Revenge of the Ninja
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the film. For the Sega Mega-CDSega Mega-CDThe is an add-on device for the Mega Drive video game console, designed and produced by Sega and released in Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The device was also released in North America under the name Sega CD, for the Sega Genesis...
game, see Ninja HayateNinja Hayateis a laserdisc arcade game first developed and released by Taito in Japan only. The game became better known when it was released in North America and Europe for the Sega Mega-CD as Revenge of the Ninja.- Plot :...
Revenge of the Ninja (1983) is an action movie starring Shô Kosugi
Sho Kosugi
Sho Kosugi is a Japanese martial artist with training in shindō jinen-ryū karate who gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, usually playing a ninja. He is the father of Kane Kosugi and Shane Kosugi. After taking a hiatus from film, he started a taiko group in California...
as a ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
. It is considered part of a ninja trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
, starting with Enter the Ninja
Enter the Ninja
Enter the Ninja is a 1981 martial arts film directed by Menahem Golan and starring Franco Nero, Susan George and Shô Kosugi. Production was started in the Philippines with Emmett Alston directing, but when Charles Bronson refused to allow Menahem Golan to direct Death Wish II, Golan, a co-principal...
(1981) and ending with Ninja III: The Domination
Ninja III: The Domination
Ninja III: The Domination is a 1984 film directed by Sam Firstenberg, and stars Lucinda Dickey as Christie, Jordan Bennett as Officer Billy Secord, and James Hong as Miyashima...
(1984), but the stories are not directly related. The final battle is considered a battle between good and evil.
Plot
Revenge of the Ninja opens with a massive ninja attack on the home of Cho Osaki (Sho KosugiSho Kosugi
Sho Kosugi is a Japanese martial artist with training in shindō jinen-ryū karate who gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, usually playing a ninja. He is the father of Kane Kosugi and Shane Kosugi. After taking a hiatus from film, he started a taiko group in California...
) in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, resulting in the slaughter of his entire family except for his mother and his younger son, Kane (Kane Kosugi
Kane Kosugi
born in Los Angeles, California is a American martial artist and martial arts actor. He is the son of martial arts star Sho Kosugi. In Japan, Kosugi is considered gaijin tarento due to his Nisei heritage....
). When Cho arrives at his estate and discovers the carnage, the ninjas attempt to kill him as well, but Cho, being a ninja himself, avenges his family. Afterwards, however, he swears off being a ninja forever and moves with his son and mother to California, where he opens a doll gallery with the help of his American business partner and friend, Braden, and his assistant Kathy.
One night, Kane accidentally drops and breaks open one of the dolls, exposing a white dust (heroin) contained therein. As it turns out, Braden uses the doll gallery as a front for his drug-dealing business. He tries to strike a deal with Caifano, a Mafia boss, but Caifano and Braden cannot find common ground and eventually engage in a turf war. Braden, as a silver "demon"-masked ninja, assassinates Caifano's informers and relatives to make him cower down. The police are confused about the killings, and local police martial arts trainer and expert, Dave Hatcher, is assigned to find a consultant. Dave persuades Cho to see his boss and Cho attests that only a ninja could commit these crimes, but refuses to aid the police any further.
In order to avoid payment for his 'merchandise', Caifano sends three men to clear the gallery. Cho haphazardly walks into the gallery while the thugs are loading the goods in a van, is attacked and responds with hand-to-hand combat. The henchmen escape in the van with Cho in pursuit, but he fails to stop the thieves from getting away. Meanwhile, Braden stealthily arrives to Cho's art gallery to find that it was just looted. Cho's mother and Kane both encounter him; Braden kills Cho's mother, but Kane manages to elude him. Cho, badly mangled, returns to find his mother murdered and his son missing.
In order to finish the last witness, Braden hypnotizes Kathy, who is in love with Cho, to find and bring in Kane. When she recovers her senses, she contacts Cho and informs him both of Braden's treachery and that he is a ninja. Seeing his only remaining son in mortal danger, Cho breaks his devotion to non-violence and makes his way to Caifano's headquarters to stop Braden. In the meantime, Braden finds out about Kathy's betrayal and prepares to have her executed. Kane manages to free himself and Kathy, and the two inform the police.
Braden makes his final assault on Caifano and his organization, killing everyone he ecounters. Eager to help his friend Cho, Dave also rushes to Caifano's headquarters but is ambushed by Braden, who mortally wounds him. Cho rushes to help his faithful friend, but the latter dies in his arms.
The film ends with an epic battle to the death between Braden and Cho on top of Caifano's skyscraper. After a long struggle, Cho kills Braden and is reunited with his son and Kathy.
Cast
- Shô KosugiSho KosugiSho Kosugi is a Japanese martial artist with training in shindō jinen-ryū karate who gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, usually playing a ninja. He is the father of Kane Kosugi and Shane Kosugi. After taking a hiatus from film, he started a taiko group in California...
as Cho Osaki - Keith VitaliKeith VitaliKeith Vitali is an American-born martial artist, actor, producer, author and child activist.His introduction into martial arts came in 1971 at the University of South Carolina, where he was awarded his first black belt after only two years...
as Dave Hatcher - Virgil FryeVirgil FryeVirgil Charles Frye is an American actor and former Golden Gloves boxing champion.He grew up in Estherville, Iowa. He has two children, Sean Frye and Soleil Moon Frye , and is the father-in-law of Jason Goldberg....
as Lieutenant Dire - Arthur Roberts as Braden
- Mario GalloMario GalloMario Gallo may refer to several people of Italian descent in the film industry:*Mario Gallo 1923-1984 - American TV actor*Mario Gallo 1878-1945 - Early Italian film director in the Cinema of Argentina...
as Chifano - Grace Oshita as Grandmother
- Ashley Ferrare as Cathy
- Kane KosugiKane Kosugiborn in Los Angeles, California is a American martial artist and martial arts actor. He is the son of martial arts star Sho Kosugi. In Japan, Kosugi is considered gaijin tarento due to his Nisei heritage....
as Kane Osaki
Censorship
The original theatrical release was heavily cut, as was the VHS. Sho Kosugi's son's death (ninja star in the head) was cut, as were the deaths of three guards at the hands of the evil ninja Braden. Braden's gory death was also slightly trimmed. All cuts were reinserted into the Region 1 DVD from MGM. Optimum Entertainment is going to release this film uncut in widescreen in May 30th on DVD.Filming location
While the story is set in Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, the movie was filmed in Salt Lake City; several Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
license plates can be seen.