Director – J. R. Bookwalter (The Dead Next Door, Ozone)
Starring – Michael Todd (Puppet Master II, Lurking Fear), Bogdan Pecic (Zombie Cop, Chickboxer), and Maria Markovic (The Dead Next Door)
Release Date – 1989
Rating – 3.5/5
Blu Release – 4.5/5
Tagline – “The ultimate superhero of the future has arrived!”
I graduated high school when I was 18 but I waited until I was 20 to go to college. For those two years I spent time with friends watching movies and drinking when I wasn’t working for my dad. All my spare money went into my movie collection and a lot of that was to certain companies like Anchor Bay and Blue Underground. I did get a couple Tempe Video releases due to my love of The Dead Next Door and Ozone.
Eventually, when I was in college, I got a signed copy of Robot Ninja signed from director J. R. Bookwalter. It was one of the movies we would watch several times a month during our drunken weekend movie binges. This movie, along with Richard Griffin’s Necroville, was a huge part of my college experience. When Tempe announced a new blu release of Robot Ninja I went ahead and double dipped. I love my signed DVD but I needed to get this new blu release and check it out.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a comicbook artist who sold the rights for a television show that didn’t go the way he had wanted. Frustrated, he turns to his work as a way to vent but when his town is becomes home to a group of killer rapists he turns to a scientist to turn him into his comic creation Robot Ninja. **Spoiler Alert**
Robot Ninja is one of those indie movies that makes you feel stupid when you hear yourself explain the plot to people that has never seen it. Same can be said about Cornman, The Toxic Avenger, Killer Condom, and Thankskilling. All that you need to know is that it’s really fun, blood, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The acting in this one is solid. The cast does a fantastic job in their roles but there is a few scenes where the movie is overly campy and the cast hams it up big time. It doesn’t take away from the film but does add some much needed comedy to the scene. I really like the characters and they fit the story perfectly.
The story for this one fits the video store age but also could easily find it’s home on store shelves now with the modern superhero craze. I really liked what Robot Ninja brought to the table. We get a comicbook artist that doesn’t like the way his property is being handled so he takes it upon himself to use his to take over his mantle and bring justice to his raped town. The film tries to focus on the sci-fi and action hero aspect but Bookwalter can’t deny his horror roots. This unusual blend works for well for the story.
Finally, the film doesn’t shy away from the red stuff. The kills in this one fit the film’s theme very well and we get plenty of splatter. The practical effects looks great for the most part. Like most indie horror flicks, there is a few scenes where you see the film’s budget but that doesn’t subtract from the overall fun. Overall, Robot Ninja is a film that most horror and cult fans need for their collection. The movie defies description and truly needs to be seen to be believed. The blu looks great as well and looks great on any fan’s shelf.
Special Features:
2K Restoration
Commentary Tracks
Rebuilding the Robot: Bookwalter on the 2k Restoration
Interviews
The Robot Ninja Fan Film
Artwork and Promotional Gallery
Behind the Scenes Gallery
Production Stills Gallery
1989 Original VHS Version
Robot Ninja: Unmasked Featurette
Rough Cut Outtakes
TV Promo
Newscast Outtakes
VHS Release Trailer
Tempe DVD Trailers
