Five Element Ninjas (1982)
Reviewed by: pjshimmer on 2001-02-17
Summary: Big Time Classic
This is the Shaw Bros/Venom production that nearly took kung fu to the next level - but unfortunately that was not achieved until Once Upon A Time In China about 10 years later.

In any case though, Chinese Super Ninja is nothing less than a specatular martial arts gem with the best production value out of any Shaw Bros films I have seen. I cannot say enough good words about the fighting choreography; they are simply breath-taking. Cheng Tien Yee(chi) and Lo Meng display their awesome kung fu skills as well as good acting.

However, one of the most unsatisfying elements of any Shaw Bros/old school movie is the fact that everyone seems to have equal strength, until the directors decide to have them die in two seconds. So you have two people who have been fighting for 5 minutes and neither is gaining or losing; all of a sudden one of those gets stabbed or somehow killed. What's more, Everybody who gets severely injured--possibly 5 times--seem to fight just as magnificent as when they had perfect health, unharmed. That is a major flaw in kung fu films until OUATIC, but I can overlook it because the action is nevertheless outstanding.

There's only one thing I need to say about this movie: you don't know what you're missing if you haven't seen CHINESE SUPER NINJA yet! Honestly, if you even have the slightest interest in kung fu, this is not one to be missed, or you will regret it when you finally pick it up in 10 years. [9/10]