Enter the Ninja
Encyclopedia
Enter the Ninja is a 1981 martial arts film
directed by Menahem Golan
and starring Franco Nero
, Susan George
and Shô Kosugi
. Production was started in the Philippines with Emmett Alston directing, but when Charles Bronson refused to allow Menahem Golan to direct Death Wish II
, Golan, a co-principal of Cannon Group which was producing both movies, took over directing duties of Ninja replacing Alston.
within Japan
as a Ninja
, an American
army veteran by the name of Cole (Franco Nero
) visits his war buddy Frank Landers (Alex Courtney) and his newlywed wife Mary Ann Landers (Susan George
), who are the owners of a large piece of farming land in the Philippines
. Cole soon finds that the Landers are being repeatedly harassed by a CEO named Charles Venarius (Christopher George
) in order to get them to sell their property because, unbeknownst to them, a large oil deposit is located beneath their land. After beginning to thwart Venarius' hired henchmen's attempts to bully and coerce the Landers into the selling of their property to Venarius, Cole eventually finds himself facing an old rival from the days of his training — Hasegawa (Shô Kosugi
), who was hired by Venarius as an assassin to eliminate Cole.
and the third being Ninja III: The Domination
, although they are not directly related to one another in terms of storyline.
release had long eluded the masses until MGM issued as part of its Limited Edition Collection (a series of manufactured-on-demand DVD-Rs) in October 2011. The film had also been distributed on DVD in the UK by Lighthouse (2001) and Optimum Entertainment (2011).
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
directed by Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan is an Israeli director and producer. He has produced movies for such stars as Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson, and was known for a period as a producer of comic book-style movies like Masters of the Universe, Superman IV:...
and starring Franco Nero
Franco Nero
Franco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
, Susan George
Susan George (actress)
Susan Melody George is an English film and television actress, and film producer.-Career:She trained at the Stage School, Corona Theatre School and has acted since the age of four, appearing on both television and film...
and Shô Kosugi
Sho Kosugi
Sho Kosugi is a Japanese martial artist with training in shindō jinen-ryū karate who gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, usually playing a ninja. He is the father of Kane Kosugi and Shane Kosugi. After taking a hiatus from film, he started a taiko group in California...
. Production was started in the Philippines with Emmett Alston directing, but when Charles Bronson refused to allow Menahem Golan to direct Death Wish II
Death Wish II
Death Wish II is a 1982 sequel to the 1974 film. It stars Charles Bronson, was written by David Engelbach and directed by Michael Winner....
, Golan, a co-principal of Cannon Group which was producing both movies, took over directing duties of Ninja replacing Alston.
Plot
After completing his training of ninjutsuNinjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
within Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as a Ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
army veteran by the name of Cole (Franco Nero
Franco Nero
Franco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
) visits his war buddy Frank Landers (Alex Courtney) and his newlywed wife Mary Ann Landers (Susan George
Susan George (actress)
Susan Melody George is an English film and television actress, and film producer.-Career:She trained at the Stage School, Corona Theatre School and has acted since the age of four, appearing on both television and film...
), who are the owners of a large piece of farming land in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Cole soon finds that the Landers are being repeatedly harassed by a CEO named Charles Venarius (Christopher George
Christopher George
Christopher John George was an American television and film actor who was perhaps best known for his starring role in the 1966-1968 TV series The Rat Patrol. He was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1967 as Best TV Star for his performance in the series...
) in order to get them to sell their property because, unbeknownst to them, a large oil deposit is located beneath their land. After beginning to thwart Venarius' hired henchmen's attempts to bully and coerce the Landers into the selling of their property to Venarius, Cole eventually finds himself facing an old rival from the days of his training — Hasegawa (Shô Kosugi
Sho Kosugi
Sho Kosugi is a Japanese martial artist with training in shindō jinen-ryū karate who gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, usually playing a ninja. He is the father of Kane Kosugi and Shane Kosugi. After taking a hiatus from film, he started a taiko group in California...
), who was hired by Venarius as an assassin to eliminate Cole.
Cast
- Franco NeroFranco NeroFranco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
as Cole - Susan GeorgeSusan George (actress)Susan Melody George is an English film and television actress, and film producer.-Career:She trained at the Stage School, Corona Theatre School and has acted since the age of four, appearing on both television and film...
as Mary-Ann Landers - Shô KosugiSho KosugiSho Kosugi is a Japanese martial artist with training in shindō jinen-ryū karate who gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, usually playing a ninja. He is the father of Kane Kosugi and Shane Kosugi. After taking a hiatus from film, he started a taiko group in California...
as Hasegawa - Christopher GeorgeChristopher GeorgeChristopher John George was an American television and film actor who was perhaps best known for his starring role in the 1966-1968 TV series The Rat Patrol. He was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1967 as Best TV Star for his performance in the series...
as Charles Venarius - Alex Courtney as Frank Landers
- Will HareWill HareWill Hare was an American actor who appeared on television and films, often playing old crusty figures and father/grandpa roles.Hare was born in Elkins, West Virginia, the son of Frances Laetitia and George Thomas Hare.-Career:He had appeared on stage, screen, and television since he was 17...
as Dollars - Zachi NoyZachi Noy-Biography:Noy was born in 1953 in Haifa, Israel. At a young age, Noy did stagework for the local Israeli theater "HaSadna" in Haifa. Later, he spent his military service in a military band....
as Siegfried 'The Hook' Schultz - Constantine GregoryConstantine GregoryConstantine Gregory is an actor and dialect coach. Gregory was born in New York City in 1942 as Constantine Liebert, or Leebaert, of a Dutch father and Russian–born mother. On their divorce, he was given his mother's surname of de Goguel...
as Mr. Parker (as Constantin de Goguel) - Dale IshimotoDale IshimotoDale Ishimoto was an American actor of Japanese descent. He was born in Delta, Colorado in 1923 and was raised in Guadalupe, California.-Military service:...
as Komori - Joonee Gamboa as Mr. Mesuda
- Leo Martinez as Pee Wee
- Ken MetcalfeKen MetcalfeKen Metcalfe is an actor who has acted in over 44 movies. Many of his films have been set in the Philippines.He is also a writer who has written for the following films, Dynamite Wong and TNT Jackson 1974, Bamboo Gods And Iron Men 1974, T.N.T. Jackson 1975, Firecracker aka The Naked Fist and...
as Elliot - Subas HerreroSubas HerreroRicardo Wright Herrero , better known as Subas Herrero, is a Filipino actor, comedian and singer. He is the father of Cutuy Herrero, current vocalist of local Filipino band Chapter 2....
as Alberto - Alan Amiel as Maroon Ninja
- Douglas Ivan as Maroon Ninja (as Doug Ivan)
Sequels
Enter the Ninja is the first film in a series of Ninja films, the second being Revenge of the NinjaRevenge of the Ninja
Revenge of the Ninja is an action movie starring Shô Kosugi as a ninja. It is considered part of a ninja trilogy, starting with Enter the Ninja and ending with Ninja III: The Domination , but the stories are not directly related...
and the third being Ninja III: The Domination
Ninja III: The Domination
Ninja III: The Domination is a 1984 film directed by Sam Firstenberg, and stars Lucinda Dickey as Christie, Jordan Bennett as Officer Billy Secord, and James Hong as Miyashima...
, although they are not directly related to one another in terms of storyline.
Home Video Releases
The movie had been released on VHS and Beta during the '80s, but an official US DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release had long eluded the masses until MGM issued as part of its Limited Edition Collection (a series of manufactured-on-demand DVD-Rs) in October 2011. The film had also been distributed on DVD in the UK by Lighthouse (2001) and Optimum Entertainment (2011).