Ninja II: Shadow Of A Tear hits Blu-ray and DVD on December 31st from Millennium Entertainment
Last year brought us The Raid: Redemption, this year brought us Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear. I mention them both to give readers a sense of perspective… quality control, if you will. While The Raid was an international sensation and a surprise from such a new creative team, none of us action fans should be surprised that Ninja II is the best action film of 2013. Star Scott Adkins and director Isaac Florentine team up once again and deliver on the promise that all of their past collaborations should have prepared us for.
I’ve already said a LOT about this film, between my Fantastic Fest review and our 3-part interview with Ninja II director Florentine, which you can read here. And you are going to hear a little bit more about it here and in a one-on-one interview we conducted with Adkins himself just this week. Stay tuned for that!
It is exciting to bring this much coverage of Ninja II to you readers, primarily because it was one of the most joyful positive reviews I was able to write this year. (I had pretty high hopes, after all, which were met and exceeded). But also because, in spite of the towering place this film already has in my heart and the hearts of many of the Cinapse team, Ninja II is only just now getting a chance for the world to see it. I don’t go in for celebrity worship, either, but since Scott Adkins is a worthy rising star who actually needs the support of his fans to really get him exposed to the uninitiated, I’ve let my guard down and become an unabashed Scott Adkins fanboy. (Who would still tell you straight if Ninja II had been anything less than mind-blowing). So what more is there to say about Ninja II when discussing the Blu-ray release, which will be the primary way most fans consume the film? I’ll run down a few thoughts I had about the film upon my second viewing of this actionite-dream-project.
For one thing, its status as the greatest action film of the year is only confirmed by a second viewing, but I do have to recommend watching it with as many other fans as you can gather together. Having now watched the movie in a packed and applauding theater, as well as at home on my couch solo, you realize that Ninja II is a film made to thrill a crowd. That isn’t to say that the Blu-ray is disappointing in any way, but rather a suggestion that, whether you be chicks or dudes, you share the glee of Ninja II’s insane action with your people.
I also paid special attention on this viewing to the camera work of DP Ross Clarkson, who is a frequent Florentine collaborator and whom both Florentine and Adkins have wonderful things to say about. All the magic that Adkins can do physically is only as exciting as the ability to capture it visually. This is known. Clarkson’s smooth steadicam, long takes, and the immediacy of his set-ups all pop wonderfully upon a second viewing. But even more than just the action, there’s an energy to the framing of shots throughout the film, which is a clear indication of the craft Florentine and Clarkson are bringing to the table even on a rushed schedule and a modest budget.
A second viewing also gave me the space to look past my fan-crush on Adkins and pay closer attention to some of the other presences in front of the camera. Kane Kosugi really does bring an awesome presence to the screen as both a better actor and a better martial artist that his father Sho Kosugi was (and I mean no disrespect to the awesome Senior Kosugi). There is also a wonderful fight sequence towards the end of the movie when Adkins squares off against the film’s fight choreographer, Tim Man. Man (the shorter soldier guy who plays villain Goro’s right hand man) brings a pretty electric fight to reality on screen, and clearly brought his A-game on the choreography front throughout the film.
And while the thrilling fight scenes obviously didn’t go unnoticed upon first viewing, the variety and varying stakes and style of each different fight in the film is commendable and stands out on a second viewing. There’s one moment played for comedy when Adkins walks into a room and we simply cut to seeing armed guards thrown against walls with sound effects filling in the rest. He pops out of the room with a new uniform/disguise on and we all know what went down. There’s the already infamous single take dojo fight that had me cheering all over again as well. And the Kickboxer-homage where a drunken Casey Bowman takes out his grief on an entire bar full of ne’er-do-wells is just plain jaw-dropping, with every piece of bar furniture imaginable being absolutely decimated. And, much like The Raid before it, Ninja II gets a chance to mix together all sorts of gunplay and weaponry, as well as one-on-one fights and huge mega-beat-downs. Ninja II is genuine old-school action cinema. Our hero leads us on a fun adventure packed with globe-trotting, revenge, ninja-stars, grenades, gun fire and six-pack abs. No wheels were re-invented in the making of Ninja II, but much furniture was destroyed. Just the way we like it.
Action films aren’t rocket science, nor is criticism of them. Does the film deliver unique thrills? Absolutely. Is it crafted with skill and love of the genre? Resoundingly yes, arguably by some of the best filmmakers working in the genre today. And so, when I’m reviewing this bad boy, I’m bringing you the stripped-down essentials. Ninja II kicks ass, and all I can do is list out some of the reasons it rises to the absolute top of the heap of its ilk here in 2013. It is elements like the variety, the camera work, the confidence to stay GCI-free, and the endless moments of chest-thumping action glory that make Ninja II the action film to beat this year.
The Package
Shot digitally in places like Thailand and Japan, you get a lot of production value up on the screen. And while Ninja II is 100% dedicated to action, this Blu-ray will offer an exciting visual experience for fans. Adkins’ supernaturally thick 5-o’clock shadow is possibly the reason HD was invented. But watching the visuals that DP Clarkson and Director Florentine have created here is a compelling reason to pick up Ninja II: Shadow Of A Tear on Blu-ray. I’ll touch on this more in my upcoming interview with Adkins as well, but buying or renting this Blu-ray is the single-biggest way you can support this type of action cinema, and cast your vote that you want to see more just like it. I can’t recommend this purchase highly enough for anyone who counts themselves an action fan.
The bonus features themselves are lacking, but I’m very glad they are there. Three brief features are present: a featurette that is little more than an electronic press kit for the film, mixing footage, interviews, and some behind the scenes shots to sell the film. Then you get some interview footage of stars and producers, all chopped up into sound-bytes (and many of which are included in the featurette), and finally a brief behind the scenes montage which was my favorite feature, just because you get a chance to see Isaac Florentine directing.
Lacking incredible bonus features, but bringing the best action film of the year right to your living room in a beautifully transferred package, Ninja II: Shadow Of A Tear on Blu-ray is one of the most exciting additions to my collection that I’ve picked up all year.
And I’m Out.