This past Tuesday, I had the good fortune to view the only known 35mm print of the Shaw Bros. Classic 5 ELEMENT NINJAS. The film begins with a Kung Fu tournament. When one Japanese man is forced to commit seppuku, he sends a note to his companions. Soon ninjas have challenged the school that defeated him. The ninjas use five elements: gold, water, wood, fire, and earth. To properly defeat them, one student must study the ways of the ninja.
This film is a classic of Kung Fu film, and a perfect example of the “heroic bloodshed” subgenre. Starring the Deadly Venom Gang and directed by legendary director Chang Cheh, it is a film that fans of the genre should see. I would say that it easily surpasses the overrated 5 DEADLY VENOMS as the best film the Deadly Venoms and Cheh did. Though it features a lot of Japanese weaponry, the choreography and use of the weapons are all based on Chinese styles, most of which are performed amazingly. There is a small amount of wire-fu, which I generally dislike, but it fits with this movie. That’s because 5 ELEMENT NINJAS falls into the campy style of martial arts movies, and almost every scene is breathtakingly choreographed or unintentionally funny.
I can’t recommend this film highly enough. Though it is not of the caliber of classics such as 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN or MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE, it’s still a damn good kung fu flick. If you haven’t seen it yet and consider yourself a fan of the genre, be sure to check it out.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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