Boring

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

For starters ignore the glowing reviews.The fact is that this is the best film from Adkins since Boyka II -- and we all know that at the time he did SHADOW, the Boyka III was still in development -- yet at the end of the day, when the points are tallied, this is still not a very satisfying movie.And don't take my word for it. Look at the IMDb score and the number of members who voted. Clearly there is slight difference of opinion between the IMDb membership and the "front run" popular reviews saying this is the best thing since sliced bread.As I said, it is a step in the right direction. Since the last Undisputed (Boyka II) Adkins' agents have treated him like a punching bag, throwing him into all kinds of odd roles and odd films -- even some that (gasp!) are purely dramatic, where the only beating that takes place is when you punch out the friend that recommended it.Adkins is game and he tries. But David White's script is a mess. Off the top we kill the pretty pregnant wife of Adkins' character. OK, I am all in favor of getting to the point .. but there is no point. The rest of the film rambles like an old streetcar, toying with themes of revenge. family honor, anger management, and ninjitsu. As for the "big reveal" at the end, I will not dignify it by explaining it and neither should you.Boyka 2016 awaits. And no one needs it more than Adkins himself.

Casey Bowman (Adkins) is a master Martial Artist who runs a dojo with his wife Namiko (Hijii). Casey is truly livin' the dream: a great wife, a great life, and a baby on the way. But his dreams of the future are shattered when Namiko (and her unborn baby) are murdered. Vowing revenge, Casey will stop at nothing to find the perpetrators. This leads him to the dojo of fellow Martial Arts practitioner Nakabara (Kosugi). The two men then come to the conclusion that the super-evil Goro (Sugata) is the mastermind behind all the mayhem. Operating out of the Golden Triangle, Goro commands an army of goons and is said to be untouchable. Naturally, that doesn't stop Casey from embarking on his ultimate revenge mission. Will he avenge the deaths of his wife and child? Find out today! Ninja 2 (Or Ninja: Shadow of a Tear, its more poetic title) is awesome. There are many elements that make it so enjoyable and entertaining - there is minimal CGI, the fight choreography (by Tim Man) is excellent, you can actually see all the fights, Scott Adkins is a great hero you can truly get behind and is a rock-solid Martial Artist, and, perhaps most importantly, the plot is old-school action at its finest. The movie is truly a throwback to the 80's Ninja Boom, but unselfconsciously so. It would have ruined things if the great Isaac Florentine made this "ironic" or "post-modern", but that's what makes him great: it probably never entered his mind to do so. It's all about exciting, well-executed fights and grand revenge.Of course, there is the time-honored barfight, the Prerequisite Torture of the hero, and the wacky taxi driver. Things we never tire of seeing if they're done right. Thankfully, Florentine and Adkins understand action through and through, and they deliver a winner with all of what you want and none of what you don't. The evil baddie is named Goro, recalling the Mortal Kombat character, and Kane Kosugi is onboard as well. And if all else fails, Adkins can just flash his million-dollar smile. But even if he didn't, his badass Martial Artistry would carry the day.Florentine's whooshing camera is still on display, and Scott Adkins speaks Japanese. And it's nice to see that, in 2013, goons still haven't learned. When they attack the hero, and he dispatches them in violent style, they still keep coming at him. Or their fellow goons think they can beat him. Apparently, word hasn't yet gotten around the goon community that you shouldn't mess with Casey Bowman. A marked improvement over the first film, Ninja 2 delivers the action goods with style and aplomb. At the rate the series is going, we would certainly welcome a Ninja 3.

I've long thought that Isaac Florentine is one of the best action movie directors out there, enough that I greatly anticipate each new movie he manages to put out. I thought that the original "Ninja", which he directed, really delivered the goods. So when I heard that there was a sequel coming out, you can bet that I couldn't wait to watch it. As I type this, it's been a few minutes since I watched the movie. What did I think? Well, I will admit that the movie is not perfect. The biggest problem with the movie is the script. There's not much of a story here - there's just enough to make an excuse for an action sequence every few minutes. There are also a few minor murky parts in the plot that make for some unclear elements (though it's possible that more explanation was removed in the editing room.) The characters, from the hero to the villains, are pretty weak when it comes to character development. And the "big twist" revealed in the final few minutes is painfully predictable - you'll see it coming long before it unfolds.Despite these problems, the movie manages to redeem itself, mainly with the action sequences. The action choreography is first rate - swift, exciting, and brutal are the words to describe the mayhem, mayhem that keeps rearing its head frequently. The Asian locations add a feeling of authenticity to the movie, more so than the first movie (where Bulgarian locations were used to depict Japan and New York!) There's more eye candy than brain candy here, but sometimes you want to watch a movie where you don't have to think that much. If you are in such a mood, then this movie will more likely than not satisfy.

I have never been a fan of Florentine's work. But I do like Ninjas so I thought I'd give it a try. Although my expectations were not high seeing how it is a Florentine movie and a DTV release I was still underwhelmed.Despite the many things I didn't like with this film the action never left me disappointed. The choreographies were varied but still seemed to have a underlying foundation and therefore fit really well together. The cinematography and editing during the fight scenes was also to my liking. Every strike was well executed and comprehensible.Unfortunately that is about the only good thing this movie got going. I am not gonna nag about the thin plot - it's a DTV action flick what did I expect? Well, for starters I expected some darn Ninjas! But to be fair you get half a Ninja at the very end of the movie. When Adkins puts on a Ninja outfit, recites the 9 levels of power, does exactly 1 stealth kill and then starts blowing the whole place up....so much for that Ninja action promised in the title. Why not name it "Burma Knockout" or "Gaijin Revengeance" instead? You might as well...Another thing that really bugged me was the cinematography and editing outside of the fight scenes. Often times there was soft focus or very uninspired shots mixed together with some oddly paced cuts sometimes resulting in unintentionally funny moments.Though I won't critique the plot i will criticize the characters and their motives. I mean, I want to see Adkins beat up a bunch of Asian guys as much as everybody else but I find it a little unjustified to mow down a whole bar just because one a**hole made you spill your beer. Also the film had seemed to get this weird message across that revenge can get you happiness and inner peace...they never say it out loud but it is always kind of there.Looking at the other reviews and the 6+ rating it makes me wonder if I maybe have watched a different movie. Of course the action is superb but nothing more - not the best. And besides that the movie has nothing more to offer. Not to mention that it barely even delivers what the title promisesHence my rating: 3/10 3 stars entirely for the very well executed and very well captured action.