"Enter the Ninja" Movie Review

Barkita Reviews Enter the Ninja

Barkita reviews the 1981 Cannon Group action movie Enter the Ninja, describing it as cheap, silly fun that helped launch the ’80s ninja-movie craze.

Plot

An American army veteran graduates from ninja school and travels to the Philippines to help an old army buddy defend his land from an oil-hungry tycoon. The tycoon hires the hero’s bitter rival from ninja school, setting up a final ninja-versus-ninja showdown.

Along the way, the hero sleeps with his buddy’s unhappy wife—a decidedly questionable move for a “best friend.”

Oddities and Production Quirks

Barkita pokes fun at the movie’s unusual ninja imagery: the hero wears white while sneaking through the woods, and the action-test sequence has glaring continuity errors, with his bow and sword seeming to shift around between shots. He also notes that ninjas were historically assassins, unlike the noble martial-arts clan portrayed in the film.

The production has its own quirks. Franco Nero replaced the original lead, but couldn’t do martial arts or convincingly speak with an American accent. His dialogue was dubbed, and the original actor doubled for him in the fight scenes.

Verdict

The movie is dumb but watchable if you enjoy low-budget action films. Barkita gives it two paws, joking that it’s not Citizen Kane—but at least it’s not Cats (2019) or Star Trek: Discovery.

Personalities Mentioned

Barkita (reviewer), Franco Nero, Christopher George, Susan George, Sho Kosugi, Will Hare, Linda Day George, John Wayne, and Marty McFly (a character reference).