Shaolin vs. Ninja

Rating:
Summary: Superb kung-fu action, ridiculous dubbing
Review: For a movie with such a generic name, I didnt know quite what to expect. I was surprised to find that the movie was everything I could have hoped for in a movie called "Shaolin vs. Ninja" The movie is not just some knock-off with passing references to Shaolin temple and ninja warriors. There are fights galore of shaolin masters amd students taking on slews of ninjas. The fighting is first rate, intense, and everything you're looking for. The video would have been better in its original widescreen format, and the very ends of subtitles are conseqeuntly cut off. The only distraction is the audacious, shameless dubbing with not the usual voice talent we've come to expect in our classic movies. The dubbing was clearly done in the 90s, with the dubbers substituting improbable names, such as Shaquille,Bob, Raymond, Sylvester, and Tommy boy, for the actual character's Chinese names, which can be read in the subtitles. The dubbers also add many lines of improbable improvisation, such as references to Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, and airbags. Inexplicably, the Japanese boss is voiced as a supremely cheesy 70s blaxpoitation pimp...really!... Some might find this comical, but it in essence made the dialogue spoof-like. The actual subtitled dialogue is actually all serious and coherent. But dont let the dubbing issue keep you from adding this video to your collection. Phase out the laffable dialogue, and follow the subtitles instead and you are in for a real treat. If you like first-rate Shaolin figting and ninja culture, this video is a true winner.

Rating:
Summary: Horrid English dubs, poor quality...
Review: I collect martial arts films on DVD. This one is a bomb and a half. The dubbed voices don't even match the actors and they're so bad you can't stay interested in the movie. The movie cuts out to blackness quite a few times, which is really annoying. The picture fades from color overkill to hardly any at all. I bought the Lion Video version. I have other Lion DVD's that are great, but this one shouldn't have been put out like it is.

Rating:
Summary: straight butter
Review: If you love kung-fu movies that are so cheesy, so bad, so hilariously rediculous, then this is the one for you! When this movie was transfered from widescreen format to box format, the original subtitles were slightly cut off. As a result, when the movie had to be dubbed in English, no one knew what the heck they were supposed to be saying. So, the actors who over-dubbed it made it up as they went along. This movie will have you rolling on the floor with laughter with such lines as, "Why you shukin' an' jivin me?" and "My Wife Test Drove one of those american cars...IT'S AIRBAG EXPLODED! And that's why, Mr. Mitsubishi, I want to kill you for your business..."

Anyways, it kicked a**!

Rating:
Summary: Good Fighting, Poor Editing.
Review: The editing was poor to say the least. The film just shut down and went black for a few moments while the sound kept going. However, I must say in only blacked out four-five times, and only once in an interesting point. The color went a little hazy at times but would quickly shift back to normal. Would I buy it again? Yeah. Good flick with cool Kung-Fu. Without the editing burps, I would have given in a four.

Rating:
Summary: Japan v. China
Review: The shaolin monks and the japanese ninjas are intwined in a confusing mystery of murder. While trying to figure out the culprate, a question of power and ability comes into play. The Ninja's believe that their martial arts is far superior to that of the monks. A tournament is set up between the two parties involving 7 fights each groups best fighters going head to head. As the two show off there weapons, and styles and shapes, the real murderer is suddenly brought into the open. Now the two groups must drop everything and deal with the evil power. another great martial monk film.

Rating:
Summary: 3.5 STARS For Good Old Scool Kung Fu, But bad Editing!
Review: This is an old school Kung Fu Collecters but unfortunetly no effort has been put into making this old school flick look better.I have not seen Ground Zero Entertainment's version but AVOID! Lion Video's version it is so bad I only paid $7.99 for it and i still returned it because the screen would jump,picture brake up,bad Editing ,and it looked like it was copied from a copied VHS. The sound sucks,no widescreen, and only in English dubbed. I can make a better DVD without trying just give me the tools . I'd rather pay $20 for a good version than Lion's version for FREE! We didn't buy a DVD to watch VHS quallity movies, DVD distributers hear me out! Anyway enjoy Shaolin vs Ninja and try to focous on the Kung Fu so you can forget how bad the quality is.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent shaolin movie
Review: This movie is definitely a classic. The plot is sometimes confusing, but it is pretty simple in general. Ninjas are trying to take over a shaolin temple for its assets, and of course there are many battles. Then the Japanese royal monk, who is visiting the Chinese shaolin monastery, is murdered by the ninjas. The ninjas blame it the monks, and Japanese shaolin monks come to get revenge for the murder. My favorite part is the scene where the Japanese and Chinese monks are having a competition-- the fights are amazing, and fluid, and there are an assortment of weapons being used. In fact, all the fight scenes in this movie are good, they are fast, well filmed, and well choreographed. One character uses nunchaku, a weapon rarely seen in kung fu movies. Another character has amazing staff techniques, sometimes they are even comical. After all, shaolin is famous for its staff techniques.

The abbot of the shaolin monastery (I don't know the actor's name) is excellent. He only has one or two fight scenes, but they are really good. He also accurately expresses the philosophy of shaolin and Buddhism, unlike in some movies where shaolin monks are portrayed as villains or thugs.

I am a little stingy with stars, so if a movie were to get 5 stars from me it would have to be perfect in my eyes. I really like this movie a lot, but there are a few things I don't like that prevent it from getting 5 stars. One thing that bothers me about this movie is that the filming is sometimes bad, things are cut out of the shot. But in the fight scenes the filming is always good, none of the shots are so close up you can't tell what's happening. Also, some of the costumes are corny, but overall the costumes and settings are good, and are in the style of the Ming Dynasty which is when the story takes place. I would recommend this movie highly, it is one of my favorites. I have seen this movie so many times I could probably recite all the lines, but I never get tired of watching it.