NINJA APOCALYPSE (2014)

Ninja Apocalypse (2014)
Directed by: Lloyd Lee Barnett
Written by: Ashley Scott Meyers
Starring: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Christian Oliver, Isaac C. Singleton Jr., Kaiwi Lyman, Les Brandt, Tara Macken, West Liang

NINJA APOCALYPSE (2014)
Directed by Lloyd Lee Barnett

The Lost Clan are summoned for a peace meeting with other clans, 20 floors beneath the ground of a nuclear underground bunker. With a threat that will wipe them all out, Grandmaster Fumitaka (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) calls for all the ninja clans to unite in peace as one giant clan for one year. The crowd roars with their approval of Fumitaka’s plan but the truce is shortlived when Fumitaka is assassinated. When Cage, the leader of the Lost Clan, is accused of being the culprit by three witnesses, he and his clan must fight their way from the 20th floor back to the upper ground floor level for their survival and to prove his innocence.

If you’re thinking NINJA APOCALYPSE sounds a lot like the plot of Walter Hill’s cult 1979 hit The Warriors, then you wouldn’t be wrong. Despite its lack of originality in that department, NINJA APOCALYPSE has its own unique blend, bringing fists full of fun, enthusiasm and kick-ass action to the screen.

A band of five talented individuals, four of whom know how to use a katana well, entertain the viewer as the Lost Clan. Each of the clan members has their own skill: sole female member Mar (Tara Macken) has the power of telekinesis, Trillion (Kaiwi Lyman) is adapt at fixing electronics, towering mute Sky (Isaac C. Singleton Jr.) has the ability to see and sense through vibrations, Surge (Les Brandt) is handy at throwing knives and Cage (Christian Oliver) is the cool-headed leader. All wield an electrical power which they can use to defend themselves as a weapon against their enemies, which is just as well as they find themselves the target of every other clan in the bunker.

The Lost Clan have a tough time ahead of them with a range of opposing ninja clans including the voluptuous sirens, who’ll seduce you before the kill, the sharp-toothed human lizards and Becker’s (West Liang) fire-throwing ninja clan who despise the Lost Clan with a passion. The filmmakers even throw in some zombie action for good measure, leaving plenty of opponents for Cage and co to electrocute and slice and dice with their katana swords. Even without their weapons, the Lost Clan impress with their spinning kicks and other acrobatic feats of combat, providing a non-stop feast of visual entertainment.

For dynamic action, likable characters with varied personalities and an engaging plot, NINJA APOCALYPSE hits all the right notes. Though it may be a low budget, independent effort, it brings a passion for storytelling to the screen and does what every movie hopes to achieve: it entertains the viewer.

With blood splattered across the walls from close quarter kills, the snap and crack of necks and limbs being broke, and the sight of enemies being sliced in half, both action and horror movie fans are given something juicy to feast upon, with a script, screenplay and strong cast that keep up the high energy and momentum til the final credits roll.

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