Revenge of the Ninja

Infobox_film |
name= Revenge of the Ninja

---

caption = "Revenge of the Ninja" movie poster
director = Sam Firstenberg
writer = James Silke
starring = Shô Kosugi
Keith Vitali
Kane Kosugi
Virgil Frye
Arthur Roberts
Mario Gallo
cinematography = David Gurfinkel
editing = Michael J, Duthie
Mark Helfrich
Daniel Wetherbee
music = W. Michael Lewis
Laurin Rinder
Robert J. Walsh
producer = Yoram Globus
Menahem Golan
David Womark
distributor = Cannon Films
MGM / United Artists
released = September 7, 1983
runtime = 90 minutes
country = United States
language = English
rating =
amg_id = 1:41176
imdb_id = 0086192

"Revenge of the Ninja" (1983) is an action movie starring Shô Kosugi as a ninja. It is considered part of a ninja trilogy, starting with "Enter the Ninja" (1981) and ending with "" (1984), but the stories are not directly related. The final battle is considered a battle between good and evil.

Plot summary

"Revenge of the Ninja" opens with an attack on the home of Cho (the Shô Kosugi character) in Japan, resulting in the slaughter of his entire family except for his mother and his younger son, Kane (played by Kosugi's actual son, Kane Kosugi). When Cho arrives at his estate and discovers the carnage, the ninjas attempt to kill him as well, but Cho, being a Ninja as well, avenges his family by slaughtering the Ninja adorned by red headbands. Afterwards, however, he swears off being a ninja forever and moves to the United States with his son where he opens a doll shop with the help of his American business partner, Braden.

Cho moves to California where he opens a Japanese art gallery. Kathy, his assistant, helps Cho with opening of the gallery. Kane accidentally drops and breaks open a Japanese doll exposing a white dust (heroin). Kathy reports to Braden telling him of the incident. Braden reponds with a "#$#@!2 $3, you're suppose to protect the dolls, that's why you are there."

He later tells Kathy that he needs to see Kaifano, a Mafia drug dealer, to deliver the illegal goods. Kaifano and Braden could not find common ground and eventually engage in a turf war. Braden, as a silver "demon" masked ninja, assassinates three of his Mafia cronies, including a handsome nephew. However Kaifnao plans to gain the heroin by breaking into the gallery.

The police are confused about the killings and a police martial arts expert, Dave Hatcher, is assigned to find a consultant. Dave persuades Cho to see his boss, and Cho tells him that only a Ninja could commit these crimes. Kaifnao orders the acquisition of goods from the gallery, and sends three men.

Cho haphardly walks into the gallery while Kaifnao's henchmen loads the goods in a van. Cho is attacked and responded with hand-to-hand combat. The henchmen escape in the van and Cho pursues. Meanwhile a Ninja stealthy arrives to Cho's art gallery to find that it was recently looted. Cho's mother finds the Ninja while he was exiting. She engages in battle with Braden. Braden kills her, and while he takes off his mask Kane sees who the Ninja is-- Braden. Kane escapes Braden's pursuit. Cho, badly mangled, returns defeated to find that his mother was murdered and his son missing.

Braden finds Kathy being raped by his Sumo-like assistant. He strangles him to death and Kathy is then asked where "little Kane is." Braden hypnotizes her to track the child down. Eventually, Kane returns back to the gallery to find Kathy there waiting for him. Kathy takes Kane back to Braden only then realizing what she has done.

Cho realizes that Braden trained Koga Ninjitsu while living in Japan for twenty years and that he was used to ship in heroin. He breaks his devotion to non-violence with a religious Japanese ceremony blessing his weapons. He makes his way to Kaifano's two towered headquarters.

Braden makes his final assault on Kafinao and his organization with an assortment of martial arts weapons. Braden eventually finds Kafinao to finish him off. Dave rushes to find Braden, but he is ambushed. Braden mortally wounds Dave as Cho runs up to find Dave in a pool of blood-- dying in his arms.

The film ends with an epic battle between good (Cho) and evil (Braden). Braden and Cho on top of Kaifano's headquarters, a skyscraper, battle to the death. After a long struggle Cho kills Braden and is reunited with his son while Kathy looks on in relief that he killed Braden.

Quotes

* Cathy: What are you doin to me?
* Braden: Cathy, you're a disappointment and my trust in you is gone. You've shown too much compassion.
* Cathy: Oh, my God! What have I done?
* Cathy: What do you want with him?
* Braden: He saw me, Cathy, so now he and his father must die.
* Cathy: Don't kill Cho! Please!
* Braden: Goodbye, Cathy.

Cho: Only a ninja can stop a ninja.

Cho: If you want to work out. . . you forgot your pants.Cathy: Do you really think I forgot them?

Trivia

*Though the film is set in California, every car has a Utah license plate.
*Professor Toru Tanaka, who plays Braden's first sumo servant, never had any doctorate; this was his professional name as a wrestler.
*The original theatrical release was heavily cut, as was the VHS. Sho Kosugi's son's death (ninja star in the head) was cut, as were the deaths of three guards at the hands of the evil ninja Braden. Braden's gory death was also slightly trimmed. All cuts were reinserted into the Region 1 DVD from MGM.

External links

*imdb title|id=0086192|title=Revenge of the Ninja
* [http://www.cityonfire.com/features/vitali/ Interview with Keith Vitali at cityonfire.com]

Reviews

* [http://www.internalbleeding.net/2008/07/revenge-of-the-ninja/ Internal Bleeding]
* [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE3DF1338F93BA3575AC0A965948260 New York Times review]