These Little-Known Martial Arts Movies Feature An Action Legend In The Lead Role

In the world of action cinema, and especially in the niche martial arts movie subgenre, fans will quickly identify their favorite on-screen talents. The A-listers stand tall in the minds of most fans. Maybe Donnie Yen’s decades in the field won them over. Perhaps Iko Uwais’ raw talent and screen presence speak to something fundamental in the art form. Maybe Jackie Chan’s incredible stunts and sense of humor still land perfectly. There’s often not enough love for B-list martial arts icons like Scott Adkins. His Ninja films are a love letter to the fun and charm of classic video store martial arts material.

It’s a good moment for martial arts cinema. Nearly every action movie brings experts in the field into the fold, elevating the fight scenes across the medium. Legends like John Woo are still working, and relative newcomers like Timo Tjahjanto are innovating in the space. The genre is alive and well, consistently throwing new talent into the mix. The John Wick franchise was a natural next step in the evolution of martial arts cinema, and the rest of the genre happily followed it.

What are Ninja and Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear About?

The Ninja films follow Scott Adkins as Casey, an American orphan who grew up under the care of a Japanese martial arts dojo. Casey studied bushido and mastered various hand-to-hand and weapons-focused combat systems throughout his youth, turning him into a skilled warrior by adulthood. Casey’s home dojo happens to be holding onto a treasure chest, which contains the armor and weapons of the last ninja from the Kōga tradition. In the first film, Casey makes an enemy of his dojo’s star pupil, Masazuka. Masazuka develops a grudge against Casey after the American strikes up an apparent romance with the sensei’s daughter, Namiko. Masazuka joins a comically evil megacorporation, which also shelters a cult, murders the sensei, and forces Casey and Namiko to flee to the United States with the treasure chest. Once Masazuka catches up, he kidnaps Namiko, forcing Casey to open the chest and become a new ninja warrior to save the day.

Ninja: Shadow of a Tear is far darker than its predecessor, sometimes literally. Casey and Namiko have tied the knot and taken over her father’s dojo. Tragically, an unseen figure murders Namiko, leaving Casey wracked with grief. While the first Ninja is a heroic quest, Shadow of a Tear is a classic revenge story. Casey leaves a trail of destruction as he travels across the world to discover who killed his wife and what he’ll have to do to stop them. The second film is willing to get a lot weirder, including a flashback to ninjas during World War II and a barbed-wire kusarigama.

Why Martial Arts fans should watch the Ninja movies

Ninja and Ninja: Shadow of a Tear are not great movies. They’re silly, weirdly edited, very low-budget, and their scripts are generally awful. However, they feel perfect for the type of person who remembers renting violent schlock from their local video store. The Ninja movies speed through a barebones plot with archetypal characters to give Scott Adkins a chance to kick a bunch of people. Adkins is an underrated talent in the martial arts movie space. He’s worked with the greats, but he’s almost always in a distant supporting role. Ninja was actually his first star vehicle. He worked with Keanu Reeves and Donnie Yen in John Wick: Chapter 4 after he’d already fought Yen in Ip Man 4 . Adkins was the fourth-billed name in Triple Threat, a movie that sells itself entirely on getting Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and Tiger Chen into the same project. The Ninja movies are a great spotlight for a frequently ignored performer. They are charming, simple, and straightforward films that highlight the stunt performers and maintain a level of enjoyable madness. It’s far from the best outing in the genre, but it is a worthy entry into the sillier side of martial arts cinema.

Where to Watch Ninja and Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear

Both of the Ninja movies are available to stream for free on:

• Tubi
• Pluto TV
• Sling TV
• The Roku Channel
• Amazon Prime Video
• Crackle
• Redbox

The Ninja movies sometimes feel like parodies of martial arts cinema. They’re silly and charming in a bargain bin way, but a lot of the physical talent on display remains impressive. Anyone with a love for the overblown world of cinematic violence will find a lot to love about Ninja and its sequel. Luckily, these ninjas are very easy to see.