Ninja: Shadow of a Tear

Plot synopsis:
American martial artist Casey Bowman has settled down at the Kōga ninja dojo and married Namiko Takeda, who is pregnant with their first child. One day, while shopping for a pendant in town, he encounters and fends off against two knife-wielding muggers. Later that night, Casey goes grocery shopping, but when he remembers that the muggers took his wallet, he rushes home only to find Namiko slain, with markings of a barbed wire weapon around her neck. On the day of the funeral, the dojo is visited by a former student named Nakabara, who offers Casey to train at his dojo in Thailand to ease his pain, but Casey declines the offer. Remembering the fighting style of the muggers he encountered, Casey heads to the Azuma dojo to find out their whereabouts before ambushing and killing them in a dark alley.
Days later, Casey takes Nakabara's advice and travels to Bangkok. While sparring with Lucas, one of Nakabara's students, Casey suddenly loses his temper and assaults him with a bokken. Nakabara reminds him to control his emotions by having him undergo the fire walk practice, but Casey stops halfway through the walk due to memories of Namiko lingering in his mind. He goes on a drinking binge at a nearby bar and gets into a fight with several drunk patrons. The next morning, Lucas is killed by the same barbed wire weapon used on Namiko. Nakabara reveals to Casey that his father and Sensei Takeda (Namiko's father), along with a man from Nagoya named Isamu, were the three top students of the Kōga dojo. When their sensei died, Isamu challenged Takeda for control of the dojo; Takeda killed Isamu in the fight and continued as sōke. Isamu's younger brother Goro witnessed the fight and swore to avenge his death, even if it took three generations. Years later, Goro became head of one of the largest drug cartels in Myanmar. Nakabara urges Casey to return to the United States, as being Takeda's son-in-law has makes him one of Goro's targets. Instead, Casey asks him to help him find Goro. Nakabara gives him an old map of Burma from his father's days in World War II, with markings indicating locations of ninja weapons.
Casey heads to Myanmar, where he befriends an Indian cab driver named Mike. Later that night, he enters a bar and fights a group of drug dealers. He returns to his hotel room to rest, only to find himself arrested by the State Peace and Development Council, who accuse him of being an American spy and torture him. He escapes from his cell and extracts information on Goro's whereabouts from SPDC General Sung before Mike drives him to the jungle. There, Casey finds a cemetery of Japanese soldiers and arms himself with a boxful of ninja weapons buried under a wooden gravemarker with the Nakabara clan symbol. He sneaks into Goro's hideout, setting the complex on fire before facing Goro's right-hand man Myat. The fight ends with Casey stabbing Myat in the heart and breaking his neck. He then squares off against Goro before slashing him in the midsection. In the middle of the fight, Goro wraps his barbed wire manriki around Casey's neck, but Casey uses his strength to free himself and throw Goro to the ground before decapitating him.
Casey returns to Nakabara's dojo, only to discover that Nakabara was the one who murdered Namiko and Lucas. Nakabara is revealed to be a drug lord himself, and he used Casey to wipe out Goro's cartel to monopolize the Southeast Asian drug trade. He then gives Casey the choice to either join him or die. Both men engage in an intense fight until Casey kicks Nakabara through a thin wall, revealing a room full of ancient artifacts. They continue the fight in the room with weapons, with Casey slashing Nakabara in the midsection and Nakabara impaling Casey's left shoulder with his wakizashi. Nakabara lunges toward Casey, but Casey grabs a manriki and wraps it around Nakabara's neck for the kill. Later, Casey reveals Nakabara's true motives to Toji, one of the dojo's students. Knowing that such actions would ruin the dojo's reputation, Toji states the incident never happened and bids Casey farewell. Casey returns to Japan and drops Namiko's pendant in a pond, bringing closure to his loss.

Tags: revenge

Review:
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.
Just a perfect movie that looks like a big budget Hollywood flick.
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.
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.
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....
The action and the fight scenes are the best and the budget is smaller than the first Ninja.
Best part is that they casted Scott Adkins and he actually knows martial arts.
Let's face it most ninja movies now days suck balls and have actors that can't fight.
I thought about NiNJA GaIDEN, maybe the should cast Adkins as the lead role for a movie version from the classic Ninja GAiden video game.
Best action from Scott Adkins since Undisputed.
It is up there with Undisputed, Great fight scenes and taken in one shot which makes it look even better.
Good fighters this time unlike the first Ninja movie, not to mention highly coordinated kick #@$@# fight scenes.Lets see if Raid 2 and TYG2 can outdo Shadow of a Tear,...Scotty seems better than ever,I wish this came out in Theater would have been nice to see this on the big screen.
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.
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.
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.
Florentine's record for this kind of action remains unblemished.Dramatically, the movie is on the upper end of average for the DTV sphere.
There's plenty of action in the film and the fight scenes are pretty well choreographed.
A good movie if you love martial art films.
If you expect something similar to a recent big budget film like 'Ninja Assassins' this is a far cry from that, but check it out for yourself..
While I have seen my fair share of Dudikoff starring Ninja movies, I'd rather watch something like this.
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.
Plot: Ninjitsu master Casey is back and out for revenge when his pregnant wife is murdered.This is easily my favorite Scott Adkins film to date.
This has the best story because it's straight forwarded and simple which is what I like about the action films from back in the day and this brings that back.
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear continues the story of Casey Bowman (Scott Adkins), an American raised in a Japanese dojo.
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..
The plot was the typical and very stereotyped "revenge" type; which granted probably describes like 90% of all martial arts movies.
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.
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.
This film essentially takes up where the intial movie left off with "Casey Bowman" (Scott Adkins) having gotten married to "Namiko Takeda" (Mika Hijii) and now in charge of his late master's dojo in Japan.
Even so, like so many action films these days, some of the fight sequences lacked a certain amount of realism.
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.
Just disconnect your mind, lean back and enjoy the mindless action here.There are far better ninja movies available, both new and old..
Best of Scott Adkins, a cult classic martial arts film, much better than the original!.
In addition, if you're not able to take an action cult classic martial arts film, ignore this review, as well.
We'll both be better off.Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear (2013) is the best film of the two, It is a cult classic action martial arts flick, that I really enjoy and Love.
Not the biggest fan of Scott Adkins, I got introduced in him by watching him in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006) as Yuri Boyka which I have enjoyed that flick.
Still Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear is classic sequel that I love and the acting performances was good, but the fight choreographer was outstanding!
The fights are realistic and also the plot is original and it is realistic, I love that Casey Bowman (Scott Adkins) is one man an only hero who fights of a drug cartel, he has no sidekicks, he is alone.
About the cast: in this film is also Kane Kosugi son of a real Ninja martial arts master and sensei Sho Kosugi.
I know a lot of people wanted to see a lot of Ninjas in this film but there was only one (Scott Adkins), which I didn't care as long the action is entertaining and fun.
The film isn't long or boring or lame, it is what is a great action martial arts flick a true classic!
The fight scenes are excellent and for a revenge movie its really very good.
Full of martial art scenes giving you the same excitement when you saw the classic action movies such as the Matrix.
There are almost too many awesome fight scenes in this movie to pick a favorite but I think it has to be the fight sword fight between Casey and Goro by the end of the film, which the sword fight was set in flames, awesome!
It's easily the best fight scene I've seen this year; no shaky cam, no CGI, just Scott Adkins showing us what he can really do.
This is his best movie since the Undisputed series and I really hope we get a third entry.Overall: Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear get's a solid 10 by me which is clearly my favorite action martial arts film of the year!Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (also known as Ninja II) is an American martial arts action film directed by Isaac Florentine and starring Scott Adkins, Kane Kosugi, Mika Hijii and Shun Sugata.
10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Nu Image Swingin' Productions, Millennium Films Starring: Scott Adkins, Kane Kosugi, Mika Hijii, Shun Sugata, Vithaya Pansringarm, Jawed El Berni Director: Isaac Florentine Producers: Boaz Davidson, Frank DeMartini, Tom Waller Screenplay: Boaz Davidson (as David White) Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 35 Mins.
The acting is mediocre at best, I watched it purely for the fight scenes with being an admirer of the many varied forms of Martial Arts, also being a fan of Scott Adkins.
Of course every movie needs a storyline, although I think the storyline could have been completely baseless and the action scenes would still have kicked major ass.
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.
So yeah, it's has a passable story for a martial arts action movie and the fights are cool to watch and choreographed excellently.
Overall this is a cool martial arts ninja movie.
And the "big twist" revealed in the final few minutes is painfully predictable - you'll see it coming long before it unfolds.Despite these problems, the movie manages to redeem itself, mainly with the action sequences.
NINJA: SHADOW OF A TEAR is a follow-up to the surprisingly decent NINJA, an action flick starring Brit martial artist Scott Adkins and directed by direct-to-DVD helmer Isaac Florentine.
This one has a different scope in that the chief character, Casey, having been banned from returning to the USA after the events of the first movie, trawls southeast Asia in a straightforward and undistinguished revenge storyline.Okay, so the plot is nothing new, it's the kind of simple, join-the-dots stuff you'd expect to be written by a high school student.
The acting isn't much to write home about, either; Adkins is passable, a briefly returning Mika Hijii is a joy while she's around, and Kane Kosugi is slowing becoming a younger version of his father, but nobody else makes an impact.It's good news, then, that this film really hits home when it comes to the action stakes.
NINJA: SHADOW OF A TEAR packs a punch in terms of hard-hitting martial arts action, and it's filled to the brim with well-choreographed mayhem.
Plus Adkins is blessed by nature so he's a great martial artists who actually looks pretty good on screen.
It's a sure bet in my opinion.Hopefully Adkins and all can do more of exactly that - top notch ninja flick the likes of which we haven't seen since the 80's.
Casey Bowman (Adkins) is a master Martial Artist who runs a dojo with his wife Namiko (Hijii).
There are many elements that make it so enjoyable and entertaining - there is minimal CGI, the fight choreography (by Tim Man) is excellent, you can actually see all the fights, Scott Adkins is a great hero you can truly get behind and is a rock-solid Martial Artist, and, perhaps most importantly, the plot is old-school action at its finest.
A marked improvement over the first film, Ninja 2 delivers the action goods with style and aplomb.
The choreography, by Tim Man (seen in the film as Goro's right hand man), is excellent as well, creating a perfect formula for fantastic, hard-hitting action sequences that elevate the film above it's weak plotting...and unfortunately...acting.I will, however, always forgive guys like Adkins and Kane Kosugi their flaws in the acting department, simply because of what they are able to do once it's time to turn the juice on.
Shoestring budgeted action films that cruise on talent alone are still out there...and guys like Adkins and Florentine are making films that crush their Hollywood counterparts.
In this reviewer's opinion, however, Ninja Assassin wishes it was Shadow of a Tear.See this movie...unless you're a female or a pussy..
In every martial arts or any movie now that you think of it, a successful bad guy/warlord/drug dealer/ mafia/kingpin whatever you want to call him; either wouldn't bother himself with small peanuts or has a vendetta against the whole rival and wants them all wiped off the earth and usually saves the boss for last.
After watching ten or fifteen martial arts movies, in the last 4 or 5 months, finally I've watched a great one.
One of the best martial arts movies I've ever seen, awesome.
As a die hard Scott Adkins fan, I've loved Undisputed, but to me this is his best movie ever.
The story may not be as good as Undisputed, but the action is ten times better, just brilliant.
You find this time around you see Casey has become a broken man after what happen & the story take him on a one man revenge that end up in a big final fight scene at the end.Scot Adkins with out a doubt is the new van damme he dose a pretty convincing job as a man broken but what he is best at is the fight scene which is perfectly filmed with no camera shaking to a point you cant see anything, the fight is brutal & fast.
It start off pretty slow at first but you get the odd fight scene in-between which break the slowness down, with the story which you don't see coming is a twist which is cleverly put in which kinds of make you think wow did see that.Though Ninja Shadow of a Tear is on a small budget, all of the aforementioned problems are fixed.
And that's a good thing.The plot preamble is done and dusted in the first ten minutes, which leaves the rest of the running time devoted to a plethora of exceptionally well choreographed fights, stunts, explosions and action sequences.Casey (Adkins) is an American Ninja-type working in a dojo as a ninjitsu master and happily settled in conjugal bliss with his cute Japanese bride.
For starters ignore the glowing reviews.The fact is that this is the best film from Adkins since Boyka II -- and we all know that at the time he did SHADOW, the Boyka III was still in development -- yet at the end of the day, when the points are tallied, this is still not a very satisfying movie.And don't take my word for it.
Great fighting, of course, and Casey's final opponent delivers quite an impressive performance which gets a righteous treatment from the professional camera work, but honestly, it's not the kind of movie that I would want to see more than one time.
Although my expectations were not high seeing how it is a Florentine movie and a DTV release I was still underwhelmed.Despite the many things I didn't like with this film the action never left me disappointed.
Also the film had seemed to get this weird message across that revenge can get you happiness and inner peace...they never say it out loud but it is always kind of there.Looking at the other reviews and the 6+ rating it makes me wonder if I maybe have watched a different movie.
The first film was pretty much a cool excuse for some ninja martial arts and weapons action from Adkins, and this sequel is no different whatsoever, but this is a good thing.A completely childish plot with unreal amounts of clichéd moments and corn, but who are we kidding here its all about the fisticuffs and nothing more.