Enter the Ninja (1981)

On the outskirts of Manila, a property owner (Alex Courtney) refuses to sell his land to an unscrupulous businessman (Christopher George, chewing the scenery rabidly), with “collectors” (including hook-handed, “fat pig” Zachi Noy) demanding he do so “or else”. Arriving for a visit is trained-in-ninjitsu Franco Nero (dubbed and stunt-doubled for all fight choreography just about by Mike Stone), an old buddy of Courtney’s. Soon Will Hare (“Silent Night, Deadly Night” (1984); the old demented grandpa who tells his grandson that Santa is a very bad man) joins Nero and Courtney’s team to help out when necessary on missions, while Susan George stars as Courtney’s strong-willed and sexy wife. Dale Ishimoto was Nero’s ninjitsu master and the great Shô Kosugi a rival hired by Christopher George to take care of his problems in Nero and Courtney. As expected Courtney is the friend left for dead by Kosugi with vengeance-seeking Nero seeking revenge. Courtney as the tortured Frank does well with what he’s given (admitting to Nero that Susan George desires lots of sex but he’s impotent), while Susan George is feisty, headstrong, and gutsy as the wife who won’t give up their estate no matter what Christopher George throws at her. Menaham Golan’s music score is very 70s/80s television cop show, but he does equip his ninja film with enough blood and fight / swordplay choreography  that “Enter the Ninja” (1981) became a surprise success (and Golan wasn’t shy about exploiting this popular subgenre to there was nothing left to drain from the teet). Nero is made to look like a million bucks thanks to heavy editing and careful choreography, and he’s not just a blank sheet of paper in performance, either. When he discovers Courtney in his pool, neck cut and bleeding a puddle, Nero sells the agony (there are flashbacks to “the war”, where the two were active and surviving the gunfire onslaught) of a lost friend. Getting to wear the white ninja suit helps to mask Nero’s inability to actually perform martial arts, so a stuntman can replace him. My favorite part of the film is actually the beginning as Nero’s Cole moves through an “obstacle course” (Ishimoto’s jungle and grounds) with ninja in red garb with Kosugi in black garb. All the accoutrements of the ninja are here and accounted for… a blow-gun, bola (two balls on opposite end of chain used as a garrote), bow & arrow, nunchuks, sai (look like pronged forks), shinobi-gatana sword, shiroken (different stylized throwing stars), spear-staff and tonfa (essentially in the likeness of police clubs). Golan definitely studied his Chinese art of fight and weaponry films from the previous decade, emulating the camera style and ways of a skilled fighter against imposing odds using the entire arsenal available to him. The finale takes place inside a cockfighting arena with Christopher George demanding “his black ninja”…this guy is a piece of work. 3/5

*The opening credits with ninja showing of their skills is almost my favorite part of the film. Just really sets the tone
**Although set up to look like Nero was being pursued in the jungle by Kosugi and others instigated by Ishimoto, it is realistic enough to be exciting, with all the weapons of the Ninja promised in the opening credits on display
***Golan again emphasizes all the Ninja tools of the trade as Nero must wipe out all George's men.
***Nero gets to even decapitate so Golan leaves no stone unturned