1 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship, Vol. 83: Serra vs St-Pierre.

1. UFC 83 featured match after match of highly anticipated returns, rematches, and redemption. George St Pierre takes on Matt Serra for the Welterweight belt in his home town of Montreal, Canada. St Pierre lost their first fight in a brutal KO fashion and Serra is looking to do the same this time around! Coming off a domination of both Koscheck and Matt Hughes, GSP seemed better then ever. Let's just say he definately shows it here!
   
   Rich Franklin also takes on Travis Lutter in which was a make it or break it fight for Lutter. Rich Franklin lost twice to Anderson Silva, and Lutter lost to him once but to me did the best against him. Looking for a definate rematch with Silva, Lutter did what he had to do to make weight this time and brought as much as he could into the octagon. Unfortunately, Rich Franklin is the man and if it wasnt for Anderson Silva, he would still be champion. A great fight for fans of Franklin.
   
   Michael Bisping also makes his 180 debut against Charles McCarthy. These guys exchanged bad blood and both wanted to kick the other guys butt. See who pulls it off in dominating fashion!
   
   Kalib Starnes vs Nate Quarry was a huge letdown, due to Starnes running away the entire match(which later led to his release from the UFC). This was probably one of the worst matches in recent UFC history. Ill try to not let this affect the entire event. It was awesome to see the Canadian fans boo their hometown man and cheer on the American in the end though.
   
   Mac Danzig also makes his first PPV debut against Canadian Mark Bocek. I dont know why people counted Bocek out in this one. He definately puts on one heck of a fight and makes Danzig work to win. A great great fight.
   
   As for the undercard fights, 3 of them earned the bonuses for the night, including Fight of the Night, Knockout, and Submission of the night. Surpising considering the way the main card went but the undercard was extremely great!
   
   Main Card
   George St Pierre (16-2) vs. Matt Serra (9-5)
   Rich Franklin (22-3) vs. Travis Lutter (9-4)
   Kalib Starnes (8-2-1) vs. Nate Quarry (9-2)
   Michael Bisping (15-1) vs. Charles McCarthy (10-4)
   Mac Danzig (17-4-1) vs. Mark Bocek (5-1)
   
   Under card
   Jason MacDonald (19-9) vs. Joe Doerksen (39-11)
   Alan Belcher (12-4) vs. Jason Day (15-5)
   Sam Stout (13-3-1) vs. Rich Clementi (30-12-1)
   Jonathan Goulet (21-9) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-4)
   Cain Velasquez (2-0) vs. Brad Morris (10-2)
   Ed Herman (14-5) vs. Demian Maia (6-0)

5 comments about Kung Fu Hustle (Axe-Kickin' Edition).

1. Kung Fu Hustle is among my favorite films, not because I am a die-hard fan of Stephen Chow, but because I really liked the wild mix of comedy, adventure, crime caper and martial arts action. Most notably the excellent fight choreography by legendary Yuen Woo-Ping(who is also responsible for the fight scenes of Kill Bill vol. 1, Fearless, The Matrix, Hero). As I said, I love KUNG FU HUSTLE and am very much looking forward for its sequel in 2008, so forgive me if I am a bit biased. (I will try my best not to lose my objectivity)
   
   The New "AXE KICKING EDITION" soon to be released by Sony is actually the REGION-3 Hong Kong release which I have. (I am certain)The Hong Kong release is still the one to go for if you have a multi-region dvd player. Since I almost know for certain that only fans of the film will be interested in this new edition, I will skip the plot summary. ( for those of you who haven't seen it, you may look up my review under the original U.S. DVD.)
   
   I will go straight to the differences between the previous dvd release and this new "Axe-kicking edition"(original Hong Kong release):
   Mild spoilers ahead---
   Scene 1; The landlady throws her husband out of a window and drops a flower pot that ended up on the back of his head. The original cut showed a small pool of blood coming from his face, but the U.S. version digitally omitted it. The blood now appears as part of the film.
   Scene 2; Sing heckles/insults the residents of Pig Sty Alley and gets hit in the tummy by a woman. The original cut showed Sing spitting up blood which landed on the woman's face, but the earlier U.S. version digitally removed the blood (though some still appeared around Sing's mouth). The blood now appears in this release.
   Scene 3; This may be more offensive to others; it takes place on the eve of the big attack on Pig Sty Alley. The Hong Kong cut showed a man taking a d--p onto a piece of paper as the camera panned by, but the American version digitally removed the offensive feces. Now the paper is no longer blank. "Mr. Poo" makes an appearance!
   Scene 4; Sing confronts "The Beast" in the casino, he gets hit hard on the chest twice. After the 2nd hit, blood sprays on The Beast's face and Sing is shown reeling backwards from the force of the punch with blood spurting from his mouth. The U.S. version PREVIOUSLY removed both of these sequential shots.
   Scene 5; Also in the casino, Sing's head is hit on his face, hammered into the ground by The Beast. After the first hit, The Beast's bloody fist is shown emerging from the floor in slow motion...but the U.S. version removed this shot entirely.
   Now for the DVD Picture and Sound quality--
   2.35 Anamorphic Widescreen. The Picture is extremely sharp with solid Black levels. Colors are natural and enhancements are not noticeable. CGI effects suffer a bit of softness. But the transfer is clean and nice. It is the Hong Kong transfer from what I can tell.
   Sound is in 5.1 Dolby/2.0 surround in English, French & Cantonese. I am a bit disappointed why Sony still didn't include the Cantonese 5.1 DTS track as in the original Hong Kong release. Why?!
   EXTRAS: Stephen Chow interview--Bloopers/outtakes--Featurettes: w/ Yuen Woo-Ping, Oliver Wong(Production designer), Shirley Wong(Costumes)
   Storyboard comparison--trailers--audio commentary
   CLOSING: Kung Fu Hustle is one of the more entertaining (if not the most fun in 2004) imports. It mixes pop culture blends, over-the-top comedy, hard-hitting action while maintaining a profound respect for the spirit of Kung Fu. This new region 1 release is a bit confusing, while it contains the original cut of the film, it misses the original special features and the powerful DTS Cantonese Language track. I wouldn't advise a "double dip" for fans who own the first REGION 1 dvd, but for fans who doesn't own the movie, pick this new version up. However, the lack of DTS sound is a huge minus for this version. I STILL prefer the ORIGINAL Hong Kong region-3 release!
   RECOMMENDED!! (Timidly)



2. Get this movie. It's great. The Matrix with comedy, kung-fu, and well, umm, Wile E. Coyote type action all rolled into a great little film! Don't try to think, just let the film take you where it's going. My highest recommedation.



3. At first I was shocked by the violence in Kung Fu Hustle, but eventually I understood that it's not meant to be taken seriously. It reminded me of the violence in Three Stooges episodes where crazy things happen and then everyone gets up, dust's off and walks away. Sometimes I laughed so hard it was painful. The fight scenes with wire work and special effects are very effective. There is also a thread of childhood friendship which adds a sweet note to the film. There are a number of Special Features which add value if you like shorts about how the special effects were created, etc.
   
   Highly recommended if you can get past the "cartoon gore".



4. One of the most perfect movies ever made, just got a little better. If you've never seen Kung Fu Hustle, SEE IT! If you have seen Kung Fu Hustle, SEE IT AGAIN! This is the unaltered movie as it was originally meant to be seen.
   
   This "Axe-Kickin' Edition" doesn't add a whole lot to the previous American release, it just puts back some of the details that were edited out of the original Hong Kong version, presumably for the delicate, easily offended American masses. Nothing too dramatic, just a little blood and such. For some reason Hollywood seemed to think that American audiences couldn't handle it. Which I don't get at all. I've seen other "R" rated movies with 20 times as much blood and violence, as the Hong Kong version of this movie. Plus the violence in Kung Fun Hustle is presented in such a totally over-the-top manner that makes it seem much less harsh than the mostly realistic violence found in American movies. (Like the Oscar winning "No Country For Old Men" for example).
   
   Kung Fu Hustle is not a "spoof" of martial arts movies, it's more of an "homage" with a wild mix of crazy, laugh out loud humor and amazing martial arts action. Bottom line, if you like fun and awesomeness you will love Kung Fu Hustle. I guarantee it.



5. This is such a great movie! Great Martial arts -- and great comedy! All in one...

5 comments about Best of the Best.

1. 5 stars for entertainment...
   5 stars for inspiration...
   5 stars for enjoyment...
   As a disabled martial artist inspiration for practice is essential- especially on those days when pain hinders practise. This movie fits the bill! It inspires me to do what I need to do even when things are difficult.
   Too bad that 5 stars is the upper limit!



2. Loved the movies action and morals. Winning means giving YOUR best, not for the recognition or glory but for your own strengths. They all are winners. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie!



3. If you don't like to always see fake martial arts movies then 'the best of the best' is a good choice to see some real life like fighting techniques, as three of the Korean Martial arts contenders are actually real life champions. Not that violent so you can watc it with your family



4. One of the most ridiculous, unrealistic martial arts movie ever made.
   Just look attentively at Eric Robert's stance in the ring. And that idiotic cowboy hat that Chris Penn wearing and sobbing:"What are you counting them for?" after losing the breaking match. Yeah! This is as close to reality as it can be. And the crowd at the bar rooting for the American karate team? Give me a break! Phillip Rhee and the Korean team are the only people who make any sense as far as martial arts in this movie.
   Best of the best? No! Worst of the worst!
   You want real action? Watch ISKA Strike Force K1.



5. I first saw this movie when it was a new release on video and loved it. I even purchased a copy of the movie second hand when the video store had a sale. but when the tape wore out and eventually no longer viewable i almost cried. Now i found the DVD on Amazon, All happy again. great fight scenes and even pulls on a few heart strings. Great Movie.

3 comments about Pride 33: Second Coming.

1. What can I say. Being in the 3rd row was insane. This show has it all---knock outs, subs, and one decision by Trigg. Sokoudjou turned heads. Gomi vs Diaz was the fight of 2007 according to many. Shogun, Hellboy. Mac Danzig vs Sakurai---WOw. Henso vs Wand---yikes. The PPV showed the complete show from beginning to end.
   This is an event that marked the end of Pride in the USA, and in general, as 34 was nowhere near the level of this event.
   
   A must buy for any MMA fan.



2. 
   Antonio "Rodrigo" Nogueira is one of the top HWs in MMA (most rank him at No. 2 behind Fedor, who's in danger of losing his position at the top of the food chain after more than two years without facing a quality HW opponent). His brother, Antonio "Rogerio" Nogueira, is the LHW who was shockingly KO'd by Sokodju at Pride 33. Just to clear that up.
   
   Finally, the later Pride events are making it to DVD. The Silva-Henderson fight alone is worth the price. All of you new MMA and UFC fans, check out the Pride events. You won't be disappointed.



3. The Diaz/Gomi match, despite the post fight controversy, ranks as the most dramatic MMA match that I have ever seen. Throw in the Henderson/Silva match and this ranks as one of the best shows by any organization ever. Not impressed by Nick Diaz? You will be after seeing his heart against Gomi.

5 comments about District B13.

1. This is a great odd couple buddy action movie, without giving too much away it is taking the real world State Sponsored Terrorism ideas with an Escape from New York meets Ong Bak flavor.
   
   It is the not too distant future, tough cop Leito's sister is kidnapped after he destroyed a gangs drugs.
   The city of Paris is divided into districts and separated by barriers to keep the lower class out of the rich elite districts.
   The police just received orders to move out of his district because it has become a lost cause.
   With Leito's sister being now held by the Psychotic gang leader and himself in jail for killing his superior, Damien a by the book elite police squadron officer is introduced. Damien's mission is to convince Leito he will help him find his sister while his main objective is to find a stolen nuclear weapon set to explode in the next 24 hours.
   
   I also recommend Nightmare City 2035 (2007) hard to find but great.
   Search for these DVD titles on Amazon, here are some documented real world examples of State Sponsored Terror.
   Terrorstorm: 2nd Edition (2007)
   Endgame: Blueprint for Global Enslavement



2. An average movie. Parts of the physical action scenes were quite entertaining and some good humour, but large sections of the movie were relatively stiff, some-what contrived & predictable. Certainly not as cutting edge as what you would expect when seeing Luc Besson's name attached to it.



3. Luc Besson is one of my favorite directors, but when it comes to the lower budgeted films where he just produces, they've been VERY hit and miss. Given that, when I discovered this I wasn't expecting much, just another mediocre futuristic French actioner. However, I'm glad my expectations were exceeded because this was probably one of the most exciting action films I've seen in the past few years, with some mind-blowing acrobatic stunts and fight sets. The opening chase scene alone is worth the price of admission. The story about a nuke gone missing is fairly standard, but has some nice social relevance in this case and the story involves intertwining the two nimble main protagonists in a fairly believable joint effort. Bottom line: this is a damn cool movie!



4. For anybody looking for a good martial arts with mix of gun blazing and incredible stunts, this movie will offer all the ingredients. The PQ is top notch and AQ is almost as good as the video. This movie should be in your list if your looking for a good action film with a twist of futuristic setting.



5. This movie caught me by suprise. It's great! I only wish that the blu ray disc version used subtitles and was not dubbed.

5 comments about Warrior Workout - Kundalini Yoga w/ Ana Brett & Ravi Singh **ALL LEVELS**.

1. This workout deserves its name, it is energizing and powerful! It requires strength, flexibility and focus, so the level is more geared towards intermediate and advanced audiences, but there are some modifications shown for beginners. The sequences are well designed, and the chaptering makes it easy to create your own workout. The warm-up is deceiving: it starts lightly and then catches up fast. I agree with one previous reviewer that the meditation at the end of the workout is amazing, again very powerful. This a great workout to have in one's collection!



2. I LOVE this one!! It is so great first thing in the morning. It will get your engines started, and running ALL DAY!!!
   
   It's so full of energy and FUN yoga. Many movements will really get your heartrate up, and your body sweating. But, all in a fun way.
   
   Practice this regularly, and you will see results. Not only in your body, but also your mind, and spirit.



3. I am pleased to find this comprehensive DVD with the new Matrix option. It takes us through a thorough warm-up, spinal exercises and all, and goes into cardio and cleansing, with meditations and mantra. There are some difficult moves, but with modifications it is doable.
   
   The matrix option is great! Just select which parts you want to do, in order, and it plays it through as ordered.
   
   Very nifty.
   
   I love Ravi and Ana DVD's!
   
   kstars



4. Never ever Done a workout that keeps your body moving and energy flowing all day long like this one! Really it is true this one fires up your engines and gets the motor running in turbo charge, you feel like speedy Gonzales after this one. A must do to start the day in a great way!!!!!



5. Having experienced Kundalini Yoga Teacher's Training, I am familiar with this set. The venerable and amazing Krishna Kaur had us do this set one fine afternoon, only she had us do it the way Yogi Bhajan taught it to them back in the day which means that most of the moves were done for 108 repetitions, not by time. (Imagine, 108 frogs, 108 pistons, 108 times of raising the hips off the floor and dropping them...yikes) At the end, I was seriously holding onto the railing to walk down the stairs to my car, my legs were shaking so much.
   
   This is the same amazing set, but done at a much more approachable pace. It's challenging and got me sweating and moving great energy but without the wobbly leg scenario afterwards.
   
   Since I am currently doing a candida cleanse/detox I plan on adding this set in at least twice each week throughout, to help support the cleanse. I don't have the new Matrixed version for all levels, and I imagine that's even better, but the original set itself is just wonderful. I had low energy when I started but felt quite alive by the end!
   
   This is truly for all the spiritual warriors out there.
   
   Sat Nam
   Namaste
   Blessed Be

5 comments about Under Siege 2: Dark Territory.

1. I truly enjoyed watching the movie on TV and in the theater, but on the DVD... that's a whole different story. Almost every other word that comes out of "bad guys" mouth is an f... word. Was this really necessary for the plot of the movie? Good thing that I bought this movie used, because after one time watching it, it's going straight in the trash. It's a great action movie with very distasteful dialogs. I wish I knew where I could get PG version of it.



2. My product arrive as advertised by the seller in excellent condition. And the price was very reasonable.



3. Ok, I didn't exactly have high expectations for this film. That being said, this movie managed to dissapoint even my extremely low expectations. I think this film has the worst dialogue of any film I've ever seen. Also, the whole plot is retarded. What kind of a moron would hijack a train? Gee, that makes sense. I think I'll hijack a slow moving object about a mile long. No way anyone could ever stop that. Its a shame because the first film was fairly enjoyable and the character Seagal played was interesting. Unfortunately they killed all of that in this crapfest. Only watch this film if you're trying to analyze how NOT to make a film.



4. This is the only Steven Segal movie I like. This is awesome and is a must see. The action is thrilling and the enjoy seeing the bad guy get his butt kicked.



5. There's no denying one thing: "Under Siege 2", directed by Geoff Murphy ("xXx: State Of The Union"), is one of Seagal's biggest movies. Shot on a $60 million budget, the follow-up to the top-grossing "Under Siege" promises big, and features Seagal's most endearing film persona - former Navy SEAL Casey Ryback - taking the fight to a moving train.
   
   The storyline: Ryback, now retired from the Navy, joins his niece (Katherine Heigl, "Roswell") on a train ride to Los Angeles so they may visit the grave of her father. However, the same train is hijacked by mercenaries, headed by a computer genius (Eric Bogosian, "Law & Order") who gains control of a military satellite with destructive capabilities. After the passengers and his daughter are taken hostage, Ryback must race against time to disarm the terrorists and stop an automated attack against China.
   
   Though the film still falls under Seagal's "good" movies, I was disappointed by it as a whole: nothing seemed as good as it should've been, and when comparing his earlier titles, this one seemed more in the vicinity of "On Deadly Ground" than the original "Under Siege".
   Maybe it's seeing Seagal beginning to put on weight: the aikido master had never been much of a bodybuilder, but up until his previous film, he had been pretty trim. Perhaps it's age, but in "Siege 2", Seagal's face is pretty chubby, and his build is a bit heavier. Too bad it didn't stop there...
   Or maybe it's the villains: after seeing Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey in the original film, Bogosian and his cohort Everett McGill ("Quest For Fire") just don't seem fun or crazy enough.
   
   Still, the film includes plenty of Seagalian violence - lots of arm-breaking, wrist-snapping, and gunshots to the head - culminating in a scene where our hero slices Bogosian's fingers off with a sliding door. Stunts include Seagal hanging by a rope over a canyon and jumping between train cars. The supporting cast pulls its weight well, with the villains remaining deplorable and Steven's sidekicks funny and courageous. All of these things weigh in for the film's favour, but all in all, the film really doesn't live up to its predecessor; the train setting gives the film a much smaller scale than the prequel, and the plot offers no innovation of scenarios, action, or Seagal's character.
   
   In the end, fans seem to be nicely divided between which of the two "Under Siege" films they prefer, but as a legitimate enthusiast of Seagal's, this blockbuster represents a step down the ladder. Nonetheless, the film should be right at home in the collections of other fans; casual action-lovers might want to compare this to the original film before considering a purchase.

5 comments about Surf Ninjas.

1. I thought this movie was gonna suck, and it did, but it sucked so good.
   Classic



2. This is a movie you hate to love, but you MUST love it. It's innocent, brainless, and completely moronic, but in the best way. Rob Schneider provides comedy relief for a movie that's ridiculous to begin with. And, I have two words for you...Tone Loc! I mean this is a motley crew of characters, and the plot is plotless, yet it's fun, and has nostalgia merit for anyone fond of late 80's early 90's. Ernie Reyes Jr. is cool as he's always been and it's good to see him working with his father, Reyes Sr. Basically, if you don't take yourself, or life too seriously, you'll find some humor in this movie!



3. I can not in my right mind give this movie 5 stars, but it might as well be...This movie was not made for Oscar, but was made for families and friends to laugh together at how 80's/early 90's it is. The acting is not good, the Martial Arts aren't good, there is not a lot of things that would normally go with a movie that I would purchase, but the comedy and antics of the cast - and the general cornyness of it all - makes it worth while.



4. Growing up in central Pennsylvania, California and the beach always held a special appeal to me. For me, this movie is purely nostalgic. Of course the movie is going to be cheesy, and offers very little in terms of meaningful dialogue and what not... but it's just a cool movie, and brings back loads of memories and good feelings.



5. This movie, along with Xanadu is my secret shame. I shouldn't have watched it more than once, but I did. I shouldn't laugh, but I do. This is a stupid, stupid movie and I love it.
   
   The best way to describe this movie is "Chairman of the Board"
   (Carrot Top's movie. Yes, I've seen that one too) meets "3 Ninjas".
   
   The humor is stupid, but never low-brow (except for Leslie Nielsen's malfunctioning bionic hand scene) and overall the film is upbeat.
   
   You would think that Leslie Nielsen would steal the show, but it's really the interplay between the entire cast that produces the most memorable moments. Although the best lines belong to Rob Schneider's "Iggy".
   
   Iggy' monologue about how "Money can't buy knives" is one of the highlights of the film and Tone Loc is a funny, if not odd addition to the cast.
   
   Surf Ninjas is a fun adventure movie, with plenty of laughs, even if the product placement is a little obvious.
   
   It's cheap, so go ahead and buy it already.

5 comments about Shinobi - Heart Under Blade.

1. This is a great movie....but if you want more of a story, go buy Basilisk instead. The movie is supposed to revolve around the battle between the Iga and the Kouga, but it's also supposed to be mainly around the two lovers Oboro and Gennosuke. You barely see them together, and more time is spent on very brief but visually stunning battle sequences between the Iga and Kouga Ninjas. Isn't the point of a tragic romance to actually SHOW the romance a bit more? There's also lack of character development too, but considering how long you see some of them on the screen, it probably wasn't worth the director's time anyway. It's almost like the director chose the characters he wanted to showcase and threw the rest under a rug. Visually, this movie is stunning! The locations for Manjidani and Tsubagakure are completely different but very beautiful and show how much both ninja villages vary. Manjidani is a mountainous area that is more arid, whilst Manjidani is near a river and is surrounded by greenery. The special effects are AMAZING and you can tell that a majority of the director's budget was spent here instead of making more of a story. Overall, it's worth it to see this movie at least once. But make sure you watch Basilisk first.



2. Shinobi is a visually stunning movie in all it's Blu Ray glory. A must own for kung fu enthusiasts.



3. Take the story of Romeo and Juliet, mix in elements of The X-Men and Ninja fantasy and you get 'Shinobi - Heart Under Blade'. Two ninja clans, the Koga and the Iga are long time enemies who have formed a truce. The heirs to the leadership of both clans fall in love, but since this movie is similar to Romeo and Juliet you can guess that a tragic fate awaits them. The shogun, who sees both clans as a threat devises a plot to get rid of them by pitting both clans against each other. What follows is a rather enchanting story that is marred by the occasional shoddy CGI effects and some truly questionable acting.
   
   Don't get me wrong, 'Shinobi' is a great film with some truly awesome cinematography and some great action scenes; it truly feels like a live action Anime. Sadly though, dialogue delivery feels rather forced at times, and rarely authentic and some of the charaters in the film exhibit rather cheesy qualities. Couple that with the most predictable of story lines and you get a decent film that could have been something amazing. The majority of the characters seem almost like cardboard cut outs; the script makes no motions to flesh out their back stories or motivations. Though the intentions of both clans are never really explored, the clans are polarized with one seemingly 'good' and the other seemingly 'evil', though it is never really told why this is. I could totally be missing the mark, but these were my observations.
   
   It may sound like I didn't enjoy the film, but as you can see by the star rating I gave I did enjoy it a lot. Despite all its flaws 'Shinobi' is an entertaining film with some stunning visuals. One of the things that hurts this film the most is that it tries to be both a romance and an action film, and sadly the romance portion gets somewhat lost in the fray. The romance between the two clan heirs is never fully developed and hardly gets any screen time. The battle scenes are pretty clever and entertaining. All of the characters have some form of special power, and there are duels aplenty to enjoy.
   
   This Blu Ray features a pretty gorgeous picture, albeit some spikes in grain and the occasional soft, two-dimensional looking frame. 'Shinobi' doesn't have that 'pop' that is found in the best of HD titles, but it won't disappoint and is certainly a step up from the Standard DVD version. Colors can be vivid (especially in the forest scenes), however it is very inconsistent. Black levels are pretty bad as well, with crush overcoming most of the night scenes along with a drop in contrast. The special effects suffer greatly under the HD spotlight; there were numerous effects that looked too fake (I'm guessing this is due to the enhanced clarity of the picture).
   
   The audio quality is pretty impressive, offering up the most minute of audio details in stunning clarity. The battle scenes especially benefit from this; 'Shinobi' takes on a very Anime-like soundtrack that truly compliments the film.
   
   This Blu Ray edition ports over all of the standard DVD special features, making of featurettes etc. I was somewhat disappointed that FUNimation didn't transfer the features into HD, but this seems to be a common trend for Blu Ray titles.
   
   Overall I was pretty impressed with this film, despite the few arguments I presented earlier. While 'Shinobi' isn't the best of Asian dramas, its certainly a great ninja flick with many Anime like qualities.
   
   Movie Quality - 4/5
   Picture Quality - 3.5/5
   Audio Quality - 4/5
   Special Features - 3/5



4. Smooth, dynamic and visually stunning scenery and special effects. Story line is a bit predictable but if you look for first class action and the mood for a samurai film, this is what u r looking for. Encoding for video and audio are first class rate. A reference for Blu-Ray high definition video. Film transfer is astonishingly better than many U.S.films esp.on dark scenes.



5. I got this because it was one of the cheaper blu-rays that I hadn't seen and might care to see. Not a great choice as it turns out. Shinobi is, for me at least, a pretty dull movie.
   
   Camera : many quasi-still shots showing the characters' faces to best effect. Forlorn and wistful being their usual facial expression. Their destiny (big capital letters implied) is calling, cue ponderous music. The male lead looks especially haunted (but with an amazingly trendy Japanese haircut). The female lead is pretty and... haunted. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes Shinobi's character development section. Visuals similar to House of Flying Daggers, but not as beautiful or subtle. Nice, but somewhat dull.
   
   Plot? Meh. Others have already reviewed it and there is little more to be told. It doesn't help that the viewers are let in on the Shogun's big secret desire to wipe out the Shinobis at the beginning. If you need movies with super inventive plots, martial arts movies aren't necessarily the place to look. Shinobi is not one of the better ones, despite its melodramatic Romeo & Juliet pretensions.
   
   Action? Well, the director is not Ang Lee, that's for sure (and yes, I know Ang Lee didn't do martial arts movies before you know what). There are some good special effects, but again little in the way of camera dynamics. The fights manage to be somewhat boring as well. No Ong Bak, Shaolin, Jackie Chan or Jet Li here. Not Fight Club either. Not thrilling, not playful. Whereas those other films get their actors sweaty with in-your-face action, almost everything here is resolved by various super-powers of dubious interest and CGI wizardry.
   
   So, if you have an action movie with uninteresting action, nice-ish pix, and a warmed over plot, what's left? A nice showcase for blu-ray technology at cut prices.
   
   Many positive reviewers seem to be anime fans. I am not. I like animation movies in general, but dislike most Japanese anime besides Miyazaki and a few others. That may explain my reaction to Shinobi, but it also means my review is probably irrelevant if you love anime.

5 comments about Ninja Scroll.

1. I viewed this back during my college days in the mid-90's and let me say that this is one of the crowning achievements in japanamation!
   
   The story centers on a masterless samari named Jubei who is (more or less) forced into service by Dakuwon, an agent of the Tokengowa goverment of Japan. Along the way, they battle the 8 Devils of Kimone, led by Jubei's old enemy Himiro Gemma and gain an ally in Kegero. A ninja woman who is blessed with an immunity to poisons but cursed because she can't enjoy any physical intimacy with anyone without killing them. Together, the three must prevent the 8 Devils and their masters, The Shogun Of The Dark from overtaking the government of Japan via a civil war.
   
   Great action, great animation and a lot of plot twists along the way to the firey conclusion at the end. Great viewing but IT IS FOR ADULTS! In other words parents, DO NOT BUY THIS FOR YOUR KIDS!



2. The Good Things
   *Great fight scenes. Loads of bloody action. Never dull.
   *Strong, memorable imagery. Excellent art design and details. The characters look smashing.
   *Intruiging, straightforward storyline.
   *Characters are awesome. They are very well-developed, very deep, and very immersive.
   *The bad guys are awesome too. They have a lot of interesting powers/traits.
   
   The Bad Things
   *Very shocking (at least for the first viewing). The violence is extreme (on the same level as "Kill Bill"), and there are a few graphic sex scenes. Definately not for the squeamish.
   
   Definately one of the best ninja/samurai films ever made (in anime or otherwise). It is a simple story that leaves lots of room for some very deep characters and a lot of awesome fight scenes. The extreme violence and sex may drive some people away, but for those who can stand it, it is quite awesome.
   
   The 10th anniversary edition includes one 30 minute interview session and some information to read. It is in both fullscreen and widescreen (although I think somebody said that the widescreen side is a "fake" widescreen, with the top and bottom of the frame cut off). Still, the video and sound quality on this disc is excellent. Earlier editions of this film don't appear to have any features.



3. I can't count myself among those who gush over this tale of a wandering samurai and two companions who take on an evil foe and his demonic minions. The animation is good but not outstanding. The story had me riveted early on as the characters were introduced and their dilemma revealed, but the narrative became quite murky and by the time the climactic shipboard battle occurred, I had lost interest. The demons in this film are quite imaginative.



4. Ninja Scroll was quite an impressive anime/manga film, I think its one of the best animes I've ever seen and I'll be honest I haven't seen that much other than Vampire Hunter D and Ghost In The Shell among others. The film was set in Feudal Japan and the story involves a lone ninja warrior called Jubie traveling from town to town with a hidden past and there seems to be a plague spreading through out a small village called Shimoda and most of the people are found dead. While on their way to investigate the koga ninja team are slaughtered by a huge sword wielding monster with a body of stone, the huge monster uses his sword to decapitate and hack off the Koga ninjas limbs and rips them apart leaving a rain of blood in what has got to be the goriest scene in the film leaving the only surviving member of the team a female ninja named Kagera.
   
   She soon warns the Koga clan and returns back to the village only to be kidnapped and raped by the monster. Kagera is later saved by Jubei as they continue on their journey, Jubie is also blackmailed by a small old man named Daukuns? using a poison dart he tells Jubei that he will give him the antidote but only if he helps him defeat the shogun of the dark he also has suspicions that Jubie was the ninja who killed the retainers of the Yashimoto Clan and that Lord Gemma who was previously decapitated is still alive and is the leader of the devils of Kimon and is also working for the shogun of the dark. Ninja Scroll is definitely not kids stuff as some of the fight scenes were quite bloody and it also has some rape scenes, Ninja Scroll is one of those supernatural shogun/ninja period films, the film had some amazing artwork with an emphasis on characters, plot and thrilling action scenes with lots of blood, gore and nudity, Jubie was a very cool character and a bit of a cynic but still likes to help people out kind of like a Character in a spaghetti western. The great thing about this film is that its not complicated like Ghost In The Shell so its perfect for those who haven't seen that much anime (like myself) here is some of the highlights you get to see in the film.
   
   - Jubie continuesly head butting Lord Gemma until his face caves in.
   - Kagera has poison for blood so whoever sleeps with her dies.
   - A weird demon who has a wasp's nest for a back (don't ask).
   - A huge monster who drinks blood from a severed limb then has his head split in half and brains fall off (yes very nice!).
   - A deadly female demon who casts of her skin like a snake (this particular scene was weird and hilarious.
   
   I'm not going to say anymore since I don't want to ruin it, if you enjoy adult anime that has some great action with very smooth and fluid animation then I highly recommend this.



5. This movie doesnt leave the wathcer just stranded trying to figure out what is going on. I do say that there is 2 or 3 cheesy parts but other than that a very good anime. Good Story Plot about ninjas, love and daeth. Cant beat that. Since it is from the early 90's the animation is not going to be a beautiful as Air, or Basalisk but is over-all very good.
   
   This movie soes contain nudity and inappropiate situations but I have seen alot worse. Very surprised at the story-line really thought it wasnt going to be all that good.