Fine action and stunts greatly elevates this otherwise messy comedy. Max Mok and Chin Ka Lok lead the cast and while the former does absolutely fine, this show belongs to Chin action-wise. Among the very few funny things about Night Life Hero is Shing Fui On's performance as a traumatized triad boss and a decent parody of A Better Tomorrow. Also with Woo Fung and Fennie Yuen.

Somewhat on a roll after Doctor Vampire and Robotrix, Jamie Luk turning serious on us generates this flat action-drama. With Simon Yam as Tommy, the premium night rider of Hong Kong on the run from the police along with his fellows, girlfriend and an infant, Luk focuses on character choices of an unsympathetic nature. Yam's Tommy never shows remorse or restraint and certainly belongs only to the world of crime. This portrayal would've been fine if there had been some meat about loyalty, a different kind of heroism or motivation but when all we get is mostly characters wanting to be bad, there's no reason to care what happens to them. A grating Ng Man-Tat as the supposed father figure is the final nail in the coffin.

Standout elements however exists in Carina Lau and Danny Lee (who is credited with the story). The beautiful Lau as the girlfriend turned wife and mother thinks of the future but is in the end largely only drawn to the unspoken, natural bond with Tommy. Something that sounds on par with mentioned characterization of Tommy but it's motivation that equals depth the film doesn't have otherwise. Danny as the more humble cop flows naturally into that state of being. Also with Eric Kei and Shing Fui-On.

Fresh out of Shaw Brother's, Chang Cheh utilized part of his acting troupe such as Ricky Cheng and Lu Feng for this revenge tale with devil magic twists. Atrociously dubbed in English on Ocean Shores video, despite being a period martial arts/weapons/fantasy flick, someone saw fit to name main characters Gary and Joey! So the period revenge adventures of Gary (Ricky Cheng) and Joey (Lu Feng) start with the former making a pact with the devil in order to obtain the powers of the nine demons. Having his wish granted (thus becoming Demon Joey), with him is always the bloodthirsty demons either manifested in the form of flying skulls or acrobatic kids and the main one becomes a gorgeous woman. With very basic and repetitive special effects, it's still fun to see Chang Cheh not thoroughly make this film according to the template. Overall it's no different style-wise though but solid, acrobatic action (featuring weapons, hand to hand combat and a finale in a marsh on little surfboards!) is a reason for fans of the Venoms to look in. But trying drama as there's musings over Ricky Cheng's moral predicaments among other things really does turn The Nine Demons into a hokey mess when the filmmaker perhaps wanted the effect to be more felt. The Chang Cheh of this time simply couldn't. It was therefore wise to make it a wild and colourful extravaganza as well.

TROY'S REVIEW: One thing's for sure, mention of the names Tomas Tang and Filmark International is seldom ever likely to evoke to ones mind the concept of quality. True enough, there is a stand out scene at the climax of this film which for me at least, pretty much sums up in a particularly hilarious manner, the entire Tang/Filmark experience.
During said scene, our ninja hero manages to apprehend his nemesis with some magic ninja fighting hoops in a scene which really needs to be seen to be believed! But wait, for it gets a great deal worse when the bad guy next strikes a low blow by kicking our hero in the gut and attempting to make a run for it. 'What's wrong with that?', you might ask? Well, if you look closely, you can see clearly that as he does so, a cigarette has by some apparent miracle appeared in his right hand. What obviously transpired was that the actor playing the part was apparently having a puff between takes and the director was simply too careless to even notice such a dramatic inconsistency! Absolutely amazing! But, let's be entirely honest, such gross incompetence ultimately only serves to make this all the more hilariously watchable, precisely on account of its sheer ineptitude in fact.

TROY'S REVIEW: Well, you just know instinctively that a movie is going to be a true classic when one of its very first scenes has a character speaking the following immortal line: 'You listen to me, it's your job to find Lou Wong and tell him to instruct Gordon Mann to deliver this package to Warren Smart.' Sure enough, this confused entry doesn't disappoint and is furthermore, one of my all time personal favourites of Tomas Tang's insane cut & paste ninja output. The baffling story concerns CIA agent Tommy who is sent to Hong Kong to retrieve a 'top secret technical film' of some description. As it turns out, the CIA are not the only party seeking said item however, for the KGB have employed some ninjas to retrieve it also. This inevitably leads to some predictable friction and subsequently for we lucky viewers, dollops of hilarious fun. For instance, just marvel as Tommy learns the art of ninjitsu literally over night after merely reading a book on the subject. Wow! And there was me thinking it took absolutely years of loyal dedication to become a master in the arts. Joyously daft entertainment all the way. Also known as Bionic Ninja.

It is the IFD presented version of what looks like a Taiwan martial arts picture starring Chang Yi and Lung Fei but the British Board Of Film Classification's version of it. Meaning it was, according to imdb.com, stripped of all the ninja scenes when released as Ninja Operation 6: Champion Of Fire (again, without ninjas). What's actually left is a wonderfully poor opening with Stuart Smith looking mighty pissed (that he's not in the movie more?) and some of the ugliest white dudes ever to grace an IFD flick. No ninjas and no more Smith. In fact, the bare ninja reference left comes during a 30 second Richard Harrison scene but no fighting takes place. So therefore running 13 minutes or so shorter than it should, left is a boring kung fu picture that does at least contain one out of the ordinary element. Gracing the opening credits is a white missionary who drags a big cross around and behaves generally off-beat and sleazy. Admittedly the actor looks several notches more comfortable than most hired to appear in these films and while the subsequent pairing up of Chang Yi's Dragon character means it's an Asian/white dude buddy picture, there's no fun matters to report. Dubbed by the IFD plot as Antonio, our white lead is changing his ways after upsetting the ninjas but seems awfully hellbent on rape and generally off behaviour despite. And why is that cross so important? The reveal is fun, although totally low budget and the lack of mixture between ill-fitting IFD scenes and plot really makes the whole exercise pointless. It is indeed missing something.

Buy the DVD at:
HK Flix.com
Yesasia.com

TROY'S REVIEW: Well one thing's for sure; were there an Oscar for most confusing foreign film, then this IFD cut & paste masterpiece *cough* would have surely scooped the 1985 accolade! Yes indeed, this demented effort mixes together a heady mix of rape, murder, diamond smuggling, twin sisters, a bald man with a mental disability and last but not least, ninjas, to form a somewhat less than cohesive whole. Having said this, regular viewers of IFD fare will have doubtlessly become more than accustomed to the inevitable state of psychological disorientation that said films inevitably render. Fans of the mighty Dragon Lee will no doubt rush to watch this to see the great martial artist in action. Only trouble is, he actually appears in said film for about five seconds! But enough of such inconsequential factors. Simply put, one cannot say to have lived until one has beheld the wondrous spectacle of the finale in this film.

Witness with thy mouths agape as evil, red ninja boss Maurice (Pierre Tremblay) reveals unto good guy ninja Donald (Bruce Baron...who the hell thinks up this names?!) the nature of his master plan. And what a plan it is too! Frankly, the said schemes absurd complexity and nonsensical logic would surely be baffling enough to stump even Stephen Hawking! Indeed, seemingly unimpressed by said dastardly plot (and presumably not having understood one iota of it anyway) our hero promptly challenges the sneering, maniacally laughing Maurice to final ninja combat (in what appears to be a children's play area) whereupon the villain receives an abrupt lesson in the strategic vulnerabilities of performing combative moves whilst dangling off of a climbing frame. Absolutely essential viewing for IFD ninja fans. Just make sure to have a psychoanalyst on standby for afterwards.

You know an IFD film is going to be good when it opens with the line "You all may wonder where Rodney and Janet are". Either kings of making sure we're having fun or clueless as to how present the movie internationally, even these aspects such as the hilarious naming of characters in an IFD movie can prove to be worth massive ninjer points. Continuing on with the famous mantra "You're born a ninja, you die as a ninja", the stage is set for patchwork heaven. I.e. cut and paste fun this time credited to Lai himself. But it's perhaps Lai's "involvement" at the forefront that is the reason why the mixture of their own ninja footage this time walks alongside with what looks like a Taiwanese melodrama starring O Chun-Hung and Elsa Yeung (the Rodney and Janet of the IFD story). Having escaped the clutches of the ninja clan, they've officially sinned and are on their way to die as ninjas. Intercut with Louis Roth's guru master telling us the sacred ninja commandments, this mixture is unlike anything I've ever seen the folks at IFD paste together. When gwailo ninjas Gordon and Stewart aren't fighting for ninja supremacy, O Chun-Hung and Elsa Yeung try and conquer life, without much luck. Prison sentences, fires, facial disfiguration and parental hatred are melodramatic gears spanning several years in the story (without the ninjas aging to boot!) but, as in the original, they are are put into HIGH gear. Extremely distressing therefore, it's Joseph Lai trying to make an arthouse statement of sorts, within the C-grade of cinema he resides in. Of course it doesn't ACTUALLY work thanks to attention directed at nothing but it's one of the few times original, horribly dubbed footage outside of the ninjer stuff actually can be looked forward to. Richard Harrison is the IFD star in this one.

TROY'S REVIEW: Yet more ninja lunacy starring the incomparable Alexander Lou now and what an entry this proves to be! Lou plays Brian who is working as a heavy for all round bad guy Lucifer (no really, that is his name!). Anyway, to cut a long story short, Brian eventually tires of the incessant violence and cruelty he is expected to dish out on Lucifer's whim; a moral wavering which displeases Lucifer somewhat...enough to have Brian bumped off in fact! Luckily, the attempt fails and instead the plot only claims the life of Mabel, Brian's girlfriend. Lucky for Brian, not so much for poor Mabel of course. Needless to say, this spurs Brian to seek revenge, which he does... in style! Accompanied by a friend (the ever fun Eugene Thomas), Brian launches an all out attack on Lucifer's hideout. If you enjoy completely over the top finales, you'll be in your element with this one! This blood spitting climax isn't something you're ever likely to forget! Also known as Ninja Condors 13.

TROY'S REVIEW: Here we are again with yet another dose of cut & paste ninja goodness as dished out by that master of the direct to video crap-tacular, Mr. Tomas Tang. In fact, this entry wastes no time at all in starting off in the inept manner it means to go on... namely by listing completely erroneous cast credits. A tremendous start I'm sure you'll agree. Yes, incompetence is very much the name of the game here, with the usual quota of bad dubbing, hopeless editing and abysmal acting - well everything in fact. But when did such an inconsequential factor as quality ever bother our man Tang? Of course it never did and frankly, he was quite correct as it happens, at least as regards to his cut & paste ninja turd-fests, for what they lacked in anything remotely resembling coherent story telling and overall quality, they invariably more than made up for in unintentional hilarity. Sure enough, the film here is no exception and it is precisely the gross ineptitude that makes the film so much fun in the first place. For proof of the above, just check out the special (or more appropriately, not so special) effects in this for a start. Trust me when I say this - you will never in your life witness again such a hopeless attempt to show invisibility on screen! And don't even get me started on the ninja snake charming, dimension bending, ninja cloning, a spiky umbrella used as a weapon and last but not least, a ninja earthquake! Ah, good old Tomas Tang; For consistently demented and entertaining output, you simply can't beat the man! Also known as Ninja Warriors From Beyond.