User Reviews

Ninja: Shadow of a Tear is an incredible sequel to the excellent first film but this time it's drenched more in gritty realism than the comic book style of the first. There's still a retro old skool feel to this but it's faster paced & more furious this time as our hero, Casey has settled down with his pregnant wife but when she is suddenly murdered, Casey goes on an all out mission for revenge & it's a brutal quest with non-stop frantic action. Scott Adkins is Amazing again, his films are always so Awesome & so well made with so much style & this sequel has it all in spades!!! Once again directed with superb skill by Isaac Florentine who loves working with Adkins & seems to really bring out the very best of Adkins martial arts skills & his emotional performances, here Casey goes to a much darker place & becomes a more Vigilante anti-hero than he was in the first film where he was more a warrior proctor type. Adkins is the most skilled fighter I've seen in the Action genre & i grew up watching all the greats such as Van Damme, Schwarzenegger, Seagal, Stallone & Snipes but Adkins seems more real & more intense than those Action Legends & it's a shame he hasn't hit the big time yet like Jason Statham has?

Ninja 2 is a more polished looking flick than the first but it's definitely less bloody & the main villain is still way better in the first flick but what we do get here is much more incredible fight sequences that are mind blowing to watch. This is the fastest I've seen Adkins move lol he's as quick as the old greats like Jackie Chan or Jet Li he's that good. I think i probably still like the first film more because i loved the old Comic book style & the very 80's Ninja flick vibe that reminds me of the Awesome Ninja Turtles flicks but obviously way more violent but, Shadow of a Tear is a fantastic sequel & this time i got vibes of old skool Charlie Bronson flicks such as Death Wish 2 (The whole mugging/wallet sequence) & i loved it as it felt like pure old skool violent action & that's what Scott Adkins does. A brutal, bone-crunching, fast & furious Revenge Action Thriller with some of the best fight sequences ever put on film & a blistering intense performance from the king of badass, low-budget Action Cinema.

Don't snob the movie because of the title. While I have seen my fair share of Dudikoff starring Ninja movies, I'd rather watch something like this. Scott Adkins therefor is being called the new van Damme and not Dudikoff for a reason. And while this movie does not have any big surprises in it (you will be able to know where this is going, waiting for the next action scene to start), it is highly enjoyable.

Especially during the well choreographed fight scenes. Which sometimes are very long takes (no cutting away and therefor even more difficult to perform and get it right). There is also some trickery involved while shooting those scenes and if that was done on set and not afterward, the movie deserves even more respect than it already has gotten from me.

A westerner young ninja named Casey Bowman (Scott Adkins) is trained since chidhood to be a deadly Ninja , studying Ninjutsu in Japan . The previous entry , ¨Ninja I¨ (2009) by Isaac Florentine , dealt with Casey is asked by the Master (Igawa) to return to New York to protect the legendary Yoroi Bitsu , an armored chest that contains the weapons of the last Koga Ninja and ultimately taking on old collegues with whom he trained . In this second outing ¨Ninja : Shadow of a Tear¨ 2013 master Casey Bowman goes back in action after his life of domestic bliss is shattered by a savage act of violence . As an angry revenger called Casey is nowadays seeking a merciless vendetta for death his beloved couple . Vowing revenge , the fearless American stealthily tracks the killer from Osaka to Bangkok to Rangoon with the help of a wise and crafty sensei. His only clues : a series of victims whose necks bear the distinctive mark of strangulation by barbed wire . As Casey Bowman returns demanding vengeance against sinister killers . Then Nakabura (Kane Kosugi , son of the mythical Sho Kosugi) , a former student at the Dojo who now has his own Dojo in Bangkok asks Casey to a risked mission . Target: the sinister drug lord Goro , who is flooding the streets with deadly meth cooked at his remote jungle factory. To prepare for his ultimate confrontation, Casey must finally become an invisible warrior worthy of the name Ninja. But just when his prey is cornered, an unexpected twist shows Casey that his battle is only beginning : he truly can trust no one. At the end the terrible happenings leading to a lethal battle , our tough-fisted hero against other Ninja assassins .A silent warrior. A deadly past. A lethal mission. Revenge will rise . From the shadow of the night, a warrior is born not the weapon but the hand that wields it . Raised to become an assassin... until betrayal made him a target . Prepare to enter a secret world of heartless assassins . Fight everyone and trust no one.

Violent tale with full of noisy action and fights in a comic-book style . It's a westernized oriental action film with an interesting mingle of suspense , brutal martial arts , sword-play , ancient ritual with typical code of honour and bloody combats . The gory plot is simple and plain , a nasty Ninja confronts heinous murderers , and starring Casey/Scott Adkins being forced into action and steadily butchering his relentless enemies , while inching ever closer to the long-awaited bloody final . As he follows the code of survival practiced by martial-art , fighting to avenge as well as to survive , Casey must sharpen his razor-like responses and take his battle skills to the next level , even using deep meditation to fake his own death . This a nail-biting thriller with ustoppable action , including impressive fighting with a lot of blood and gore . It's a mindless but enjoyable story for martial arts aficionados of the old style , but adding some new technical being made by means of wires , cables and digital computer generator . Abundant fights as swords struggles in which arms , body parts and beheading are slice off here and there and limbs are slit open everywhere or blasted apart . Of course , highlights of the film are the breathtaking and groundbreaking fights with lots of blood dropping here and there . Cruel, savage murders and blood splatter , make only recommended for those adults no squeamish and with strong stomach enough to take it . The motion picture was professionally directed by Isaac Florentine .

This film belongs to ¨Ninja sub-genre¨ that achieved splendor in the Eighties : The first movie was ¨Enter the Ninja¨ (81) by Menahem Golan with Franco Nero , Menahem Golan was director of the first film , and was to direct its sequel also , but shortly before production was to start he decided to turn over directing chores to Sam Firstenberg . It was followed by the martial arts features ¨Ninja II¨ or ¨Revenge of the Ninja¨ (1983) with Shô Kosugi , Keith Vitali , Kane Koshugi and ¨Ninja III , the domination¨ with Lucinda Dickey and again Sho Kosugi . These pictures were well produced by Cannon -Golan and Globus- and all rightly directed by Sam Firstenberg . Following others also directed by Sam Firstenberg for Golan-Globus' as ¨American Ninja¨ , ¨American Ninja II and III¨, ¨Forced vengeance (82)¨ and ¨Avening force (1986)¨ most of them starred by low-grade expert on karate genre and Ninja sub-genre Michael Dudikoff . Following in 2009 with ¨Ninja¨ by Isaac Florentine , along with this ¨Ninja II¨with Scott Adkins and Kane Koshugi . Furthermore , ¨Ninja Assassin¨ by James McTeigue with Rain , Naomi Harris .

The last time martial arts king Scott Adkins and action filmmaker extraordinaire Isaac Florentine worked together, their output was fantastic. UNDISPUTED III was one of the best fight flicks ever made and remains the high standard for other karate movies to strive for. In the three years since, Adkins has continued to make a name for himself both inside and out of movie theaters, while Florentine hit a bit of a low point with his Christian Slater vehicle, but fans have unanimously wondered what sort of film the two of them would deliver if paired together again. Would it top the previous UNDISPUTED? Well, now that ol' Scott and Isaac have finally produced their fifth collaboration, I can answer that question...somewhat sadly, in the negative. No, in my opinion, NINJA II is not the equal of "U3." It is, however, a vast improvement over its flawed prequel and is without a doubt the best pure martial arts movie of 2013.

The story: upon the murder of his beloved Namiko (Mika Hiji), the returning Casey (Adkins) attempts to track down her killer - a quest which leads him into the dangerous urban sprawl and deadly jungles of Myanmar.

I think this is the kind of movie Florentine was trying to make the first time around, when he made NINJA. Improvements on the production values and the general presentation of the ninja (no more ridiculously impossible physical feats) are superficial pluses to a generally more down-to-earth movie: the villains and rivalries feel more personal this time, and the shifting environmental settings make for a more interesting aesthetic presentation. With that said, the major flaws plaguing the movie are still production-related and creative ones. The automatic subtitles are slightly off, unnecessarily announcing "Myanmar (formerly Burma)" twice and in at least one situation unnecessarily announcing what a character is saying even though it's in English. Additionally, for a movie with the word "ninja" in its title, there is disappointingly little ninja-ing: Scott's the only real representative of the shadow warriors this time around, and doesn't suit up until the final 25 minutes. Subjectively, I also question the cultural sensitivity behind casting Indian actor Mukesh Bhatt: I love his performance, but laughing at him playing a goofy, subservient taxi driver in an American movie is kind of uncomfortable.

The fight content so ample that it's a genuine surprise whenever Adkins' character *doesn't* resolve a situation by fighting. It's also, for the most part, top-notch. While I don't think it's the blow-for-blow equal of "U3," a friend of mine might comment that the filmmakers definitely took notes while watching The Raid: Redemption. There's so much going on here that I like. Virtually every fight features satisfyingly long shots, filled with lengthier technical exchanges than in a Shaw Bros. movie. While the one-against-many brawls are unanimously one-sided, none of the one-on-one encounters - comprising about half of the total fight scenes - are squash matches. There's a cool variety of fighters, too: Guinness record-setting kicker Ron Smoorenburg, karate-parkour star Jawel el Berni, RAGING PHOENIX-veteran Patrick Tang, and that second generation ninja himself, Kane Kosugi. Choreographer and on screen fighter Tim Man exercises his craft fully by accurately portraying kickboxing, defensive karate, kobudo- and kali-style weapons fighting, some grappling, and a smattering of Adkins' signature tricking. Viewers who particularly love Scott's backflips and flying moves may be disappointed that they're a bit toned down here, but personally, I can't get enough of the grounded hand-to-hand stuff, particularly the ten-star final match. Florentine's record for this kind of action remains unblemished.

Dramatically, the movie is on the upper end of average for the DTV sphere. Adkins remains more than serviceable throughout, though his reaction to finding Mika Hiji's character dead was a bit weak. Kane Kosugi is solid, though he cycles between how strong his accent should be. The surprise standout performance comes from aging villain Shun Sugata, whose only fault is that he doesn't have more scenes to show off his theatrical talent (seriously, I think he only has about three). Writer David White, one of Florentine's regulars, doesn't deliver any particularly memorable dialog but deserves credit for a surprising twist at the end of the story. The movie ends on an uncharacteristically bitter note for Florentine, though I get the impression that this was done potentially so the protagonist may yet find closure in a potential third film.

Should an additional installment of the franchise be on its way, I'd line up now to see it. In setting the standard so ridiculously high, both the star and the filmmaker may struggle to live up to their previous masterwork, but it's reassuring that Adkins and Florentine give the impression that they're all for making a great effort towards it. I can't think of any reason not to recommend buying this movie, so go for it.

The original 'Ninja' seems to be regarded by both its star and his fans as a lesser Scott Adkins vehicle. I for one absolutely loved its uncomplicated, goon-slaying action, especially the bit where a guy gets kicked out of a train and into the path of another train. That said, the sequel - Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear - is painfully superior in almost every respect.

It's disappointing that the character Namiko, who played a major role in the first movie, gets offed within the first ten minutes, but otherwise this is a perfect genre flick. The storyline is more focused, the action scenes are better and the whole thing is nicely wrapped up in ninety minutes of efficient, throwing-star violence.

American Ninja Casey Bowman's wife is brutally murdered and the only clue is the distinctive wound on her neck. In the depths of his grief, he goes looking for her killer and winds up travelling to Myanmar to take on a fearsome drug lord.

The acting is not exactly awards-worthy, but nobody comes to a genre-piece like this expecting high thespian art. This is a film with the focus on kicking people through walls, shooting blow darts into necks and impaling henchmen on Katanas. It's fast-paced, violent, beer-swilling fun. Nothing complicated, just perfect Friday night entertainment. Order some Pad Thai from the local takeaway, kick back and watch Scott Adkins murder half the Golden Triangle.

Ninja: Shadow of a Tear continues the story of Casey Bowman (Scott Adkins), an American raised in a Japanese dojo. Since the events of the first film, Casey has settled down to run the dojo after the demise of his master. But now a new threat rears its head as his pregnant is murderer while he's out for groceries. Fueled by rage, Casey travels to Thailand in order to avenge his wife.

This film works as a sequel. It continues the storyline instead of just telling the exact same story with new villains, the old cast is back and the story stays faithful to the characters. Furthermore, Adkins is still very believably in his role, both physically and mentally. The tone of the film is perhaps even darker than in the original, and it show's in Adkins' acting. His brooding and occasional bouts of rage feel justified - not just merely cheap tricks to make him seem more antiheroish - especially when his true character shines through most of the time.

The action and the fight scenes are still the best part of this franchise. Adkins is a skilled martial artist and the film makers have a good eye for shooting the fights in a way that makes them seem exciting and new. There's flair to them, but no so much that it seems unrealistic.

Ninja: Shadow of a Tear is easily recommended for all those that enjoyed the first film and want to see more. It's also a good martial arts action film in general.

I have long been a fan of Isaac Florentine, for many many years now.

His films always aim to grab that feel from the 80's classics of Hong Kong cinema, yet are often marred by weak story lines and silly acting.

That said, one thing that always stands out is the fight scenes - and none more so than this awesome sequel, Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear!

I liked the first Ninja movie and thought Scott Adkins, as always, proved his worth as a martial arts actor. There was just a small hint of 'meh' that surrounded the first causing it to be slightly forgettable.

It seems though, with Shadow Of A Tear, that hint of 'meh' has been thrown to the side!

Again, acting and story line plays second fiddle to what is possibly some of the best fight scenes ever put to film in a Western production!

Beautifully shot, crisp with amazing choreography, I felt that Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear stands punches and kicks above the over-rated hit, The Raid...

I saw the first "Ninja" movie a couple of years ago and now this second one. Though I can't remember much of the first part, both left a similar feeling. They were kind of good bot not quite as good as I hoped for.

Scott Adkins is a really good martial arts actor. I've been wondering will there ever be any new good action stars other than the legends of the 80's but Adkins is one of the best that have risen in recent years.

The beginning of the movie made me expect something amazing but then I started to feel that most of the movie has gone already and we still haven't gotten to the amazing part. Will it happen? Why doesn't this feel like ninja? Everything's kind of cool but still something's missing...

Well, here's the analysis I could make: it's that there just isn't much ninja stuff. The fighting is mostly hand-to-hand, something reminiscent of karate. It all looks good and there's a lot of cool choreography. But is it ninja? Well, towards the end there are a couple of fights with swords which instantly gave me the feeling like "yeah, now we're talking". But it's quite brief. Also, the main guy only wears his ninja robe for a very short time, and there aren't other characters who'd look like ninjas. Also the fact that most of the story takes place in Myanmar is a bit off. Jungle suits Rambo and other war movies but it's not the most interesting setting for ninjas.

So... it's a movie that can be recommended to any fan of martial arts in general, but it's not the best "ninja" movie.

This movie is plain boring and very predictable.

For starters, from the beginning, there is no real hook to get you that interested in the movie. Then a bunch of seemingly unconnected mediocre fights ensue.

It had had an obvious 'B' movie feel to it. The plot was the typical and very stereotyped "revenge" type; which granted probably describes like 90% of all martial arts movies. But then done well it wouldn't have been so obvious.

The worst of it through the whole movie it pivots around the staring actor glaring at you with some over the top, cheesy, and insincere scowling grimace. I felt as if I was looking at a tiny narcissistic body builder flexing for attention. No this didn't instill any kind of fear/grit/toughness to me, it just made me want to reach out into the screen and slap this Hollywood uncle tom of the Japanese Ninja world silly.

Typically in such a movie you need a strong lead (think Brice Lee, Chuck Norris, in other genres like: Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis, Steve McQueen, etc.) but this actor sadly just couldn't carry it.

Only mildly entertaining. Skip it unless you want to be bored and insulted to tears.

Saw this early at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and it is quite possibly the greatest DTV action movie ever made.

Though many would not be proud of it, but I am a DTV (direct to video) expert. I subject myself to watching pretty much every DTV action movie ever made. Though most of them are just absolutely awful, it is all worth it when a Unisol Regen or Blood and Bone comes along and blows you away.

The main problems with dtv movies are: 1. Zero budget 2. Shaky cam/quick edits 3. Actors not willing to put in the work for the fight scenes to look realistic 4. Stupid plots with dumb romances

Though Ninja Shadow of a Tear is on a small budget, all of the aforementioned problems are fixed. The movie is completely without shaky cam and quick editing. The plot is very basic and there is no fat to try and make it anything other than what it is....an incredible action movie. And finally, the incredible Scott Adkins and the amazing stunt team put in some amazing fights.

One scene in particular is Scott Adkins versus 6 guys in a dojo and the entire fight is filmed in one take with zero editing...like the Alphonso Cauron of DTV shots. It was absolutely amazing.

Just an amazing fight movie that takes the best fight scenes ever and mixes it with Rambo, old Cannon movies from the 80's, and Enter the Dragon and other Asian flicks from the 70's. Just a perfect movie that looks like a big budget Hollywood flick. Not a single dollar was wasted and no goofy cgi or wires were used.

I can't recommend this movie enough. The action is incredible and everything came together to make one of the best fight films of all- time.

Hollywood, please wake up and give Adkins/Florentine a budget and I think you would be amazing at what they can do.

If you are looking to check out other great DTV movies and save yourself the trouble of all the nonsense and garbage I have seen, check out the following. But most importantly, check out Ninja Shadow of a Tear when it is released. It is a definitely blu-ray buy for me.

1. Universal Solider Regeneration 2. Ninja Shadow of a Tear 3. Blood and Bone 4. Undisputed 3 5. Wake of Death (pretty much all of the Van Dammes are watchable) 6. Undisputed 2 7. Universal Soldier Day of Reckoning (just watch the last 45 minutes)

"Ninja: Shadow of a Tear" was nowhere near as interesting as the first of these "Ninja" movies turned out to be. The story told in this movie turned out to be trivial, predictable, cliché and not really all that interesting.

That being said, don't get me wrong. The movie is not all bad. The fight scenes, well most of them anyway, were nicely choreographed and executed on the screen. There were some rather impressive moments here and there, especially during the hotel scene.

But the movie just overall suffered from its lack of a meaningful storyline. This was basically a revenge movie to avenge the death of his pregnant wife, and one single guy taken on countless enemies. Very 1980's storyline, and it could have been much better.

The movie does offer lots of action and does it in a good way. But it is hardly enough to sustain the movie on itself, as there is only so much you can manage to get out of mindless action.

Acting-wise, well, this is a ninja movie - although there were surprisingly few ninjas in the movie - so you know what you are getting yourself into here. Just disconnect your mind, lean back and enjoy the mindless action here.

There are far better ninja movies available, both new and old.

Move over Steven Seagal, theirs a new Straight to DVD action star and his name is Scott Adkins. This movie is a great modern take on a forgotten genre. The Ninja genre which has produced "Revenge of the ninja" or "American Ninja" "The Octagon" comes this bone crunching bloody, action packed movie which is sure not to disappoint action/martial arts movie fans. The story is simple and like the "Undisputed" DVD franchise you don't need to watch the first to better understand the movie's characters or plot.It has great replay value as well I've watched it numerous times now and if your an action junkie like me, you'll love it. Overall, if your in the mood for a straight forward, action packed B movie and don't want too think to much this movie will surprise you on how good it really is for a straight to DVD.

7/10

Scott Adkins is back as the ninja warrior. It's still another cheesy movie, but I personally thought it was fun to watch. Even if the story didn't make much sense sometimes and some parts just seemed random. This is a low budget action movie, but it's still a good one. It's just cool to watch Scott Adkins do what he does best. And to watch a real martial artist in action that knows what he is doing. So yeah, it's has a passable story for a martial arts action movie and the fights are cool to watch and choreographed excellently. Even when it comes to the cinematography you know exactly what is going on, despite the quickness. Sure, there are some parts where the bad guys could have easily killed or apprehended the main character. But it's a movie and it was too distracting. Overall this is a cool martial arts ninja movie. Even if the ninja and stealth elements aren't really shown much.

6/10

The story is corny beyond belief. Steven Seagal movies have more substance if that's any indication of what kind of movie this is. Of course, this isn't why I personally watch these films. A good storyline is always a plus, but for me, it all boils down to the action/fighting. And the fighting was fun to watch, but I've seen waaaaay better. If you are looking for good fights like "The Raid", "Ong Bak", "Ip Man", etc. then you might want to look elsewhere.

Overall, I've seen worst. The fighting was fun and above average, but believe me, you can do better.

I will start by saying, I have never reviewed a movie on IMDb before but felt compelled to do. Scott Atkins is the new van damme.

I cant say much for the plot / storyline however the acting was fine, and the action was beautifully choreographed. It looked so real. The action more than makes up for the lack of depth within the story itself. Scott for me, carries the film but he does it so well.

I hope Hollywood pays attention to this guy as he is extremely talented. As crazy as it sounds being that this was a Direct to TV movie, I was thoroughly engaged and entertained throughout the whole film. Its Fast paced almost from the get go and action packed.

I hope to see Scott in some big budget block busters next year and beyond.

I gave the film a 6, why, JUST because of the well choreographed martial art scenes. Scott Adkins is not a good actor by any stretch but his prowess as a martial artist is well documented. The story is weak and pointless, jumps around from place to place and character development s flawed.

Scott Adkins is a very talented fighter and in this movie, he gets to highlight his real skills. Featuring dojo matches, and a wide array of ninja weapons, this flick is an example of a martial arts movie made right. This sequel is better than its predecessor, and features more action and better choreography. The final fight does not disappoint and is truly climactic. However I do agree that there is not enough ninja costumes (since this is a ninja movie), yet given that the movie is set in the present day, I think they did a good job in making the ninja story plausible. In fact, the story is not so original but its simple enough to hold the story together, and allow for a lot of action. I wish there were more action movies like this in Hollywood.

If your nostalgic for action movies untainted by contemporary PC & social justice culture then look no further.