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5 comments about The Legend of Bruce Lee.

1. ... THE MAN YOU SEE IN THIS MOVIE IS NOT BRUCE LEE, BUT BRUCE LE, A BRUCE LEE WANNABE... A YOUNG BRUCE LEE WHO WANTS REVENGE FOR HIS FRIEND WHO WAS MURDERED, LEARNS THE SNAKE FIST STYLE. BRUCE LE IS PROBABLY THE BEST OF THE BRUCE LEE WANNABES. THIS IS A GREAT KUNG FU MOVIE, EVEN THOUGH THIS STORY IS 100% FICTIONAL. EVERYTHING BOUT THIS MOVIE IS COOL, FROM THE FIGHTS TO THE SCRIPT. DON'T WATCH THIS FOR THE PLOT, CAUSE THERE'S VERY LITTLE PLOT. WATCH IT FOR ITS FIGHTS AND YOU'LL ENJOY IT. GREAT MOVIE FOR SUCH A CHEAP PRICE.



2. It must be stated at the outset that this film has nothing whatsoever to do with Bruce Lee. The star of the movie is actually Bruce Le, one of several Bruce Lee wannabe martial arts actors who followed in the wake of the true legend's shocking death. Furthermore, this is by no means a biographical account of any part of Bruce Lee's life, despite the title and the blurb on the box cover which says "Bruce Le portrays his tragic namesake." The only tie of any kind with the real Bruce Lee comes in the opening scene, wherein an astrologer sees a meteor and makes a prediction concerning the young baby of the couple sitting beside him, after which a shot of the real Bruce Lee appears. The fact that the film is not in truth about Bruce Lee at all comes very soon after the opening credits, though.

   In and of itself, putting aside its misleading title and description, The Legend of Bruce Lee does have legs to stand on, albeit sometimes rather shaky ones. Bruce comes across as something of a juvenile delinquent who is constantly getting into fights (not always with good results). In an effort to improve his skills, he begins taking instruction in the art of Wing Chun kung fu, which includes some training in the art of blindfolded boxing (this comes after Bruce gets kicked around pretty convincingly by a blind man on the streets). After a time, he sort of abandons this type of fighting and begins training in the snake fist style. All of this training comes in handy because he can't walk a block without being attacked by a gang of kung fu thuds. The plot, what there is of it, is actually rather annoying, not to mention loosely tied together. The only real plot point comes when one of Bruce's friends is murdered and Bruce decides to avenge his friend's death.

   There are some comical elements to this film, most of which revolve around a young man whom I would characterize as the Curly Howard of the Far East; he is little more than a buffoon whose antics become less funny as the movie progresses. The remainder of the storyline needs no description because it is only a means to an end. This film is really all about the fight scenes, and there are plenty of them. While these fights can be rather fun to watch, they definitely look choreographed (whereas the fights of the real Bruce Lee were quite realistic). One nice surprise comes in the form of Kien Shih's role in the film; Bruce Lee fans will recognize him instantly as the man who played the evil Han (the villain with the claw) in Enter the Dragon. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of this film, though, is the big snake scene. After his snake fist kung fu master tells Bruce to study the actual movements of a snake, he wastes no time assembling a trio of impressively dangerous-looking serpents upon which to practice his moves in concert with their reactions to his extremely annoying feints and pseudo-attacks against them.

   Fans of the legendary Bruce Lee really have no reason to watch The Legend of Bruce Lee. Martial arts fans, though, may well get some enjoyment out of watching it for the simple reason that it features a very significant amount of fighting.




3. First of all, lets get one thing straight. Some goons who have written reviews for this movie below seem to think Bruce Lee is in it. Bruce Lee is not the star of this movie. The star is Bruce Le - king of Bruceploitation. Very and I mean very loosley based on the early years of Bruce Lee, this movie shows Bruce Le as a college student who is constantly getting into fights. He learns martial arts and quickly becomes a master. The final confrontation in the film sees Le taking on the villain with the claw from Enter The Dragon. Le defeats him and the two seem to make friends. While this is certainly not as good as some of Le's later movies, it's still very good and a must for collectors.



4. This is yet another Bruceploitation flick that I choose not to give a whole paragraph to, HOWEVER, while the film has little or nothing to do with Bruce's SHORT but TRAGIC life as suggested by the cover, Bruce Le does prove himself to be quite a martial arts entertainer...and I'm convinced that between him and Bruce Li, he bares the strongest resemblance to Bruce Lee in appearance, physical conditioning, and speed. However, while the movie is fast-paced and features everyone from Bolo to Hahn from Enter the Dragon...there's a little too much fiction and THIS AINT NO BRUCE LEE STORY...it pretty much attempts to dramatize his urban youth in Hong Kong. But again, it's a keeper for the action alone.



5. One of my good friends showed me this as a joke but the fighting is good in it. It is nothing like the real life of Bruce Lee but who cares it's very entertaining. Some of the crappy elements of this make it very funny if you like bad movies. My friends and I quote this movie often especially the reference to 'college'
   'Bruce, thanks, thanks for saving me but I'm late for college'
   'You're always getting into trouble and you're still only at college'
   You'd have to hear it to get the joke anyways this is a very fun movie with some good martial arts but don't take it too seriously.

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5 comments about The Postman Fights Back.

1. A very interesting film (1982). I admit, it was odd to think of Beardy (Leung Kar-Yan) and
   Chow Yun Fat working on screen together in co-starring roles, yet its an enticing
   proposition nonetheless. I'm hardly a CYF completist, but I always enjoy a flick
   with him up front and center. PSB is really Beardy's flick, but Chow's easy
   charisma is never overshadowed - if anything, that `grin and a toothpick' charmer is well forshadowed
   here - and as we see him do a few martial moves, even an early Mu Bai of sorts is glimpsed (he not only fights but uses darts that shoot from his wrist!!!).

   Yuen Woo Ping's touch is also evident here and so the choreography is decent and fairly
   fast, though the movie is more on 'conspiracy' and 'plot' than 'action' per se. The characters are low-key
   and a bit somber, but this, I feel, is a reflection of the movie's intended mood. Having said that,
   Beardy et al deliever some tight moves, when we get them. I noted while watching this, that

   many of the characters smoke: Chow is constantly smoking and Beardy smokes a lot. The
   excellent outdoor scerey further removes this from anything resembling a standard chop-socky flick, and yet, its
   not yet hong kong's `modern era' - this movie seems to exist in its own somber (not depressing!) place and time. I can't say it feels "original," yet it wasn't ever boring, imo.

   "During the Republican era, an evil warlord instructs his right hand man to find four suitable
   candidates to transport his valuable gifts across dangerous grounds. He recruits four men; a
   postman (Leung Kar Yan), a thief (Yuen Yat Chor), a dynamiter and a conman (Chow Yun
   Fat). The only instructions they are given are to never open the cargo and to deliver it within
   seven days. After numerous ambush attempts the group begin to become suspicious but they
   have no idea of the horror that awaits them and the consequences of completing the mission
   successfully." (Dragon'sDenUk)

   I'm not sure who the villain is (an arms-selling ninja believe it or not - it works), but
   I've seen him in several films. This movie sets a tone of uncertainty and the lead players

   feel as cold and distant as the beautiful and still snow-covered lands that often serve as a
   backdrop. Theres a little love, a little betrayal a little rvenge and some bitter-sweet, like
   most hong-kong dishes and that will leave you satisfied if you love the genre. The film is
   at least a three star, but wants that extra half star too, so at 3.5 stars you should check it out.




2. This movie left quite a bit to be desired. The plot had potential, however, for me, it never seemed to get off the ground and get moving. The fight scenes were well done and fast, moving along very well. I enjoyed the fight scenes much more than the rest of the movies, these scenes stood out as well done. Chow Yun Fat stole the show with his easy going mood and quick reactions when attacked. I glimpse of what was to come in his future movie making.
   
   Overall, I was disappointed with the movie and feel I must rank it below average.



3. During a time when Ronny Yu was just starting out, he made not just a kung fu movie, but a real movie that involves kung fu. Set in China during the time when soon to become Emperor Yuan Shikai was trying to gain that royal spot, Chow Yun Fat, Leung Kar Yan, Fan Mei Sheng, and Yuen Chat-Yor(one of Woo Ping's many brothers)are hired to make a delivery to one of Yuan's Generals. They find out why they were meant to deliver this and it is not for a good reason. Constantly being atacked on the road leads to lots of bloodshed. While it is an exciting movie, it is still a kung fu drama. It gets pretty dark but don't worry, this turns into a pure revenge flick.
   
   The story is well done, but there are some things involved that are just pure nonsense. Don't expect Sho Kosugi type of action but I wasn't really expecting this to be a ninja flick. Eddy Ko was great in 'Duel to the Death', but that was meant to be cheesy. This is a serious movie and the gimmicks just didn't fit in even though they were well done. Eddy Ko is great as always as the villian though. Also on the positive side, Ronny Yu does show some great cinematography with beautiful locations and it is directed well enough.
   
   There are no long extended action sequences but Leung Kar Yan gets to show off quite a bit. An unusally high amount of kicks from him. Chow Yun Fat also looks great even though he can only do a limited number of moves in each take. He still holds his own and looks outstanding. Fan Mei was awesome too. It seems like the fighting is meant to be more realistic but I could have used at least 1 good 1-on-1 extended fight sequence. There is 1 fight with Chow that is about 2 minutes long but that is not really what I was looking for. Still, good action. The choreography is done by the Yuen Clan with Yuen Shun Yi and Yuen Chung Yeung doing most of the work. 3.5/5
   
   The DVD from Fox/Fortune Star is very good. It is presented in a letterboxed widescreen format. Picture quality is acceptable and it has the original Cantonese language track! It also has a bad mix job on both the English and Cantoneses 5.1 tracks but it is always nice to have an English dub. No special features but I consider the original language track to be a big bonus. The way it was meant to be heard is what I always prefer.



4. Many of Hong Kong films have a backdrop of historical intrigue in the Qing Dynasty (circa 1644 to 1911). Golden Harvest's The Postman Fights Back takes place a few years after this period in 1913 just after the establishment of the Republic of China with Yuan Shikai and the Northern Warlords fighting Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. The historical aspects behind this is quite fascinating (though only mentioned a little in this film) because Sun was originally elected the first Provincial president after the Qing Dynasty and then helped get Yuan elected as First President of the China Republic, was most likely coerced into doing this and later would rebel against this (Sun would go to Japan shortly after the failed coup and Yuan would die a few years later in 1916.) Back to the story: bandit Zhao Long holds the northern mountain pass named Laoma that is of great use to Yuan militarily and sends envoy Hu (Eddy Ko Hung) to persuade Zhao to side with Yuan.
   
   Hu enlists the help of a courier named Ma (Leung Kar-Yan from Drunken Dragon) a stoic no-nonsense man whose own job is fraught with little money, unappreciative little sods who do not appreciate the melted chocolate he has brought them and the fact that he knows his living is in jeopardy as transportation like the railroads become more commonplace. Even then he was reluctant to help Hu until his troublemaker friend Yao Jie (Yuen Yat-Choh) decided (or was it another reason ...) to employee himself under Hu. Now there is a little confusion on why he eventually took this job. Ma was confronted earlier by his sister Guihwa (Cherie Chung Cho-Hung) who had told him that father sold her 15-year old sister to Shanghai and needed money to get her back. Unfortunately this plot angle did not go anywhere (several story lines are mentioned in the film without resolution or sometimes without even being alluded to again like this one and Ma's career demise).
   
   For 300 taels of gold per person, four cases of an unknown matter need to be delivered to Zhao Long before his birthday of December 20th. If anything gets compromised they are ordered to blow up the contents and to not look at them. Hu hired Fu Jun to join the group -- a cigarette smoking, scarf wearing gambler (reminds me a little of Tatsuya Nakadai in Yojimbo) who has baggage of his own -- played by a skinny Chow Yun-Fat in an early movie role. Joining Ma are friend Bu (played by great character actor Fan Mei-Sheng) a man who is an expert with explosives, Ma's sister Guihwa, and Southern rebel Li Fu whom they save later in the trip and possibly has eyes for Fu Jun (another dissipated angle). They all band together to deliver the goods or perish trying. Several of them would choose the latter.
   
   Several negative aspects hurt an otherwise interesting film. There are too many loose ends, disappearing characters and conflicting storylines with the narrative. This could have been because of the use of four writers including the director Ronny Yu for the script. There is also too much exposition that slows the middle of the story without any progressing of the story. Sometimes Leung Kar-Yan would be too wooden in his acting approach though sometimes his austere nature was appropriate. The only problem I had with the filming was with the night scenes because they are appear murky probably because they are filmed on location and at night.
   
   However, I think there are enough positives to make this an enjoyable movie. The cinematography is excellent and the use of the camera was ingenious in many scenes of a very cold Korean landscape (of course if you notice this then maybe the adventure was stagnant). Ronny Yu's (Fearless, The Bride With White Hair, Freddy vs. Jason) direction is quite good and consistently chooses interesting shooting techniques with hand-held cameras in many exterior shots. Eddy Ko Hung's is excellent as the villain. Ideas were impressive from the ice-skating bandits to Fu Jun's wrist bow to exploding rats. The fight scenes are interesting if a bit short with Chow fighting two bandits at once with one standing on a platform attached to the back of his partner and an excellent finale with the unmasked ninja fighting the protagonist Ma. The penultimate action sequence with Fan Mei-Sheng is probably the best scene in the film with a Ramboesque and Wild Bunch feeling to it. Ultimately though, the cohesion of all the elements is lacking and a tighter script and faster pacing could have made this a splendorous film. Though the movie may not be sublime at least you get to see an exploding ninja and Chow Yun Fat in a non-starring role attempt Kung Fu with his aggressive scarf-style. You may also learn that a compass can save your life against underground enemies.
   
   The DVD copy I have is the Fortune Star/Fox release. It has a good transfer and unlike the earlier releases from this label it does not have dubtitles. There are really no extras except trailers which is normal for the bare-bone releases of Fortune Star/Fox. Of an interesting note here is what Bey Logan of Dragon Dynasty has to say about this film and its Fox release: "I hope one day we can do Postman Strikes Back justice on a future DVD re-issue. ... The Fox US edition, though technically decent, didn't have much in the way of extras." Of course, extras would be nice though I do not see Dragon Dynasty doing a better job of a transfer.



5. Chow Yun Fat plays a minimal role; maybee because its one of his early movies; cheapie moive with some nice Run Run Shaw type fights which does not measure up to the newer ones. If you are looking for satisfcation, forget this one.

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2 comments about JUDO by Hayward Nishioka Part 2.

1. Judo, Volume 2 by Hayward Nishioka
   
   The video starts out with about 3 ? minutes of praises for Judo and its founder, Jigoro Kano narrated by Hayward Nishioka, a former United States Judo title champion. While that is going on you are treated to some scenes of some Judo throws being demonstrated in very good form.
   
   About 4 minutes into the video, there are instructional demonstrations on 5 different Judo throws. Each throw is demonstrated 3 times and in very good form. The throws demonstrated are: Uchimata, Sotomakikomi, Yokoguruma, Tomoenage, Ushirogoshi.
   These names mean nothing to people who have no background in Judo or Jujitsu because they are in Japanese. If you want to learn Judo you will have to learn the Japanese terminology. It's unfortunate for non-Japanese because there are no standardized terms or names for Judo throws and some other techniques in other languages. Judo has a little over 50 throws and is also rich in joint locks applied to the limbs and chokes to cut off air or blood flow to the head. To participate in a judo school you will need to learn the terminology to help you remember what you learn. This is one reason why videos can be very helpful. On days when you don't have a Judo class, you can put in a video and watch people perform the techniques you have learned or the techniques you see advanced students learning and listen to the words or the names of the techniques as Hayward Nishioka says them. Try to say them yourself. When you go back to your Judo class it will be a little more familiar to you. You will learn faster and retain more by reviewing videos and reading books on Judo and practicing what you have learned in class. After a few months you will be able to learn more from videos without your instructor's help. So, when you go to class he wont have spend so much time introducing you to the techniques. He will probably focus on fine tuning your technique and correcting bad habits. If you get into Judo or any other martial arts and discover the value of videos as well as books to help you progress, you will also realize that it is helpful to start your own personal library to advance your knowledge. This 3 video series is just a beginning. These videos do contain the some of the basic stuff that you will have to learn when you join a Judo school.
   
   As I mentioned This video starts out with a demonstration on 5 throws.
   
   Eleven minutes into the video, 5 pinning techniques are demonstrated. The five pinning techniques are: Kesa Gatame, Kata Gatame, Yoko Shiho Gatame, Tate Shiho Gatame
   and Kami Shiho Gatame.
   
   Fifteen minutes into the video, four choke holds are demonstrated. They are: Juji jime, Okuri Eri Gime, Kata Hajime and Hadakajime.
   
   About 17 ? minutes into the video there are 2 arm bars demonstrated. This is where I have a complaint because arm bars and joint locks are very useful in self-defense. But there are only 2 demonstrated here. Furthermore, they are not the most useful arm bars. The arm bars demonstrated are Juji gatame and ude gatame. There are many useful arm bars and joint locks for self-defense in Judo. But, these are the only two demonstrated in this video series.
   
   About 19 ? minutes into the video Hayward Nishioka begins to demonstrate finer points about applications of pins and chokes on the mat in sport Judo applications. This continues until the 42 minutes has passed since you started watching the video. This video is all about sport applications of Judo and Judo tradition. There is nothing useful in it for self-defense. But, you will have to learn this stuff anyway if you join any Judo school. So, you might want to have these videos for that purpose. But if you are looking for something with more application to self-defense then I recommend that you buy Wally Jay's book and 5 video series on Small Circle Jujitsu instead of this 3 video series on Judo. Wally Jay is retired now. He was a great Jujitsu instructor. You can still get his book and videos here on Amazon or from blackbeltmag.com.
   
   After 42 minutes, there is a ten minute review and quiz of stuff you have seen on this video by Hayward Nishioka. Hayward Nishioka concludes instruction of this volume after 52 minutes has passed from the start of the video.
   
   
   JUDO by Hayward Nishioka Part 1
   
   JUDO by Hayward Nishioka Part 3
   
   Foot Throws: Karate, Judo and Self-Defense
   
   Small-Circle Jujitsu
   
   Small-Circle Jujitsu, Vol 1 - Foundations
   
   Small-Circle Jujitsu, Vol 3 - Grappling Techniques
   
   Small-Circle Jujitsu, Vol 4 - Tendon, Tricep, Armbars and Armlocks
   
   Nihon Jujitsu by Norm Belsterling Volume 1
   
   Nihon Jujitsu by Norm Belsterling Volume 2
   
   Nihon Jujitsu by Norm Belsterling Volume 5



2. First, I am a former student of Hayward Nishioka who achieved a green belt in one semister at LACC.
   
   Buy these videos to grow interest in Judo. O-Sensei(Great teacher) Nishioka's intent of this video series was to introduce Judo, get people interested in the sport, remove some barriers but not to teach it. He clearly states that learning Judo requires an instructor. Karate and weapons (which Nishioka is a black belts in both) are very popular and seen in movies & television frequently. The video attempts to show that Judo can be just as fun, interesting & powerful. These videos attempt to show learning Judo is easy, kids take to it like a duck to water. The Japanese ceremonys are nothing to fear and shouldn't get in the way from learning Judo. The Japanese language used should not be a barrier in learning Judo. Kids can learn Judo, tiny bit of Japanese very easily, make friends and have fun. One can continue in Judo for life and not know everything, Judo can be a life pursuit, it is also complex.
   
   Sensei Nishioka's martial arts classes has changed several tens of thousands for the better. Many students get excited, learn and excell in something for the first time in their lives. Nishioka transformed many to excelled in both Karate & Judo and other facets in life. Mr. Nishoka has achieved many things in martial arts (8 times Grand Champion), movies, business and then went on to earn a doctorate from California State University of Los Angeles. Excelling from martial arts to achieving many life goals is a common effect. At a minimum, martial arts increases their self confidence.
   
   A friend or parent can purchase this video series in the hope of capturing someone's interest, remove fears (fear of the unknown) of the ceremony & language and possibly change the path of their lives for the better. The tapes can be a non threatening way to show them the sport.
   
   THE POWER OF JUDO:
   Those learning Karate, Kobudo, Aikido, Kendo, Jujitsu and other martial arts can benefit greatly from Judo. Many of the best martial artists learn more than one martial art. O-Sensei Fumio Demura learned Judo first and then went on to become world renown in Karate. Nishioka won a karate tournament, Nisei week, defeating many black belts while a white belt in karate.

No comments about Jet Li - The One & Legend of the Red Dragon double feature.

5 comments about Ninja's Deadly Trap.

1. Ninja in the Deadly Trap is not a bad movie, it is just extremely boring. It seems to have a lot of waiting around until we get to the action. The 3 most acrobatic venoms play the good guys in this film which was certainly a change for Lu Feng. So the General played by Ti Lung has been attacked and he sends his son to find these 3 great fighters. Their master has a line straight out of 5 deady Venoms but this movie sticks more to the 'Chinese Super Ninja' style. In fact, it was made in the mid eighties around the same time as Super Ninjas was made. It really does feel like a cheap ripoff, not just of Super Ninjas, btu many other Venom films. I can still look beyond the incredibly boring and unoriginal story though and be happy with the great action. Phillip Kwok is just amazing with his choreography but even the action starts to feel cheap. You don't have those 30 movements in one shot like you used to for their Shawbrothers films, and we don't get those spectacular 10-15 minute fighting sequences. Still, seeing Lu Feng, Phillip Kwok, and Chiang Sheng go at it with Yusuaki Kuratu and other no names got me by for the night. Still, the biggest dissapointment was seeing Ti Lung in a non fighting role, I think that he got literally a single swipe with his sword. It's Ti Lung, did he break his leg or something before the shoot?
   
   The commentary is ok but warning, they give away the entire plot of 'Chinese Super Ninjas'. They do give some good info on Sheng and Kwok, but don't even mentionj any of the Taiwanese films Sheng did like Ninja Death or Drunken Dragon or how he directed Ninja USA and Ninja Death... Picture is full screened but it is watchable.



2. the story is pretty straight forward...it gathers everthing it needs to set up the storyline to bring the full packed ninja action against this magnificent 3 warrior brothers. You will see alot of different ninjas (black ninjas, sun ninjas, tree ninjas, and soil ninjas) using many kinds of deadly weapons including shruyuken. The sword fighting is straight up awesome. The only thing i complain is the fight between one of the three brothers against this one bodyguard of the boss during the final fight. Other than that, you will see deadly weapons used and raw kung fu fights in this flick. 4 stars



3. I've seen what some of the other reviewers have posted and I won't disagree with them for the simple fact that I haven't seen the movies that they mentioned. One person in particular said this was a ripoff of Super Ninjas or something like that....but I've never seen that movie and don't really care to see it, though I will watch it if I run across it. This movie I have seen. I don't know how I came across it, but I've always been intrigued by Ninjas even after their era in the 80's. So when I saw this film, I immediately fell in love with it. I didn't think it was boring at all and I thought the interaction with the 3 brothers and then knowing each other only by fighting style was pretty cool. I also liked that I saw a variety of ninjas in this movie. Not just the ninjas in their typical dark brown (Yes, their Shinobifuku was dark brown, not black like most people think.) I also like how they showed the ninja in their true form and that was when they were playing different roles, whether it was a soldier, cook, or doctor or whatever. It also showed them utilizing their many different weapons and not just the Sword and Shurikens.
   
   This may have been done in other movies. But I haven't seen those. To anyone who happens to read this review, if you haven't seen those movies, whichever ones they might be, then you'll probably enjoy this movie as well. Will you not still enjoy it if you have seen movies similar to what I described? I don't know. But I've seen this movie and I'm pretty sure that if I do see the others that are similar to this, I'd still like them. But thats just me. *****'s



4. This is probably my best martial arts film of my collection. Nothing against "American Ninja", or "Enter the Dragon", but this movie has a decent plot that you can follow, not to mention how the brothers come together and understand what they must do! A must for any collection.



5. For some that title may mean very little (if anything?), however for most ardent kung fu fans it's a wet dream put to celluloid! The great Ti Lung (unfortunately kinda wasted here in a non-fighting role), as famous Chinese General Qi Jiguang, has become the target of ninja assassination from Japanese pirates who have had their exploits halted due to his actions. Knowing little about the art of ninjitsu, Qi sends his son out to find three mysterious fighters that can protect him from these stealthy attacks. Of course those 3 fighters happen to be none other then former Shaw Brothers action stars (collectively known as Venoms)Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, and Kuo Chui (aka Philip Kwok, who also directs and choreographs this)! The leader of the ninja assasins is played by the always excellent Yasuaki Kurata, an actual Japanese martial artist who made his name, oddly enough, acting in Hong Kong action films (you may know him as the elder Japanese fighter that squares off against Jet Li in Fist Of Legend)... can this movie be bad?! Well, obviously I don't think so; though one knock I will mention is the film's deliberately paced first hour, taking it's time to get the pieces in order and set the stage. For those on the hunt for a non-stop fight fest, this could be problematic, although I never found it dull thanks in part to the aforementioned cast, and an all around well put together production. Direction, music, script, choreography, and effects are all very nicely done here... the lack of ineptitude is actually somewhat surprising as a fan of chop socky cinema; it is always appreciated though! Ninja In The Deadly Trap isn't quite on the level, and shouldn't be confused with, Chang Cheh's infamous cult classic Chinese Super Ninja's (where's that region 1 DVD?!), though it does take some obvious cues from that film (and was even produced by director Cheh). This movie has a more realistic feel to it, with less scenes filmed on a studio set, toned down gore, and ninja's that seem a tad more believable (although they do melt when they die LOL!)... on the flip side, the action isn't as good and doesn't happen nearly as much either. Ninja In The Deadly Trap just falls short of being an absolute martial arts classic, but it does provide a great watch, and delivers a finale (The Venoms versus Yasuaki Kurata!)that will leave most genre fans changing their bed sheets!