One of my all time favorite martial arts/ kung fu movies gets a proper American release. The film quality is excellent! There has always been a lacking quality in all subsequent region 1 releases (poor picture quality /full screen/ no sub titles). The English dub is still the same and while I'm not one to harp on translation and voice acting, the American dub is pretty lame. I can always look past such things as it is not part of the true film itself. I will not go into plot details to extremes because you can read many other reviews on why people love this movie, but here are a few reasons why it tops my list. The plot is fairly simple, the costumes are lavish and super hero like, the blood flows, the variety of cool weapons is unmatched, there are ninjas (duh!) whose weapons and costumes match their element style, there is gore (fighter steps on his own guts/man gets drawn and quartered, etc.), the fight choreography is imaginative, wild and well executed, there are slow motion sequences, Meng Lo is a bad ass, jeez this list could keep going! I still get excited seeing the very beginning open were blood flows to reveal the title (how cool is that?). I absolutely love the first battle scene between the two clans. The top fighters are going one on one to see who is best. Each fighter has a different weapon style. It's just killer! If you own any other version of this film or if you just love over the top wild martial arts films, you need to own this! It is the best version out there. As I've said before if you are a martial arts realist nerd stay away! And while the film is based on actual ninja techniques and weaponry, it is a fantasy, it is a comic book, and it is a lot of fun!Bonus: Subtitles. During certain scenes Chinese characters pop up in the upper parts of the screen. The subtitles reveal what element style is being preformed (something I have always wondered, never being able to read Chinese).
There seemed to be quite a bit of research done on Ninjitsu & Japanese martial arts to make it seem more authentic. That part was based on historical literature and literary references from noted Japanese martial artists; it doesn't state that the story is based on historical fact. The literature is about martial arts, not Japanese culture. The 22 minute climatic showdown is worth the price of admission alone. Tokyo Shock did a great job with this transfer; remastered, widescreen, behind-the-scenes photos & an awesome segment on "Golden Arm Kid" Lo Mang. You can watch it in either Mandarin (with remastered subs) or the English dub; which unfortunately is kinda lame this time. Either way it's a classic though.
Buy Five Element Ninjas (1982) Now
If you are a fan and a collector of quality gems such as Shaw Brother Martial Arts movies then what are you waiting for my friend? Aren't you sick of watching that full screen 3rd generation dub? Well then..buy this copy!!I watch all of my dvd's on a Blu Ray player at 1080p 24fps so let me tell you
this copy at that rate is outstanding. Therefore, on a standard progressive scan dvd player it will look terrific!!
This copy is crisp with great color and clarity. One of the best and bloodiest of all of Chang Cheh's movies.
Only gripe...the mono mix is good to great for the english dub. When there is no music in the background the dialogue seems to dip a bit every now and then however, this is very minor. Overall it is a 5 star pick up for your catologue. Get it now!
Read Best Reviews of Five Element Ninjas (1982) Here
Super Ninjas, Five Element Ninjas, Chinese Super Ninjas, call it what you will, but if you know this title, than you know it is pretty much the greatest, classic kung-fu film ever! Not only is it the best kung-fu film, it is arguably the greatest ninja flick as well. This movie is action packed from the start, and chock full of glorious weapons in action, flowing glue-on facial hair and side burns, and copious amounts of fake gore. And the story is actually pretty damn good as well, not difficult to follow or lost in the translation like so many other films from the Far East. But enough about the movie, this is a review of the Blu-Ray DVD. As a fan of this film, I have collected nearly every release on VHS and DVD to come out, including all the European import versions, bootlegs, and most recently a Mandarin standard DVD release that included a restored wide-screen version with the original Chinese dialog. This was a treat, because for the past 30 years I have only been able to watch this film in 4:3 TV mode with the English dubbing. So to see the film in its original scope with the original audio was a real treat for a long time fan. I figured this version would be the best I would ever see, and that was until this Blu-Ray version came out, which is not only in its original wide-screen format, but it includes both the original dialog audio as well as the hilarious, nostalgic English language track. The picture is excellent, and appears fully restored. And perhaps the most important part of any good release, is that the film is devoid of cuts and edits. In many previous releases, this film had much of the excessive violence removed and the film cut for length. But this Blu-Ray release is pretty much perfection on plastic! This is the ultimate version to own, and I suppose the only additional comments I can make about this release, is regarding the special features, which are not all that exciting, but worth a watch once.Want Five Element Ninjas (1982) Discount?
One of director Chang Cheh's last efforts for Shaw Brothers, "Five Element Ninjas" is full of surprises and is one of his most enjoyable. Lo Meng ("Gallants") is the only member present from Cheh's usual Venom Mob but he is joined by the likes of the very acrobatic and talented Ricky Cheng (Chan's "Fearless Hyena"). It's hard to say whether or not this would appeal to fans of the '80's Ninja sub-genre (the ones starring Sho Kosugi) as it's very different. Probably not. This is more like a typical old-school fu-flick that uses Ninjutsu instead of a Shaolin animal style, even adding Chinese aspects to the Japanese discipline.Our heroes are in a good-guy clan and win a tournament against some samurai-types. When the last jerk is defeated he kills himself. Prior to his seppuku, he writes a letter to some dude who looks just like him, pertaining to sending out the 5-Element Ninjas for a challenge against the good-guy clan. When the challenge arrives, the heroes' leader dispatches small groups to deal with the ninjas, leaving Lo Meng & Ricky Cheng behind to look after the group's headquarters, where a young woman is preparing to demonstrate the director's misogyny.
I prefer straight kung fu (fists & feet) to ninja (weapons) movies but this is definitely an exception. The fights in this are pretty creative and gory. Full of cool weapons and guerrilla tactics. The ninjas all dress in rather colorful uniforms to coincide with whatever element they specialize in. Add those outfits to the painted backdrops and fake trees of the Shaws studio and the picture-quality is almost strikingly vibrant, yet totally silly. Man, I love flicks like these!
The DVD from Tokyo Shock can finally replace the crappy Red Sun bootleg that fans have had to endure for the last decade. Celestial's remastered picture is splendid and really brings out the aforementioned kaleidoscopic hue. Language-wise, we are offered the choice between the old English dub or original Mandarin with English subs. The only features are an interview with Lo Meng (who finds himself on the verge of re-popularity after one crappy fight scene in "Ip Man 2") and some cool trailers. Very violent, entertaining, and, for fans of bloody martial arts weapons battles, recommended.
1982. aka: Chinese Super Ninjas; Super Ninjas
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