Ninjas vs. Monsters (UK DVD)
Gareth Jones
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Starring Daniel Ross, Cory Okouchi, Jay Saunders, Devon Brookshire, P.J. Megaw
Directed by Justin Timpane
Distributed by Left Films
The pizza-loving gang of mystically-powered American ninjas from Justin Timpane’s Ninjas vs. Zombies and Ninjas vs. Vampires are back to round out their trilogy in Ninjas vs. Monsters. This time, sword and gun-wielding chums Kyle, Cole, Aaron, Alex, Eric and Randall find themselves forced to face off against some of history’s most famous monsters including Dracula, Victor Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolfman, and a trio of assailant-conjuring witches – all bent on destroying the world.
First of all, if you haven’t seen the two films that precede this entry in Timpane’s mythology, you’re going to want to rectify that before sitting down in front of Ninjas vs. Monsters – for two reasons.
Firstly, there’s quite a lot of narrative and character background that isn’t fully explained (and some not explained whatsoever) in this particular film, so it does rely on the viewer having previous knowledge of the exploits and clashes of the characters involved. Without this prior knowledge, a number of key moments will fall flat for anyone not already invested in them, or aware of certain motivations.
Secondly, Ninjas vs. Monsters carries with it a certain style – a balance of seriousness and comedy surrounded by amateur martial arts that carries a particular spark to it. It’s this spark which manages to encourage you to overlook the (many) rough parts of the production. This same spark is at the core of both of the previous films in the series, so if you haven’t seen those then go back and watch Ninjas vs. Zombies. If you can’t manage to look through the roughness of that feature (and it is much more rough in terms of production value than the entries that follow it) and find it in some way endearing, then forget about it… Ninjas vs. Monsters is unlikely to change your mind.
Focusing on this particular entry, the most striking element for those familiar with the previous films will be the improved production values and demonstrably more confident direction by Timpane. In keeping with the chosen style, it also inherits much of the problems of the previous entries – for example fight scenes that are often poorly choreographed, visibly sped-up and edited to size in such a manner that the sense of combat flow is interrupted, leaving the fisticuffs little more than a series of shots showing a certain move, with a disorienting sense of space and positioning.
The reliance on film and nerd culture references is at once amusing and infuriating. You’ll find that a quote, meta reference or visual gag is only ever mere moments away throughout. Before the film is over, you’ll find references to Mallrats, Firefly, The Monster Club, Scarface, Wayne’s World, Predator, video games such as Metroid and many more. Some work, others feel so shoe-horned in that they only induce a disappointed cringe.
Yet even when the references miss the mark, you can rarely find yourself truly hating Ninjas vs. Monsters due to that aforementioned core spark. There’s a sense of fun that runs through all of these films – like everyone behind and in front of the cameras are a bunch of friends truly doing their best to make something that not only entertains them entirely, but that they can be proud of creating. An independent spirit – willing to just go hell for leather for what they want without pandering or appealing to anyone but themselves and their fans. That’s admirable.
But it isn’t quite enough to give the film a complete pass.
Performances here range from very good (Daniel Ross stands out, once again, as snarky wannabe-badass ninja Kyle, while Dan Guy’s Randall provides much of the comic relief despite a rocky performance) to ultra-creaky and hammy as all hell (Sam Lukowski’s Dracula seems to have stepped straight from a high school drama class, complete with old-school accent, while Elliot Kashner’s Frankenstein – the doctor himself turned into one of his own creations – is simply much too young, and his delivery too frequently off, to be convincing).
The cinematography is of a professional quality, but the increased visual fidelity above Ninjas vs. Zombies reveals obvious issues with the prosthetic effects (of which there are many!), for example some rather poor blending in Frankenstein’s facial appliances, or the obviously rubber bones and gristle of the Mummy’s costume. The digital effects fare better for a low-budget work; let’s just say that Timpane and co. have more than gotten their worth out of their Adobe After Effects license fee!
And yet again, I’ll come back to that core energy of the film. Despite all of these problems, and a script that is far more ambitious than could ever hope to be realised to the fullest with the resources at hand, Ninjas vs. Monsters remains an entertaining diversion. Timpane and co. appear to have put their all into this, and there are a number of surprising developments – including some rather brutal and shockingly unexpected character deaths – to keep things lively.
So my caveat will be this: Go back and watch the first two films. If you find them enjoyable – the witty scripts and dynamic characters allowing you to look past the limitations – then Ninjas vs. Monsters is for you. If you don’t get along with them, then stay away from this one – you’ll only be wasting your time. This is very much a film made by people who love what they’re creating for people who already love what they have created previously. If you aren’t in that group, then forget it. If you’re somewhere in the middle, then give it a spin.
For a film with such a niche target fan base, Left Films surprisingly don’t skimp on the extras at all. First up is about 10 minutes of cast audition recordings, followed by over 20 minutes of deleted and extended scenes. After that, there’s a selection of comedic alternative endings – some of which are very funny indeed and had me laughing like a loon. There are a selection of trailers for the Ninjas vs… trilogy, a trailer for upcoming documentary Trekoff: The Motion Picture, a music video and a tribute to executive producer Brian Anderson, who sadly passed away before this film saw release.
Judging by the comments made by director Justin Timpane during the “Trekoff” commentary track accompanying the film, Brian appears to have been a brilliant, talented individual and a real loss. For those not in the know, “Trekoff” is a podcast run by Timpane that focuses on all things Star Trek and geekdom, so this particular commentary takes on the form of one of their podcasts. It’s lively and fun, if a little overwhelming in its constant energy. Alongside that we have another commentary with Timpane and producer Michael C. Dougherty which is consistently interesting and really makes the time fly by.
All in all, a great release from Left Films that should make fans of the film, and series, very happy indeed.
Special Features:
- Auditions
- Deleted Scenes
- Funny Alternative Ending
- Tribute to Executive Producer Brian Anderson
- Trailers for all three Ninjas vs… Movies
- Trekoff Trailer
- “Until We Drop Down Dead” Music Video
- Trilogy Trailer
- Commentary with Director Justin Timpane and Producer Michael C. Dougherty
- Trekoff Comedy Commentary
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Film
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Special Features
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