20 Reasons Why You Rock: Revenge of the Ninja

It was 40 years ago today that Revenge of the Ninja opened in theaters coast to coast in the United States. Watching Revenge of the Ninja is one my earliest Cannon movie memories and as an impressionable kid, this movie rocked my world.

Decades later and I am not ashamed to admit that this movie is still rocking my world…

#1. When the opening scene of your movie features an innocent family being attacked by an evil ninja clan, including a kid getting a shuriken to the head, you are setting a pretty badass tone for the film that is about to follow.

#2. The family that was attacked was Cho Osaki’s family. When Cho and his friend Braden happen upon the carnage, we immediately see Cho jump into action as the evil ninja clan look to wipe him out too. The highlight is probably Cho catching an arrow in his mouth! Cho Osaki was played by Shô Kosugi or the best possible human being walking the face of the earth that could believably play a ninja.

#3. Revenge of the Ninja benefitted from having Sam Firstenberg in the director’s chair. Revenge of the Ninja was actually Sam’s first action movie, but certainly not his last. Sam would go on to direct so many Cannon classics including American Ninja 1 & 2, Avenging Force, Ninja III: The Domination and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo making Sam one of my all-time favorite directors.

#4. Arthur Roberts plays Cho’s “friend” Braden who convinces Cho to move to Los Angeles with his infant son and mother who survived the attack and run a Japanese art gallery he is looking to open. But there’s more to Braden than meets the eye… we find out he is using Cho and the gallery to smuggle heroin into the country and that he is also a ninja with a cool silver mask… continuing the Cannon tradition from Enter the Ninja in casting someone with zero ninja skills to play a ninja, however there is no denying Roberts played a convincing villain.

#5. We get to see Kane Kosugi’s first ever fight scene in Revenge of the Ninja. Kane plays Cho’s son Kane Osaki (the role he was born to play). Kane is walking home from school with his grandma when a group of bullies start messing with Kane and Kane doesn’t take it. And this was only the first historic Kane Kosugi moment in the movie…

#6. We are introduced to Ashley Ferrare’s character Cathy when she shows up for karate practice with Cho and she’s not wearing any pants… that’s what you call a good first impression. Cathy is another pawn in Braden’s game and works at the gallery with Cho to keep an eye on Braden’s interests.

#7. After mob boss Caifano plays hardball with Braden on their big heroin deal and Caifano’s own brother (played by John LaMotta) ends up dead, Caifano turns to one of his street informants for any word on the Japanese trying to muscle there way into his turf… The street informant wears an eye patch and I found it extra evil when he ends up dead with a shuriken to his good eye! Braden… you sadistic son of a bitch!!

#8. Braden’s next victims are Caifano’s nephew and girlfriend… he takes them out with some blow darts while they are having some hot tub fun… which means Cannon taking full advantage of the R rating and giving us some gratuitous nudity.

#9. Keith Vitali, who would go on to star in some of my Seasonal favorites, was great as Cho’s actual friend Dave Hatcher of the LAPD. Dave enlists the help of Cho and to his credit is actually with Cho to the bitter end, like a true friend should be.

#10. I love that Italian mafioso Caifano has a Native American henchman named Chief…. America truly is a melting pot.

#11. And while we are talking henchmen, how about Professor Toru Tanaka (The Perfect Weapon and The Running Man) as Braden’s (horny) sumo servant!

#12. When Cho arrives at the gallery and catches Caifano’s men clearing out the place it sparks a fight with some great highlights including Chief doing a big jump with a wooden crate and smashing it over Cho’s head… then Cho running after the moving van, ending up on top, inside and dragging behind it after it is all said and done.

#13. Props to Grandmother Osaki for sensing that Braden was not to be trusted from the start of the movie and bigger props for pulling out her ninja grandma skills to try and stop Braden when he shows up at Cho’s to get the dolls filled with heroin.

#14. Cho and Dave get to tangle with some known criminals who are hanging out at a children’s playground for some reason as Dave tries to get information about the stolen dolls from them. The fight scene makes great use of its surroundings, second only to the big final fight.

#15. Three Words: Shuriken Belt Buckle

#16. When Cho and Dave get back to the gallery and Cho receives a call from Cathy spilling the beans on Braden, who he really is, what he has been up to and most importantly that he has Kane, Cho hits the line of the movie and one I have repeated countless times, “Only a ninja can stop a ninja!”

#17. Rob Walsh’s music hits perfectly when Cho prepares for battle as he busts out his tools of the trade and unseals his sword… it gives me chills.

#18. There was another historic Kane Kosugi moment captured in Revenge of the Ninja. As we see Kane, after escaping his sauna death and rescuing Cathy from her hot tub torture, standing in front of Cathy in her wet white T-shirt… I believe it was at that exact moment that Kane Kosugi decided he wanted to pursue a career in acting.

#19. Stunt coordinator Steve Lambert played a huge part in the success of Revenge of the Ninja. He played the cowboy in the playground fight scene and he was the Silver Mask Ninja including the amazing scene where “Braden” ziplines from one building to another… no net, no CGI, just good old-fashioned balls of steel stunt work.

#20. The rooftop battle between Cho and “Braden” is visually stunning and like the playground scene makes good use of the surroundings, plus Silver Mask Ninja has all sorts of tricks up his sleeve… including a flame thrower!!