Dad spends a night in the mancave, Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear review

Nothing says mancave happiness like a good ninja movie.  Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear is a ninja movie with an old school heart and in some cases that’s not a good thing.  However, this is a ninja movie and people who will watch this grade ninjas on a curve, lest they come through the screen and kick our butt. I was joking with my wife that I was going to watch Ninja II:  Electric Boogalooo.**  Thankfully Shadow of a Tear wasn’t like that, but it wasn’t a ninja classic either.

Scott Adkins plays Casey, a westerner who is the head sensei at a dojo in Tokyo.   Being the sequel to Ninja, you know that some tomfoolery and recurring characters will come our way.  Sure enough we learn that his wife is a student at the dojo and meet some of the fighting folks who were in Ninja.

The plot in Ninja II is really simple.  I made a haiku to illustrate how simple the plot is.

Ninja loves

Lost and tricked

Fight-win!

Early in Ninja II Casey’s wife (who was pregnant…) gets killed by a ninja using a whip, razor type weapon.  Casey recognizes the mark of the weapon, meets an old friend who runs a school in Thailand and offers him the chance to relax over there.  Everyone in Thailand must know some form of martial arts.  While the street ninjas in the movie are good fighters, the muay thai fighters in other movies scare the buggers out of me. But, back to the movie, once there Casey goes off the ninja reservation exacting revenge when it appears that his wife’s killer is following him.

From there he gets arrested, goes to the jungle and finds the hideout for one of the two most infamous drug lords in Asia.  When the movie ends with Casey killing said drug lord with 15 minutes left in the film you realize that the twist you thought you suspected 10 minutes into the movie was correct.

Ninja movie rule #1: You don’t begrudge the plot for being simple.

The fight scenes in Ninja II are good.  They feel organic and make you want to see more of Scott Adkins.  However, the middle and later part of the movie is a bit too much like the bad part of 80’s ninja movies.  Explosions, hokey weapons that are the signature of the villain and the feel of 80’s cheese just around the corner pepper the movie too.

Ninja 2 isn’t a bad movie.*  However, the script is weak and the acting seemed forced.  Casual ninja fans will enjoy Ninja II in a JCVD way and average movie goers will be mildly entertained.    Ninja II is rated R for violence and drug use.

 

* bad ninja movie can’t be made.  Lest real ninjas scale your walls and creep in your windows with throwing stars.

**  I swear if anyone ever makes a movie called Ninja II:  Electric Boogaloo I won’t get a cent of the profits…..  Patend pending