Ninja 1 & 2 Double Feature | Blu-ray (Millennium)
Today’s Deal on Fire is for the Ninja 1 & 2 Double Feature Blu-ray set, directed by Isaac Florentine (Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing) and starring Scott Adkins (Triple Threat), Kane Kosugi (Tekken 2), Mika Hijii (Alien vs Ninja), Tsuyoshi Ihara (13 Assassins) and Vithaya Pansringarm (A Prayer Before Dawn).
In 2009’s Ninja, a westerner named Casey (Adkins), studying Ninjutsu in Japan, is asked by the Sensei to return to New York to protect the legendary Yoroi Bitsu, an armored chest that contains the weapons of the last Koga Ninja. In 2013’s Ninja: Shadow of a Tear, Casey is out for revenge when a loved one is murdered!
Pre-order the Ninja 1 & 2 from Amazon.com today!
I like double Florentine, but two Adkins is Double No Impact!
Dude…c’mon, ‘Ninja: Shadow of a Tear’ is arguably one of, if not the, best western martial arts movie of the last 10 years. You get Adkins going it 1:1 against the likes of Ron Smoorenburg, Tim Man, & Kane Kosugi, and every one of them delivers the goods!
I agree! There was a ton of action, and all of it was shot, edited, and choreographed to near perfection!
I feel like it was the last “unrestricted” Scott Adkins film since even his best work in the last year had to contend with smaller budgets and quicker filming schedules.
Yes, of the last ten years…… Plus: Adkins has no star power. Even if 2 for 1.
Actually that problem didn’t become huge until 2015 when piracy led to the restrictions. He’s proven many times to be charismatic and multifaceted, and he keeps delving into to different characterizations.
Hes not charismatic. Very physically skilled, yes. Can kick and do everything, not a problem there. But I fail to think of an inferior mainstream DTV star to Adkins .. I would still go Dudikof and scrape the barrel further untill I found a star with less charisma or screen presense than Adkins. Gary Daniles got away with goofy Britishness becuase he was litteraly He-man physically and his acting was so bad it was good. Adkins just wouldnt be on the lips of todays youth like we talked JCVD or other mainstream characters of the genre … And thats it, Adkins isnt much of a character.. Great physical performer, but the charsmatic star power is not there. People like him only in absence of anything better, hes no Avedon, Wincott, Gruner, Hughes, Dacascos or anyone else significant in B-martial arts cinema.
He is the martial arts star of this generation, and lots of people are talking about him like they did with JCVD in the day.
Gruner and Hughes were never master thespians so I don’t know how they have more charisma.
No one “has” to love Adkins. I’m not a fan of Loren Avedon, (Nothing against him. He’s just not my type.) but I can acknowledge that he’s talented and works hard. But this “Scrape the barrel” stuff isn’t very constructive.
Hughes and Gruner have natural charisma. Hughes was a bodybuilder/model. No, the average kid is not talking about Adkins to the same extent they would have JCVD or Seagal twenty years ago. Not a real movie star. Avedon’s three Seasonal pictures will amount to more than Adkins career. Not just becuase of impressive and creative martial arts, but charisma and leading man qualities that hold the pictures in place. Even Keith Vitali is cooler than Adkins. Florentine will always make great fight scenes with style, but Adkins is not a great leading man.
Agree with your statement above. However, I think the times have changed. In this day and age, kids don’t really have an “action star” to look up to like we had back then. Currently, there’s no mania. No posters on kid’s walls. No array of action or martial arts magazines featuring all the JCVDs, Seagals, Ninjas, and even the Don ‘The Dragon’ Wilsons. I doubt kids, 20 years from now, will be talking about Keanu Reeves/John Wick. Everything is oversaturated. It’s more of a machine now than it has ever been. Rapid. The closest thing we have to iconic action stars is Chris Hemsworth or Chris Pratt visiting 10-year old children in hospital in their/as their respective Marvel characters.
Dont need to be master thesps.
lol, I was literally just looking at these movies earlier today to see if they were on Vudu for cheap or something. Did NOT realize they were both on BD for only ten bucks. Thanks, purchased.
“No posters on kid’s walls. No array of action or martial arts magazines featuring all the JCVDs, Seagals, Ninjas, and even the Don ‘The Dragon’ Wilsons. I doubt kids, 20 years from now, will be talking about Keanu Reeves/John Wick. “
That’s true in the same way that most people who watch movies these days just see them once, and forget about them even if it’s box office/critically acclaimed. And if it’s not a franchise/blockbuster, they ignore it.
The only people who care are adults with big DVD collections and kids who get to meet Captain America and company. Today’s stars aren’t the problem. Too many audiences are just cynical, and it’s harder to stand out like JCVD did when there wasn’t too much competition.
As film fans, it’s our duty to spread the word of our favorites to get more people to care.
Just becuase the genre isnt front and centre in the minds of kids doesnt mean Adkins is great, nor would it mean much for Adkins to be the screen fighter of his generation in such culturally irrelevant era for the genre. If you had to really pick a guy, its probably Dacascos, and thats with limited casting in exciting projects. Part of the genres irrelevance has been a lack of B-stand-outs like Drive or Crying Freeman (not just in terms of action, but aesthetically and dramatically) … But an apparent show-stealing role in John Wick 3 may mean a resurgence of Dacascos luxury DTV projects, which could remind us how good the genre can be. Reteaming with either of those directors OR even with Florentine would be a great fit… I will remind you, its not just about fighting, Dacascos has charisma and apparently matched Keanu dramatically.. Its the first time acting chop-socky-chops have been given such credit since Jeff Wincott … JCVD’s monologue more coming as a surprise than of a consistent engrossing performer, hes still a great actor, has a real knack for comedy …