Memorable, crazy movie

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

There are so many movies about Ninjas out there in a day and age when obtaining them is the easiest it has ever been. There are dozens upon dozens of flicks with just the word "Ninja" in the title alone, which only makes it more of a daunting task to actually find one that is worth your time. The good news? Not only does this movie feel like you are watching a live- action anime like Ninja Scroll, with all the over- the-top sword induced blood geysers raining across your screen but Lady Ninja (1998) actually stars an eye patch rocking Jubei Yagyu, the protagonist from the anime and novels. So for all you Ninja Scroll, Samurai Reincarnation, Reborn From Hell fans, you might want to check this out for the Jubei action alone. Based on the novel,'Yagyū Ninpōchō'(1964) by Futaro Yamada, the basic plot of the movie centres around legendary real life butt-kicker Jubei (portrayed by Hitoshi Ozawa, who also directs) as he leads the seven female survivors of the Hori clan on a revenge mission against the Seven Spears, acting as their demon protector and donning a gnarly oni mask to conceal his secret identity from the bad guys like a samurai Spiderman.The quickest way to find out if this movie is for you or not is to ask yourself these three questions;"Did I like the classic 90's anime Ninja Scroll?""Do I like ninja movies in general?""Would I like to see a movie where someone has the superpower to be able to absorb a Dragonball Z type energy blast up their who-ha and regurgitate it out of their mouth?"You now have your answer. You're welcome.PROSSexy Ninja Magic!LOTS of blood (possibly the most I've ever seen in a Ninja flick since the 1983 flick Duel to the Death)Starts with the action right away (literally one of the best openers I've seen) and keeps a good pace all the way until the end credits.Some very inventive bad guys ("Eyeball Minions" Ninja was a favorite)CONSPossibly TOO SEXY Ninja Magic (a 10 on the creepy raunchy meter sometimes - so a warning to those more sensitive)Weird wound logic. Somebody will get sliced one time and multiple blood fountains will pour out from random parts of the body that couldn't possibly have been hit with one swipe of the sword. Or could it?!?Confusing subplots. At some point one of the leads starts channeling the spirit of a blind swordsman Zatoichi type character and it is never fully explained why the bad guys can't tell it's this famous person with just their eyes closed pretending to be blind. Worse than Superman simply removing his glasses and slicking his hair backFINAL SCORE 3/10 stars if you are an average movie goer but if you answered yes to all three questions like myself, Lady Ninja is an easy-7/10 stars

A perfect late night cable movie. SPOILER ALERT Fetching lady ninjas, assisted by master swordsman Jubei, son of Yagyu, fight a corrupt lord and his demonic warriors. Some ladies do get killed off, but they take the bad guys out with them. This is all tied into establishing the Tokugawa shogunate in 1600s Japan, in a very roundabout way. A striking, incoherent jumble of vivid color cinematography, lightning fast edits, gory ninja fights, and supernatural revenge story. The FX laden fights are intricately choreographed, lit and shot. When the lady ninjas' tops come off, AND THEY ALWAYS DO, they fight injustice with their "nipple power pulse", and the even naughtier "returning echo". Bottom line: for jaded samurai fans who want that extra pinch of wasabi. BC

There's quite a lot to recommend in Kunoichi: Lady Ninja, but you have to be prepared for the bad that comes with the good. First, the good stuff: this film looks terrific. Media Blasters print is letterboxed and subtitled, and Shoji Ebara's cinematography is at times breathtaking, echoing the best of Japanese cinema. Action fans will also enjoy the copious amounts of bloodshed and endless fight scenes, some of them staged very imaginatively. Now the not so good: Kunoichi reflects the ambivalence toward women seen in popular Japanese culture. Our proto-feminist heroines shed their outfits with remarkable ease, use ridiculous special powers located in their nipples and nether regions (these animated sequences are particularly embarrassing), and are subjected to some rather grueling rape and torture sequences that had this viewer squirming with discomfort. There are moments of great beauty in this film, offset by the kind of childish misogyny that will set most western viewers teeth on edge. Just be prepared.

This is trash but it's somewhat entertaining. Young Lady Ninjas on a revenge trip with lots of strange special effects and cuts that make you dizzy. You guess there is a fight but you can't see what's happening until the fight ends and a huge blood fountain gushes out of one of the fighters. I only saw this movie because I was too early for the film I really wanted to see and that was the only choice. It wasn't boring but I wouldn't recommend this film to anybody.(4/10)