Leglessbird Movie Guide

Shinobi Heart Under Blade (buy from Amazon)

Type: Drama, Japan 2005

Director:Ten Shimoyama

My rating: 3

Key actors/actresses:
Yukie Nakama .... Oboro (Iga)
J? Odagiri .... Kouga Gen-no-suke (Kouga) (as Joe Odagiri)
Tomoka Kurotani .... Kagerou (Kouga)
Erika Sawajiri .... Hotarubi (Iga)
Kippei Shiina .... Yakushiji Tenzen (Iga)

Story:
During the Tokugawa era, the two ninja clans Iga and Kouga have existed for over 400 years, always been opposing each other and separately have been helping different regimes in power. Under a cease-fire agreement, the two clans have not been fighting each other. The two future leaders of the clans, Oboro (Iga) and Gen-no-suke (Kouga) are in love with each other. Little did they know that the cease-fire has been uplifted by the Tokugawa regime because, he wants to exterminate the two clans by asking them to fight one another, because during the peaceful time, Tokugawa feels that the ninjas are themselves a threat to him. Each clans has to send 5 people to fight, Oboro and Gen-no-suke are the leaders of each team. Can the lovers escape their destiny or would they have to fight each other to save their own clan?

My review:
Even more tragic than Romeo and Juliet, a very sad story. Ninja stories are always facinating, Hollywood has tried to make its own version of Japanese ninja movies, but never quite capture the essence and its mystery. Glad to see a well film ninja movies from Japan, the land of ninja itself. However, I don't think there was enough, ninja fight scenes in the movie and the actions go so fast, leaving the audience the feeling of wanting more. Each ninja has their own secret weapon and it gets better and more powerful as the story unfolds.

It has an unexpected twist in the end! But I won't spoil it here.