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Jack Of All Nerds Show

Cineblokes Classic - Ninja & Ninja 2 Review

·38 min·3 clips
Benjamin and Caelan review 'Ninja' and its sequel, debating if Scott Adkins is secretly Ben Affleck's twin.
The episode begins with hosts Benjamin Baker and Caelan Burrows introducing a double feature review of 'Ninja' (2009) and 'Ninja: Shadow of a Tear' (2013), both starring Scott Adkins. They joke about the sequel's title and compare Adkins to Ben Affleck. The hosts discuss director Isaac Florentine's background in Power Rangers and other TV shows. For 'Ninja', they note the misleading poster featuring the villain instead of Adkins. They critique the film's plot, which involves a disgraced dojo student turned assassin and an unnecessary white cult subplot, and highlight the lack of action and poor acting, especially from the female lead. The hosts then analyze 'Ninja 2', praising its linear plot where Adkins' character seeks vengeance after his wife's murder. They appreciate the increased action frequency, with fights occurring every five minutes, and commend specific scenes like a bar brawl and a guard fight for their choreography. The twist villain, played by Kane Kasugi, is discussed, though the execution is criticized. The hosts compare the two films, suggesting the first could be condensed into a short exposition for the sequel. They conclude with ratings: 'Ninja' receives 2.5 out of 5, and 'Ninja 2' gets 3 to 4 out of 5, based on action quality and plot coherence.

As heard by us

A Ninja double feature finds the sequel sharper, crueler, and so self-contained that the first film starts to feel optional.

Benjamin Baker and Caelan Burrows turn a paired review of 2009's Ninja and 2013's Ninja 2, also known as Ninja: Shadow of a Tear, into a pointed question: does the sequel make the first movie feel redundant?

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a Scott Adkins double feature with sequel grievances, a suspiciously familiar dojo, and one host still insisting he has a Ben Affleck twin situation.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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