Blood of the Ninja

Rating:
Summary: "...looked like such a good fight, I couldn't keep away"...
Review: ... that's the reason the White Dragon, a vagabond Chinese warrior, gives his enemy --- a General of the occupying Mongolian forces --- on being asked why he's interfering, when the Mongolians have always treated him with respect and never bothered him.

This, just before a great battle finale with a horde of Mongol soldiers, which leaves just the last man standing; literally. No more of that; it should be seen & not read.

Those reviewers who laugh & quibble about Ninjas, and other irrelevancies, totally miss the point. This movie of course, is not the "Seven Samurai" --- but what is? And, "Blood of the Dragon", could well be a Chinese "Magnificient Seven"; or even a "Sanjuro".

It has way better than the laughable martial action of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" --- which by the way, while being intensely disliked by most Asians, as well as most students of Asian martial arts, has, unbelievably, been adored & embraced by the Motion Picture Academy, most critics, and many Western audiences. Go figure. If all the martial arts in "Crouching Tiger ..." had been left out, it may possibly, have deserved some of that attention. Ang Lee, for sure, is not Tsui Hark or John Woo. But, I digress.

Pay no attention to naysayers; see "Blood of the Dragon" (NOT "Blood of the Ninja"; that's a Hong Kong marketing gimmick, trying to cash in on Ninja fantasizers); see & decide for yourself. You won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: "... looked like such a good fight, I couldn't keep away"...
Review: ... that's what the White Dragon tells his enemy --- a General of the occupying Mongolian forces --- on being asked why he's interfering, even though the Mongolians have always treated him with respect, and never bothered him.

This before the great, battle finale --- which leaves only the last man standing.

This movie could be a Chinese "Magnificient Seven"; or "A Fistful of Dollars". It has way better than the ridiculous martial arts of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" --- which, while being adored & embraced by the Academy, most critics, and many audiences, was intensly disliked for its martial action, by most Asians, and most students of Asian martial arts. If "Crouching Tiger ..." left out all its martial arts, it would have been a much better movie. Ang Lee, is not Tsui Hark or John Woo, for sure.

"Blood of the Dragon" is among the best of Hong Kong Kung Fu; and is a must for aficionados; not least for the occasional, unexpected spark of wit, in the dialog; like the "good fight" crack above. Don't miss this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Better Than Average Kung Fu Fair
Review: Blood of the Dragon does a few things that the "traditional" Kung Fu film does not do. For one, it does not indiscriminantly kill off characters. This doesn't mean people don't die (the hero, White Dragon, kills a whole crowd of baddies in the end) but it does mean "Blood of the Dragon" cares more about its characters than most films in this genre do.

Also, it doesn't have the cliche "I can kick all yo' asses" hero. White Dragon is a great warrior, but he gets wounded (ironically by another good guy) in the back halfway through the movie, and he sits and waits inside an inn for the villains to come to him, biding his time before the big fight. This not only makes him for human, but adds a bit of realism to the story. The final fight, which is full of sand being thrown up in the air, also adds realism, and doesn't rely heavily on poor editing.

So in short, I was thoroughly impressed by this film. I was expecting a standard affair, but I got much more. I suggest this movie to any kung fu enthusiast.

Rating:
Summary: When I was a kid...
Review: I must've been about seven years old when I first saw this chinese cult film. Starring Wang Yu as a spaghetti westernesque Clint Eastwood in the role of the "White Dragon", this film is sure to please as far as entertainment goes!

A young boy named Nichu stumbles upon a dying man who is a true patriot. The man asks, as a dying wish, that the boy give a bamboo tube (containing a list of names) to the young prince of the palace. When Nichu returns to the inn with the bamboo tube, he explains to Miss Yen, his guardian, that he must deliver the tube to the prince. But before he gets a chance, two guards enter from the Mongolians who demand the tube be given over. The White Dragon intervenes and saves Nichu from the guards' violent wrath. After Nichu explains his entrusted promise from the dying man to White Dragon, they both go on forward to deliver the tube. Unfortunately so, a man only known as the "Red Dragon" is leading his men of the Mongolians to find the list...and destroy all who oppose their oppression.

Quite a great film for it's small budget, including an awesome ending clash of blood and swords! I would recommend this great cult classic to those with a taste of old style chinese sword fighting. Truly a cool experience! 3 & 1/2 stars!

Rating:
Summary: A Classic in Every Way
Review: This movie offers a great sense of character and storyline realism in the way it was filmed. Everything: the casting, the fight scenes, the plot, the original musical score--even the dubbing--comes together quite well in this movie.

Wang Yu portrays a lone fighter, "the White Dragon," who expertly wields a silver spear and gives allegience to no one. However, his fateful involvement with a young boy and pretty inn keeper place him on a true hero's path of interior change and even transcendence, through the situations he finds himself in while helping these two.

In addition to the merits of the film itself, for the price,... it is easily one of the best bargains among the many martial arts films I have purchased. The video transfer on my Platinum Video version of the DVD is a bit soft, but still acceptable.

Top shelf all the way! Blood of the Dragon rightfully deserves to be on the "top ten" list of many a serious subscriber to this movie genre.