Ninja Apocalypse (2014) Poster

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4/10
Mortal Kombat meets Resident Evil meets Light Sabers
OmairCh11 August 2014
This is an OK time-pass movie. Like if you don't have a AAA title to watch or just want to have a casual watch you can look at this. It kinda like Mortal Kombat meets Resident Evil meets Starwars Light Sabers meet Ninjas.

You have your good Raidens and Liu Kangs and your bad Reptiles and Tanyas with Shang Sung. Budget as you can tell is quite low but still decent stuff pulled off. Story wise well just your average survival stuff.

In short, its not a total waste of time and for a video game fan like myself this could prove to be a nice watch since you can tell from where the movie makers were inspired from to make different set pieces.
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3/10
The Warriors ... underground
kosmasp15 December 2014
I guess I didn't get the memo, that a re-imagining of The Warriors was on the way. But I did watch it and unfortunately it doesn't hold up. There are other elements mixed in for and you have a certain dignity with Cary Tagawa, who's not only reliable, but also brings gravitas (even underground, yes!).

The effects are OK, the fights are also OK, for the budget that this movie had. I guess if this was made in the 80s (yes, like the Warriors, but even by that standard it lacks quite a bit), I might have liked the group mentality and the quirkiness of the movie. Characters are OK too, not much acting and not really any surprises (twist!) ...
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3/10
It was an apocalypse alright...
paul_haakonsen9 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Where to begin? This movie was just horrible on so many accounts.

Let's start with story concept and storyline then. Apparently a nuclear war destroys Earth and forces man to scurry underground to live and wait for the radiation fallout to clear. And apparently while doing so, mankind formed into ninja clans living by some Code of Honor of some sort. It just doesn't make any sense. Why would USA, which I assume is where the movie takes place given the language spoken and the dialects heard, become a ninja feudal society? It is just laughable to the point where it becomes stupid.

So as mankind comes back to the surface of a wartorn Earth, the ninja clans must unite. But for the many years underground, ordinary clothing and firearms magically disappeared? Everyone was running around in clothes reminiscent of feudal Japan and using katanas, wakizashis and shurikens. It just didn't add up. Why would such weaponry be in abundance in a post apocalyptic USA? And while on the topic of "magic", then living underground apparently caused mankind to grow magical abilities such as telekinesis, summoning lightning, fire and even weaponry, and what have we not. Again, it was so far out there that it didn't come off as believable in any way.

Oh, and I guess that mankind also mutated into reptilian hybrids at some point during their exile from the surface of the Earth. Why? My, oh my, why? And then there were zombies. Wait, what? Zombies? Yeah, zombies suddenly emerged in the furthest depths of the compound. And the ninjas fought them as if fighting zombies was an every day occurrence in post apocalyptic ninja USA. Right... Normally I am all for zombies, but they were so misplaced in this particular movie.

I also loved the way that under 50 people managed to clap and cheer in a way that sounded like a sports arena packed to the max with spectators cheering and applauding. It was really stupid.

Acting-wise, well let's just say you shouldn't get your hopes up too high. You know what you will get with a movie titled "Ninja Apocalypse", so enough said.

What the movie did have working for it was the fighting and action. Although while not award-winning, it still proved entertaining enough for what it was worth. And of course, the ninjas. Yeah, anything with ninjas is worth a watch just for the fun of it.

"Ninja Apocalypse" doesn't make for a very worthy addition to the history of ninja movies. And truth be told, they don't make ninja movies the way they used to anymore. The good ninja movies are rare and far between.

The movie makes good enough entertainment for a single viewing if you truly have nothing else to watch. "Ninja Apocalypse" is by no means a milestone in cinematic history.
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5/10
American Antininjapocalypse
infernal-eternal3 January 2015
This movie is supposed to be about ninjas. Sadly, these guys don't act like ninjas. They act like typical Americans.

Arrogance, macho attitude, constant bickering amongst themselves instead of fighting the enemy, no sense of honour and discipline, ridiculousness and stupidity... That's what you get. It's hard to enjoy a movie where all characters are like that. Add poor acting and some cliché melodramatic scenes that don't make much sense, and you've got the whole picture.

The plot is obviously completely irrelevant in a movie called "Ninja Apocalypse", so I won't get into it.

As a side note, the group of our "heroes" consists of 3 white males, one woman, and one black guy. I'll let you guess which two die first.

If all you care about is a bunch of guys fighting, go for it. The fighting scenes weren't too bad. But that's really the only thing this movie has going for it.
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1/10
Ninjas, Zombies, Ryu and Ken, Mortal Kombat all thrown into a craptastic movie
clarkmick336 June 2015
This movie takes everything from ninja pop culture and video games and makes a movie out of it....and somehow zombie pop culture got thrown into it all as well.

I think the directors were just having one hell of a time trying their best with a tiny budget to make the scenes look cool and not giving a flying f@&k about how the acting was done or who the characters were.

The premise was ...ummmmmm...........just strange...I mean yes the earth was blown apart by nuclear war....but why has everyone turned to a feudal Japanese system for survival? Why does no one seem concerned about radiation? Why does no one have guns? Why do some people have super powers like Ryu or Ken on Street Fighter? Why the hell are there American white and black people being ninjas>

I hope this movie was made by film students because the acting and dialogue was what I would expect from a bunch of college bums.

I suppose we should all just take the movie for what it is.....a Saturday morning cereal crunching, brain numbing, action flick. I think the creators had vision ...........the vision of a 12 year old boy interpretation of what ninjas should be like - a cross between Mortal Kombat, Tekken and Tenchu Stealth Assassin (now there's a cool PlayStation game!!!)
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5/10
"There's no other way out but together"
hwg1957-102-26570410 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
A post apocalyptic ninja zombie movie with supernatural elements could have been awesome but this isn't. It doesn't make any sense in its world building, its character behaviour or even its story. There is lots of action but with the rapid cutting and CGI blood it doesn't make an impact. The acting is by the numbers. The great Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is in it as Grandmaster Fumitaka to add acting chops but unfortunately his character gets killed early on. My favourite character was the alluring Siren, a multiple character, played by Antoinette Kalaj. She/they were definitely not in it enough. Definitely.
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Covers all bases.
eabodden50422 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This movie had everything. Some kind of martial arts, magic, animated blood, zombies, a large mute black dude, Ernie Reyes Jr., an elevator, an older model SUV, a village & really bad acting. That's a little something for every fan out there. If you can't find a reason to love this, you're just not human & I don't wanna know a person like you.

I honestly don't know what this movie is actually about, but I'm just baked enough to kind of enjoy it. This movie is probably awful, but I watched G.I Joe: Retaliation right before it, so my opinion may be slightly skewed.

Check it out for yourself, because I just sat through it. But watch the G.I Joe movie first, it'll make it better.
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2/10
What did I just watch?!
boonenjens5 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This film looked good when I saw the title, so I tought let's watch it , and I was relieved when the movie ended. This movie was Starwars,Mortal Kombat,Mystique from X-men and The Walking Dead together. I couldn't believe how bad the film was. They had a good story but went totally over the limit every single time. I don't get how this movie got a 8+ rating , because it only deserves a 2, bad actors , story was decent but over the top way too many times. The copy cat in this movie was extra ordinary , it was so weird , they told things that didn't matter and didn't told things that did matter, why ninja's? it's modern times , and as far I know guns > swords. Cheap rip-off , don't watch the movie except if you are extremely bored.
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5/10
"Brother, we must be bigger than us"
I feel very lucky that, despite the increasingly daunting prospects of funding, I live in a time when independent filmmakers can indulge the craziest of ideas. NINJA APOCALYPSE is not the most barking cinematic outing you can find, but it is an exercise of creative abandon. I imagine director Lloyd Lee Barnett trying to decide on whether to make a movie about ninjas, superhumans, or zombies and saying "Screw it - I'll make a movie about all of them!" Though low-budget movies on all of those subjects abound, Barnett's effort is still a modestly unique and entertaining adventure. While it's not for everyone, it's an effective niche flick for adventurous viewers.

The story: Framed for murdering the master of all post-apocalyptic ninja bands (Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa), the leader of the Lost Clan (Christian Oliver) and his compatriots must face mutants, zombies, and their fellow ninjas as they fight their way out of a subterranean bunker.

The most important things director Barnett brings to the production is enthusiasm and a sense of pacing. I can't claim that any technical or dramatic aspect of the film is anything more than a mixed bag, but directorial fervor bleeds into the story and gives it the energy that's so important to B-movies. We never get a good handle on any of the characters, but the plot is fun to follow in the same way that it's fun to play a video game. There are so many cool ideas stuffed into the feature – reptilian desert ninjas, regenerating zombies, THE LAST AIRBENDER-esque control of the elements, etc. – that it's easy to feel overwhelmed, and none of them are examined thoroughly, but there's enough indulgence to recognize this as an attention-maintaining tactic. It's effective, if you know what you're getting in to.

Despite the amplitude of people throwing electricity, fireballs, and particle weapons at each other, this is foremost a martial arts film and features a ton of fighting. Like the special effects, it's a mixed bag, but even at their worst, the fights are pretty bearable and the performers are admirably athletic (including Christian Oliver, even though he's substantially doubled for his tricking). Swordfighting is the name of the game, and to this end, the movie benefits from the inclusion of supporting stars Alex Huynh, Alvin Hsing, and Ernie Reyes, Jr., even though they only get one match apiece. None of the fights are exceptional, but there are some neat examples of close-quarters choreography and an absence of annoying camera angles and editing tricks. Tentatively, I approve.

Chances are that NINJA APOCALYPSE will not dramatically affect your life, so if you decide to watch it, I suggest doing so during a time that you would have spent being unproductive anyway. Consider it a rental, but do consider it if B-movies are your thing. You can do much worse.
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3/10
Ninjas in the basement
unbrokenmetal26 July 2016
After the end of the world as we know it, the wise master Fumitaka calls all Ninja clans for a peaceful assembly. He is murdered by an unknown killer, and the leader of the Lost Clan is framed for it. He wants to find out who the real killer is, but before he can start his revenge mission, the Lost Clan members have to butcher a bunch of zombies living (or rather: existing undead) next door for some strange reason.

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa ('Tekken', 'Mortal Kombat') as Fumitaka is the only serious actor here. All the others seem to be a bunch of students. Asian movie fans will probably cringe in their seat when they watch the amateurish fights, looks more like a Saturday night tavern brawl than trained ninjas at work. Nothing needs to make sense here, for example the Siren clan wears shiny new skintight black leather, while everyone else wears dirty rags. The script must have been some kind of fanboy dream, filmed with a minimal budget almost entirely in somebody's basement, there are hardly any outdoor scenes to show the 'postapocalyptic world'. I think 'Ninja Apocalypse' was not a complete waste of time to watch, because it is one of those movies which are so bad they become rather funny, occasionally at least.
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1/10
Really...
irnman20 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I'm only 20 mins in, really what is this about, where did the actors take acting lessons, or should we blame the direction...

Ninja's the silent assassins, these ones must have been thought wearing clogs, silent is diff not the word for it...

Fight scenes are not to bad, they quite we'll done that's all that is keeping me watching...

All I can say so far is "wanderers come out to play"

If you've seen it you will know what I'm talking about Google is your friend if you haven't...

Just hoping it gets a bit better or this one is straight to V2000...
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9/10
Ninja Apocalypse (2014) Ninjarific?
Dark_Lord_Mark14 January 2017
Ninja Apocalypse (2014)was a good attempt that I think succeed at being good.

The movie sure is small budget and the script is not flushed out nor the characters, but as a small budget film it had cool moments that are a gamers dream and in fact what little boys think about. Cool moves that have the glow to them(Last Dragon Reference)and glowing swords that combined with karate and kung Fu, looks near spectacular.

I give it an 8.5 out of 10, but keep in mind the budget and know it is NOT meant to be a big budget blockbuster and you will enjoy it thoroughly.
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7/10
A Different Kind Of Ninja Movie
loveablejohn-4662921 March 2019
This movie was entertaining to watch as it had a cast that did a good job in their roles and the special effects along with the cinematography were outstanding. The fights were well choreographed and the script was evidently mostly copied from another movie but it was pretty good overall.
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3/10
Devastation. Mutation. Termination.
nogodnomasters8 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Years after "the Great War" (Not WWII but that other great war) the world, or at least one community is divided into Ninja Clans with some having magical role playing game powers. The master (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) calls for a conference for the clan to unite against a prospective outside foe. During his speech, he gets Ninja starred in the head. Cage (Christian Oliver) is accused of the crime and he must fight his way out of a 100 levels which include zombies, just because zombies are hot as are girls in leather. The film is too much like a computer game.

It is a future which still has running vehicles, but no guns.

Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity. Sexy siren women with cleavage in leather.
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1/10
A complete Warriors rip-off
ronnievanrijswijk12 January 2020
The title sounds good but it's nothing but an failed attempt to imitate the cult classic The Warriors, it's almost like it was made by a couple of teens which tried to be cool by adding super powers to a few characters ala Mortal Kombat/Street Fighter 2. The actors can't even act properly, i lost my interest after 32 minutes. It's a complete waste of your time having to sit through this abysmal piece of crap.
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1/10
The title of the movie is true to the disastrous mental consequences it delivers.
maplerz29 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This starts as a complete ripoff of 'The Warriors' movie and continues as one of the lamest anything 'ninja' related movies in history. Obviously casting Mr. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa San and Ernie Reyes Jr. who clearly never took acting lessons in his entire movie career was not enough to save this theatrical apocalypse.

The overall acting is substandard with more WTFs than anything else. Antoinette Kalaj 'Siren' who looks exactly the same as Mortal Kombat's 'Kitana' was pleasing to the eye, until she/they got killed. By the way, she is of Albanian descent and will be co-starring as Natalie Martinez in 'La Migra' movie, I thought she looked Hispanic too.
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6/10
A ninja movie to look for
doctorsmoothlove25 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Ninja Apocalypse" is a weird amalgam of several other media franchises from "The Warriors" to "Avatar: The Last Airbender" to "X-men." It has no identity of its own instead serving as a reminder while you watch of why you enjoy those other, better films and franchises. Not at all bad for a one-night viewing if you can find it.

After a vaguely mentioned catastrophe, all of humanity is either dead or living as martial arts experts. Clans of ninja now exist and hate each other for reasons which don't matter. Each clan lives by a "code" which you can only understand from watching other films. The elder ninja figure calls all the clans to a peace rally to encourage them to fight against an outside force. He is murdered and the main guy and friends have to escape the bunker where the meeting was held. The main character, played by Christian Oliver is wooden and emotionless. The rest of the clan, including Isaac Singleton, Jr. who is mute in this movie is not much better. Even Ernie Reyes, Jr. as the villain who comes out of nowhere doesn't camp it up enough for my taste. This movie takes itself too seriously for its own good.

Very weird when you realize that all the ninja clan have superpowers for no reason. There are also quasi-zombie rat people and real zombies. None of this is explained as if the explanation is in the previous works mentioned. The world here is so weird I would have enjoyed learning a little more about it. According to Wikipedia, the financial backers were only concerned with having enough ninja lore in the movie that nothing else mattered. There is a lot of sequel potential which would be welcome if we had more good stunt work. We also have good practical effects including the use of real shuriken and throwing knives. The best and only reason to watch is the fight choreography. The actors actually punch and kick onscreen long enough to see the action. It isn't edited to pieces as many, higher budget films of this type are. The staircase fight scene is especially impressive. The bad guys line up in such a way that they can easily be theatrically dispatched. Blood squirts along the walls a little too perfectly as they die. Like everything else it's cliched yet entertaining. CGI effects exist without impeding the fight choreography. I have the impression that the stunt world was conceived practically with the CGI added as an afterthought due to budgetary restrictions. The most likely reason this movie exists is the ninja movie resurgence created by "Ninja Assassin" (2009). That film disappoints due most of its action sequences being filmed in dark environments. "Ninja Apocalypse" with its well-lighted and engaging stunt work knows its audience very well.
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