Customer Reviews

Five Element Ninjas

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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).

In 1982, Chang Cheh's Venom team was no more. His 1982 classic, "Five Elements Ninjas" (Super Ninjas), saw the return of Lo Mang, with Ricky Cheng in the lead. Kuo Chui went to Taiwan with Lu Feng & Chiang Sheng to choreograph, direct and star in his own Ninja film, "Ninja in the Deadly Trap", which wasn't half-bad. "Five Elements Ninjas" not only had Lo Mang & Ricky Cheng, but it also starred Chu Ko (who did the choreography with Ricky), Wang Li, Yu Tai-Ping, Lung Tien-Sheng & real-life former Triad gang member, Chan Wai-Man, as the Ninja leader. Despite the fact that I thought some of the sets looked a little on the cheap side, it had all of the Chang Cheh elements.

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.

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!

Chang Cheh's Kung Fu Masterpiece. What more can be said about this gem of a movie. It has all you could ask for in a Kung Fu movie. Chinese vs. Japanese, Kung Fu vs. Samurai, Kung Fu vs. Ninjitsu, Chinese Ninja vs. Japanese Ninjas. Lots of Blood, Lots of action, a shot of female breasts, Ninjas in different color suits, simple plot, crazy cool weapons, and an amazing climax.

I never thought that there were really Chinese Ninjas until now.

Five Stars for an Excellent Martial Arts Movie.

I bought this DVD from two separate sellers.

The first time was from Amazon. I returned the DVD because it paused and skipped continuously after an hour or so into the movie. The second time I bought it from an Amazon seller, the same thing happened. The first hour of playback, the image is clear, and then the image is pixilated and pauses until the end of the movie. I am returning this one also. I will keep my eyes peeled for another release of this movie. The error was copied onto more one DVD.

I watch a ton of movies throughout the week, so it's not my DVD player. I purchased this dvd around Christmas and it was damaged. Anything beyond Scene 11 has some major interference on screen and the sound is jumpy so the viewer is unable to make out what that the actors are saying. You cannot even pretend to watch it. I sent my copy back and purchased from a different sender and purchased the movie again, but the same problem on a whole new DVD. This is definitely some type of print error on a certain number of these DVD. The movie would be great otherwise, as I watched the mandarin with subtitles. I do n't know what is wrong with the discs.

I first saw this film on late night television when I was young, and because of the lateness of the hour it ran completely uncensored. Let me just say that it made it a memorable experience on par with first seeing "Shogun Assassin". With elements that make it resemble the grimmest of Bejing Opera tales, Five Element Ninjas (aka "Chinese Super Ninjas" is one of Chang Cheh's most harsh and strangely entertaining works. :)

This DVD is a must have for anyone who is a fan of the venoms films. Director Chang Che's Masterpiece has it all. Revenge, love, betrayal, as well as eye popping martial arts action.

This Japanese versus Chinese flick is a must have for the serious action movie fan. It sits next to Kid With the Golden Arm. You have various weapon techniques, how each can be countered and a decent plot, revenge. enjoy, hope this helps.

When I was about 8 years old I saw this film it was named Chinese Supa Ninjas at the time. I didn't realize until I was in my teens that all my favorite 70's & 80's martial arts flicks had been renamed over and over due to copyright issues. However, I recently purchased the Tokyo Shock release of Five Element Ninjas and I must say it is the best I've seen of all the many versions I've viewed over the years. The best picture quality, the best sound quality, and the best cut of the film. What do I mean by the best cut? well from the 80's until now there are versions of the film that differ by 8 to 10 minutes each. Some lesser versions of this film have the scenes out of order. This Tokyo shock version is Top Notch it beats out all the rest. As far as Shaw Bros. films go Tokyo Shock and The Weinstein Company are the only two publishers doing true justice to the Genre. A+++++!