Shinobi - Heart Under Blade (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]
by Ten Shimoyama
![Shinobi - Heart Under Blade (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]](/images/Shinobi-Heart-Under-Blade-Special-Edition-Blu-ray-B0014567U2-L.jpg)
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Blu-ray details
Actor: Erika Sawajiri, Jô Odagiri, Kippei Shiina, Tomoka Kurotani, Yukie NakamaDirector: Ten Shimoyama
Brand: FUNIMATION PRODUCTIONS, LTD
Cinematographer: Masasai Chikamori
Editor: Isao Kawase
Producer: Nozomu Enoki
Writer: Fûtarô Yamada
Writer: Kenya Hirata
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Japanese (Original Language); English (Original Language)
Format: NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 102 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2008-05-13
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Model: 0
Studio: Funimation Prod
Product features:
- The year is 1614. Japan has been united under the Tokugawa Shoguns and the land is begining to feel at peace. Two remote ninja clans, the Koga and the Iga, are ancient enemies but have long been bound by a peace agreement forbidding them to fight. The heirs to the leadership of both clans have fallen in love but a tragic fate awaits them. A cruel plot is set by the Shogun to wipe these two clans f
Blu-ray Reviews of Shinobi - Heart Under Blade (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]
Blu-ray Review: Azumi Destroys This Crapfest On Every Possible Level
Summary: 2 Stars
I waited for months to see Shinobi, which looked like an entertaining movie. Wasn't I surprised after I watched the film and realized how much it sucked. It's basically an action/romance film that fails miserably at establishing both action and romance.
The romantic relationship was poorly developed. I was willing to look past this if the characters actually made decisions that were consistent with their undying devotion to one another. They don't. When our married couple are assigned to fight to the death (in a 5-on-5 fight), the husband temporarily disengages combat to investigate the reasons behind this royal command. What does the wife do? Promptly RE-ENGAGES COMBAT by ambushing the husband's 5-man team! How romantic. At that point I just wanted her to die a horrible death for betraying the very concept of love. You wench!
By far the most disappointing aspect of Shinobi are the action sequences. I was expecting something akin to the post-2000 Chinese wuxia films or perhaps Azumi, not the crappy CGI-filled garbage that made The Promise, Storm Riders, and A Man Called Hero a total waste of time. Shinobi uses CGI tomfoolery in an effort to take the lazy way out, thus bypassing the need to map out innovative and exciting fighting moves. Not good.
It is important to note that all 10 of our characters are supposedly superhuman, so they should have some cool moves. They don't. In fact, their special abilities are beyond idiotic. One girl can stare people to death. Wow. How many great action scenes are possible with that talent? Um, let's see . . . oh yeah - NONE! Another girl kills by showing off her sexy legs and kissing guys to death. Another girl simply acts the human shield by jumping in front of the lead female protagonist on numerous occasions. One of the guys can take the face of a dead person. Whoever thought of these "special abilities" obviously had no foresight into the destructive ramifications that would befall the action scenes, almost ALL of which end in ONE simple move - i.e., a kiss, a stare, a single swing of a sword, etc. Basically, a character will be strolling along in the lush woodlands of Japan, then you'll hear a slicing sound, then the character falls over. In the entire 100-minute running time, the only halfway decent action scene is the slow-mo multiple ninja fight with the lead protagonist, which lasts less than 2 minutes.
In addition, not all action scenes need to be long and complexly choreographed. If there is sufficient storyline and character development, a short - yet intense - fight can be very effective (see Kill Zone). However, badly choreographed action in context with bad or non-existent storyline or character development is a poor combination. Shinobi indulges in this bitter recipe far too often.
Here's an example of the fighting ineptitude present in Shinobi. The grand finale has our two lovebirds fight to the death. The entire scene consists of the following: the wife runs at the husband and stabs him in the chest. That's it! And considering the utter lack of character development, I was ready to throw my computer out my front window after witnessing that debacle.
Even more upsetting than the crappiness of this film are the comments on IMDb. One positive reviewer went so far as to say that Shinobi is "far superior to Azumi and Azumi 2 in all aspects." This person should be forced to lick the pond scum off of the underbelly of a garbage boat for the rest of their natural life. The statement is basically analogous to someone saying that a McDonald's hamburger is "far superior" to a filet mignon. Only a certifiable lunatic could possibly hold that opinion.
Take an example. Shinobi and (the much maligned) Azumi 2 have a similar character who wears furry camouflage and has blades for weapons. The difference is that Azumi 2 contributes an excellent fight in a bamboo forest while also incorporating poison-laced razor-sharp wires. Shinobi kills the character with - yet again - a deadly kiss. I know that opinion is subjective, but anyone who seriously claims that Shinobi's use of that character was better than that of Azumi 2 should be committed to a mental health facility.
By now the viewer should have noted how much I despise the utter piece of crap-infested garbage that calls itself Shinobi. It's essentially equivalent to The Promise, only with Japanese actors and less CGI. The only thing that saves this film from a 1/10 is the cinematography and acting. And if anyone else has the utter lack of taste to claim that Shinobi is better than Azumi, I will personally hire that cute little assassin to slice you apart. Have a nice day.
Description of Shinobi - Heart Under Blade (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]
The year is 1614. Japan has been united under the Tokugawa Shoguns and the land is begining to feel at peace. Two remote ninja clans the Koga and the Iga are ancient enemies but have long been bound by a peace agreement forbidding them to fight. The heirs to the leadership of both clans have fallen in love but a tragic fate awaits them. A cruel plot is set by the Shogun to wipe these two clans from existence by breaking the peace agreement and forcing the two clans to battle. Five Ninjas of each the Koga and Iga clans will battle against each other to the death. As a great war begins it brings the two young heirs together again. But this time as enemies.System Requirements:Running Time: 102 minutesFormat: DVD Genre: FOREIGN/ASIAN Rating: R UPC: 704400095641 Manufacturer No: 0Bestsellers in DVD
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