Ren zhe wu di

In the early 1980s, the Shaw Brothers studio was trying to deal with the fact that their kung fu films were slowly falling into stereotype, so they took some liberties and made some entertainingly wacky and obscure films. Five Element Ninjas is bollocks, but in the best sense of the word. The plot is typical of a kung fu film, full of heroism, self-sacrifice, intrigue and betrayal; the heroes avenge the murder of their master. Well, you know. The biggest draw here are the breathtakingly absurd fighting techniques of the sneaky Japanese ninjas, which can surprise any Chinese kung-fu warrior who believes in a fair fight, as well as viewers who have seen a lot of similar films. Every time something absolutely insane comes up in Five Element Ninjas, you think nothing else will top it, but every other scene will disabuse you of that notion. Sun ninjas dazzle their opponents with glittering umbrellas, forest ninjas ambush unsuspecting warriors disguised as trees, water ninjas with snorkels unexpectedly leap out of the water, fire ninjas revel in pyrotechnics, and underground ninjas can burrow into the ground and stab your genitals with a spear. Equally amusing, then, is the insane ingenuity with which the already wise heroes eventually start to give them a run for their money. They'll use a fishing net on the water ninjas, stomp the underground ninjas with stilts, etc. The action scenes are packed with unbridled acrobatics and comic-book-style over-the-top brutality. Fighters are literally stomping their guts out and being ripped in half with bare hands. The action may take place in visibly cheap sets with painted skies and the same cheesy sounds, but it is incredibly choreographed with perfect timing. This is even in fights where one fighter faces five opponents at once. Synchronising the rapid movements of so many fighters simultaneously must have been a real chore, and it works brilliantly here. The direction could have been a bit more imaginative and the cinematography less static, but it's still one of the best kung-fu flicks I've ever seen. (19.02.2017)