – Quentin Tarantino grew up with B-movies and remains a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. This makes him almost a master at the history of ninja films, which he brings to his story of a woman betrayed by the man she once worked for. She then sets out to kill everyone who ruined her wedding day. The battle between The Bride and the Crazy 88 ninjas is a thing of beauty.
“Shogun Assassin” – Based on the comic book “Line Wolf & Cub,” “Shogun Assassin” tells the story of a shogun whose wife is murdered, and he exiled, after the killers frame him for the tragedy. He allows his infant son to choose his destiny, either freeing death or living a life of danger. His son chooses danger and the vengeance begins.
“Revenge of the Ninja” – Created in the excess of the ’80s, “Revenge of the Ninja” mixes the ninja action movies with the world of the drug wars. While in no way a masterpiece, the movie remains a cult classic, especially for the use of the superhuman ninja powers the hero displays.
“Batman Begins” – While not a ninja movie all the way through, when Bruce Wayne sets out to figure out his destiny, he trains with a ninja group called the League of Shadows, led by the mysterious Ra’s al Ghul. When he learns of their mission to destroy Gotham City, he breaks off from them and ends up having to stop their plans as Batman.
“Ninja Scroll” – There has to be an animated ninja movie here somewhere, and the 1993 Japanese animated “Ninja Scroll” fits here well. The movie tells the story of a traveling ninja who has to stop an old enemy who wants to overthrow the Shogun.
“IZO” – Whenever Takashi Miike makes a movie, it is almost guaranteed to be unique. The movie features an assassin in feudal Japan who is killed by a rival clan, but comes back as a demon bent on revenge. The body count is high and the story is crazy.
“The Warriors Way” – Released in 2010, “The Warriors Way” tells the story of a ninja sent in to slaughter an entire rival clan. He turns his back on his clan when he cannot find it in himself to kill a young baby, the last living member of the clan. He heads to America where he begins living with a carnival, however his own ninja clan sets out to kill him and finish the job, while a group of Confederate soldiers begin to threaten the lives of the carnival members as well.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” – They are mutant turtles who learn ninja from a giant rat and fight an evil overlord named Shredder. What more could you want from a ninja movie?
See also:
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Criterion Collection Releases: December 2012
