The 80s was the era of peak ninja cinema and this Canon effort, directed by studio head Menahem Golan, was the bad boy that roundhouse kicked things off.
Cole (Franco Nero - or should that Djangoku?) has just graduated Ninja school in Japan, he was even given a actual licence, and is now off to Manila to help his buddy Frank (Alex Courtney) and bang Frank’s wife Mary-Ann (Susan George) - wait isn’t this guy meant to be the hero? Frank is having some drama with a hook handed creep (Zachi Noy), who wants to forcefully requisition his land, for his boss Mr Venari (Christopher George). When Frank, but more importantly Cole, puts up a fight, Venari’s slimey assistant Parker (Constantine Gregory) recruits Cole’s old school rival Hasegawa (Sho Kusugi) to his side and shit gets real.
This is basically a western, but with white hats and black hats, replaced with white Pajamas and black Pajamas. Oh and red Pajamas. Nero, compelte with anglicised dubbed voice, is all chest hair, moustache, masculine beef log, but good for a nod and wink when necessarily. The double act of George and Gregory as a kind of Burns and Smithers duo are equally as in on the joke, especially during the finale where there is more ham on offer than your local butcher.
The 80s was the era of peak ninja cinema and this Canon effort, directed by studio head Menahem Golan, was the bad boy that roundhouse kicked things off.
Cole (Franco Nero - or should that Djangoku?) has just graduated Ninja school in Japan, he was even given a actual licence, and is now off to Manila to help his buddy Frank (Alex Courtney) and bang Frank’s wife Mary-Ann (Susan George) - wait isn’t this guy meant to be the hero? Frank is having some drama with a hook handed creep (Zachi Noy), who wants to forcefully requisition his land, for his boss Mr Venari (Christopher George). When Frank, but more importantly Cole, puts up a fight, Venari’s slimey assistant Parker (Constantine Gregory) recruits Cole’s old school rival Hasegawa (Sho Kusugi) to his side and shit gets real.
This is basically a western, but with white hats and black hats, replaced with white Pajamas and black Pajamas. Oh and red Pajamas. Nero, compelte with anglicised dubbed voice, is all chest hair, moustache, masculine beef log, but good for a nod and wink when necessarily. The double act of George and Gregory as a kind of Burns and Smithers duo are equally as in on the joke, especially during the finale where there is more ham on offer than your local butcher.
