Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (2013) - Scott Adkins and Kane Kosugi

[robbie]

does anyone know if u.s blu-ray is region free for this release

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

The fight choreography was incredible and I actually liked the first movie as well. Not sure what people are complaining about but at least the first movie you actually give a shit about the characters. Here, the 2nd one, it's like a porno movie, you're just waiting for the cum shots. I could care less about Adkins Japanese wife being killed because they didn't give her enough time to flesh out her character so I couldn't give a shit.

[rdenn]

really enjoyed this one, great fight scenes thats all i care about, its a martial arts movie what else am i watching it for, liked the fight with tim mann great bootwork there, ..one gripe can scott ever do a movie without him being shirtless , feels good to actually enjoy a new martial arts movie for once..hope it happens again soon.

[trueth]

The fight choreography was incredible and I actually liked the first movie as well. Not sure what people are complaining about but at least the first movie you actually give a shit about the characters. Here, the 2nd one, it's like a porno movie, you're just waiting for the cum shots. I could care less about Adkins Japanese wife being killed because they didn't give her enough time to flesh out her character so I couldn't give a shit.

I agree with everything you said and it sucks because I'm a fan of Mika Hijii (Adkins Japanese wife), who was also in the Garo show and Alien Vs. Ninja. I realize she was a main character in the 1st film but a little more attention could've been given to her to really make her death have more of an impact. Also, was her English voice dubbed? The voice didn't quite match for me and I was somewhat relieved that when her character died I would no longer have to listen to it.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

I agree with everything you said and it sucks because I'm a fan of Mika Hijii (Adkins Japanese wife), who was also in the Garo show and Alien Vs. Ninja. I realize she was a main character in the 1st film but a little more attention could've been given to her to really make her death have more of an impact. Also, was her English voice dubbed? The voice didn't quite match for me and I was somewhat relieved that when her character died I would no longer have to listen to it.

Yeah other than some nitpick, fight choreography again was aces. Tons of well choreographed crisp fights, the ending one was my favorite!

[VenomsFan]

Seemed more like a highlight reel than a movie.

Most of the fights were sped up (like the bar in the Thai restaurant). Scott also has a stunt double in some scenes. Another complaint is some moves were used over and over again in the same sequence - like the triple kick. Let's not forget the slow motion repeat shots people complained about when Tony Jaa did them back in the Ong Bak days.

Do people WANT to like it because there have been only a handful of MA movies this year? There's only 1, maybe 2 worth watching more than once out of the entire year.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Seemed more like a highlight reel than a movie.

Most of the fights were sped up (like the bar in the Thai restaurant). Scott also has a stunt double in some scenes. Another complaint is some moves were used over and over again in the same sequence - like the triple kick. Let's not forget the slow motion repeat shots people complained about when Tony Jaa did them back in the Ong Bak days.

Do people WANT to like it because there have been only a handful of MA movies this year? There's only 1, maybe 2 worth watching more than once out of the entire year.

Yeah, I can kinda see that. There hasn't been a handful of quality MA movies, or maybe the fact that I haven't seen most of them yet. Ninja 2 wasn't so bad, I liked it. Waiting for it to come on Netflix so I can see a better quality.

[VenomsFan]

Having said that, I should add that Ninja 2 IS one of those MA films this year worth watching more than once. It was also released on itunes this week, if you have that.

[chanbara]

It's interesting to see so many mixed reactions to the film, particularly since every single review that came out of the advanced screenings at Fantastic Fest were unbelievably positive. I suspected that those fan-boy reviews might be a little misleading and too good to be true...

I'm a little mixed on it myself, although the positives far outweigh the negatives and I definitely give the film a thumb's up.

Anyway, here are my thoughts and 2 cents on the film that I've/we've been talking about and waiting over a year to see:

Although it isn't as great as the fan-boys led us to believe, thankfully they weren't exaggerating when they said it was a complete 180 from the silly, goofy, and ultimately stale live-action cartoon that the first film was. Everything that made the first film so lame and such a disappointment has indeed been corrected. This isn't another tired American Ninja rehash, and there's nothing remotely like the cartoony made-up secret Russian sect, no magic potions in sword handles, no modern sci-fi looking ninja suits, no flying squirrel ninja, and even the acting is much better (the acting in the first was worse and more amateurish than you see in student films). This time around we've got a straight forward (albeit simple) and serious revenge story. The tone of the film is dark, somber, and intense, which is exactly what I was hoping for. The first film was a kid's movie, this one feels more like it's for the grown-ups. And last but certainly not least, the fight scenes are infinitely better than anything seen in the first film. Most of the credit for this has to go to fight choreographer Tim Man, who with his stunt team set up some incredibly inventive stuff. Scott, Kane, and the other martial artists in the film had to deliver the goods of course (and they did), but without great choreography the fights would've been as boring and uninspired as they were in the first film.

That being said, I have to concur with those who said that as great and impressive as the fights were, there may have actually been too many of them (something I wouldn't have thought possible in a martial arts flick). It did at times feel like a fight reel instead of a story-driven film. Rather than a "fight first, ask questions later" type of thing, it was more of a "fight first, no need for questions" thing. This wouldn't be a negative if this were a video game, but as a dramatic film focusing on a husband seeking out his wife's killer, it didn't make much sense because dead men can't talk. They could've easily cut out a few of the somewhat repetitive bar and street fights and put in some more story-advancing scenes and/or flashback scenes showing why we should feel for the lead guy. Granted they did have some momentary flashes of Mika Hijii's lovely face to remind us, but we didn't get enough footage of Mika on screen showing their relationship to become invested in Scott's quest for vengeance. And speaking of Scott Adkins, I have to say I was pretty impressed with him, unlike in the first film where I found him to be wooden and without any real screen presence/charisma/star-quality. He's definitely improved as an actor and there's no denying he's got some impressive kicks and acrobatic martial arts abilities, which thanks to Tim Man's well-crafted choreography, jumps off the screen.

As far as how much of a "ninja movie" this is, it might not have enough for some people. As others have stated it's more of a generic fight flick, but I was relatively satisfied with its "ninja-ness" as Scott pulls out some shuriken during at least one of his fights and also dons some vintage/traditional-looking ninja threads during a stealthy night assault segment. There's also a cool new ninja back story mythology (shown partly in old footage) which cleverly ties into the film's storyline. Also, without spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, Scott isn't the only ninja in the film (and I don't just mean Mika Hijii's character - although you wouldn't know it from how easily she was killed – this is unfortunately the one thing they didn't fix from the first film, the Koga master's ninja daughter was shown to be skilled but then she was easily defeated and suddenly weak and in need of rescue, and this time she's easily killed. LAME.).

Kane Kosugi was, as expected, also great in the film. His role wasn't as big as I would've liked, but I was expecting that, so I wasn't too disappointed. The fight between him and Scott was definitely the best thing in the film for me and I was glad to see the use of weapons in the fight (the part where Kane hooked up the long and short swords together was wicked). Tim Man's choreography was once again impressive, and if I were Kane I'd want him to be the fight choreographer for his upcoming film "Silent Storm", which is supposed to shoot next year. Wouldn't mind seeing Florentine as director, or seeing Kane starring in another film directed by Florentine either.

I'm definitely looking forward to watching the film again and checking out the behind the scenes extras when my pre-ordered Blu-ray arrives. It's not a perfect film, but it is a solid kick-ass intense martial arts film and definitely a successful redemption for Florentine, Adkins, and those who we're also responsible for the first film. Well done.

[kingofkungfu2002]

Scott also has a stunt double in some scenes.

Probably because Scott got a back injury during filming.

[Lionclaw]

This is why we can't have nice things. The man is just recovering from bad injuries and gives us passable acting and many above average fight scenes and people are still not happy. What else do you guys want? Good martial arts movies now a days are hard to come by so I appreciate effort where its due.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

This is why we can't have nice things. The man is just recovering from bad injuries and gives us passable acting and many above average fight scenes and people are still not happy. What else do you guys want? Good martial arts movies now a days are hard to come by so I appreciate effort where its due.

I liked it?

[TheGrimReaper]

Everyone has its own opinion about any movie out there, and we should respect the differences between us

For any movie there would be a negative and positive comments - you can't please them all as you know I know people which does not like The Godfather Trilogy, Star Wars movies, LotR trilogy, Indiana Jones movies and many iconic movies from any genre, but with some of these people I manage to become friend

About Ninja 2 - well I forgot to add one thing, Kane Kosugi was not underused here, like in some other movies (Coweb anyone). He proved to be pretty good in acting department as well as in fighting section - I hope his father is proud.

For me Ninja 2 was something refreshing to watch and experience, I found some kind of boredom recently while watching martial arts movies, partly because I was dissapointed form some titles (Badges of Fury) and was looking for something to wake me up from my sleep.

And I'm grateful to this movie for giving me emotions I thought lost from some time.

Greetings

[Lionclaw]

Everyone has its own opinion about any movie out there, and we should respect the differences between us

For any movie there would be a negative and positive comments - you can't please them all as you know I know people which does not like The Godfather Trilogy, Star Wars movies, LotR trilogy, Indiana jones movies and many iconic movies from any genre, but with some of these people I manage to become friend

About Ninja 2 - well I forgot to add one thing, Kane Kosugi was not underused here, like in some other movies (Coweb anyone). He proved to be pretty good in acting department as well as in fighting section - I hope his father is proud.

For me Ninja 2 was something refreshing to watch and experience, I found some kind of boredom recently while watching martial arts movies, partly because I was dissapointed form some titles (Badges of Fury) and was looking for something to wake me up from my sleep.

And I'm grateful ro this movie for giving me emotions I thought lost from some time.

Greetings

You are very right. Maybe I overreacted because I enjoyed the movie so much. I never saw the appeal of the Godfather and never plan to see the whole thing or the sequels so......

[Drunken Monk]

If you think "The Expendables" is a nice homage to 80's action cinema, you need to watch "Ninja 2." It is the perfect nod to nineties western martial arts films. In fact, if you told me this film was made in '93, I'd believe you.

This film is NOT a show reel. Not even close. Yes, there are flip kicks and tricks but they're blended seamlessly into the choreography and each fight has more than its fair share of intricacies. This is not a case of stuntmen waiting around to be kicked at all. These are proper fights and damn good ones at that.

Too many fights? Again, I totally disagree. This is a true action film that aims to deliver. It's a fan pleaser in the way "Broken Path" is.

Ok, so it's not new or cutting edge like, say, "The Raid" but it is non-stop action and great action at that. How many films can we say that about? The fight between Adkins and Tim Man alone is worth the price of admission. Surrounded by fire? Check. Blades aplenty? Yup. Fantastic boot work? You bet your bollocks. Great stuff.

If you're looking to criticize the film then you'll be able to tear it to shreds. Yes, it's silly but, hey, I'm not one to turn my nose up at ninety minutes of GREAT martial arts action. If you don't take it too seriously you'll like this one, if not love it.

I can say that I very much enjoyed it. It's part "Rambo," part "American Ninja" and part "Undisputed 3." Give it a go.

[ToryK]

Looking forward to it. I haven't seen it yet, but when I do, I bet I'll find that the "too many fights" complaint was unwarranted. You know what I catch myself thinking when I watch these sort of films, when people are talking and not punching? "I wish this guy was beating somebody's ass right now." That's not to say that martial arts movie can't have a good story, it's just a rarity. And I'm fine with that, as long as I get what I came for in the first place. Ninja 2 sounds like it delivers on that front, so I'm good. Anyway, the 31st can't come fast enough.

[odioustrident]

This was a lot of fun... certain fights do feel like they went all out on a showreel with just enough hesitation, telegraphed movement and uneven flow to remind you that you're watching a Western MA film. For every one of these fights there is another with pretty seamless rhythm and incorporation of "spot" moves... however. Most people seem to hold films from this side of the world to a different standard and I'm no different. Pretty badass all around.

[gorhama]

Argh.......someone posted the fight scenes on youtube.....it's taking all of my being to not just watch them. I want the same experience of when I watched Scott Adkins in Undisputed 2.

So looking forward to this movie what a way to end 2013 and take us into a great 2014!!!

[Lionclaw]

Argh.......someone posted the fight scenes on youtube.....it's taking all of my being to not just watch them. I want the same experience of when I watched Scott Adkins in Undisputed 2.

So looking forward to this movie what a way to end 2013 and take us into a great 2014!!!

What was your experience when you watched Undisputed 2 for the first time.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Whatever you do guys, do not Download or youtube this shit. Nothing urks me more than some shit quality dead pixel viewing that ruins your enjoyment in movies. That quality up in the torrents right now has to be the ugliest looking boot ever. Wait for the bluray folks.

[Drunken Monk]

Whatever you do guys, do not Download or youtube this shit. Nothing urks me more than some shit quality dead pixel viewing that ruins your enjoyment in movies. That quality up in the torrents right now has to be the ugliest looking boot ever. Wait for the bluray folks.

My download was crystal clear. I wasn't going to even get it as I already have the DVD on pre-order but I just had to see it early.

I wouldn't watch it on You Tube though. Especially since some of the fights are a little dark on You Tube makes them look like shit.

[gorhama]

What was your experience when you watched Undisputed 2 for the first time.

It was ok........

It was awesome.....I loved every minute of the movie and still do!!

[Jesse Smooth]

Though I missed the first half (as I was at a film expo that was kinda mismanaged), I saw the finale on the big screen and it was AWESOME!!!!

Had the pleasure of meeting Isaac Florentine and actress Mika. Both are very sweet people.

[Gwai LO]

the full movie is all over youtube if you guys want to check it out.

[ShaOW!linDude]

See, that irks me. One of the things that Adkins specifically asked of us fans was to have the decency to wait until the film was properly released rather than pirating it or taking advantage of pirated copies/opportunities. If the studios lose money on this because of these sorts of tactics (much like what apparently happened with Undisputed 3), they won't bother backing them, and we'll all moan and groan and cry and whine because we just can't understand why. ("Ow! I'm bleeding! I mean, I know I just shot myself in the foot, but I don't understand...")

For those of you who have managed to legitimately view the movie, kudos and I'm jealous. For those who haven't yet legitimately seen it, but found a means to see it anyway...good for you, but I don't want to know about it, and I hope you're proud of yourself.