Following on from the last blog entry, here’s the second part of our Top Ninja Film countdown. All of these suggestions are from Cult Labs members, so if you have your own thoughts be sure to post them and you’ll be included in the next part!
4. The Ninja Mission - (Mats Helge, 1984)
Asia and America are not the only places to create some top-notch ninja-tainment. Sweden’s entry into the genre, The Ninja Mission, may not be an obvious choice, but it’s nevertheless is loved by cult fans around the world. One of the highest grossing films this country has ever created, the film is hugely popular in Asia. The film contains countless slow-motion battles and tones and tones of splatterific blood.
5. Norwegian Ninja – (Thomas Cappelen Malling, 2010)
From Sweden to Norway comes this crazy and totally bizarre Ninja film from the producers of the classic Nazi Zombie film, Dead Snow. Norwegian Ninja is a quirky, offbeat homage to everything from James Bond’s improbable spy shenanigans to B-movie Ninja flicks and post-modern Grindhouse culture to political conspiracy theory. Described as “quite possibly the most inventive and peculiar Norwegian film ever” (Tord Olander Pedersen, iTromsø.no) and “a refreshing Norwegian film in all its twisted boyhood fantasies” (Terje Eidsvåg, Adresseavisen) that “delivers plenty laughs and excitement” (Twitch), Malling’s film is a true original, a potent mix of fact, fiction and fantasy that is impossible to pigeonhole.
6. Ninja Terminator
In case you haven’t guessed yet, this list of the ‘top’ ninja films are not necessarily the best made, most socially relevant or enlightening works of art. On the contrary, most are poorly made, unintentionally hilarious slices of trash cinema. And they don’t come much better (or worse!) than this. Directed by Ninja legend, Godfrey Ho (one of the most prominent names in ninja cinema with such trash titles as Ninja Protector, Ninja Destroyer and Rage Of Ninja) this film is full of crazy action, cheesy dialogue, a ludicrous plot and laugh out loud terrible dubbing. A must see for cult connoisseurs.
If you have any suggestions for Ninja Films you’d like listed, either leave a comment here, on our Facebook group or the Ninja Thread on our forum.
Don’t forget the king of all Ninja Films, Chuck Norris’ excellent The Octagon is out on DVD and, for the first time ever, Blu-ray on the 30th July. You can pre-order your copy from Amazon.
