
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear
Seen it?2013 | 95 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and action fans. If you loved Coffy, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, gritty.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 35 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect drug use.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Fight everyone and trust no one: it's the code of survival practiced by martial-arts master Casey Bowman after his life of domestic bliss is shattered by a savage act of violence. Vowing revenge, the fearless American stealthily tracks the killer from Osaka to Bangkok to Rangoon with the help of a wise and crafty sensei. His only clues: a series of victims whose necks bear the distinctive mark of strangulation by barbed wire. Fighting to avenge as well as to survive, Casey must sharpen his razor-like responses and take his battle skills to the next level, even using deep meditation to fake his own death. His target: the sinister drug lord Goro, who is flooding the streets with deadly meth cooked at his remote jungle factory. To prepare for his ultimate confrontation, Casey must finally become an invisible warrior worthy of the name Ninja. But just when his prey is cornered, an unexpected twist shows Casey that his battle is only beginning: he truly can trust no one.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
6.8 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$82 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 37K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
NinjaWeeknight WatchNinja: Shadow of a Tear is a sequel to this film, also from director Isaac Florentine. It's a martial arts action film, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Undisputed II: Last Man StandingSunday Safe BetAlso from director Isaac Florentine: a martial arts crime thriller, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Accident Man: Hitman's HolidaySunday Safe BetAlso stars Scott Adkins, in another martial arts action film, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Assassination GamesWeeknight WatchAlso stars Scott Adkins, in another drug-world action film, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
CoffySaturday SpecialAnother drug-world crime thriller that's easy to miss.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Isaac Florentine
- Scott AdkinsCasey
- Kane KosugiNakabara
- Mika HijiiNamiko
- Shun SugataGoro
- Vithaya PansringarmGeneral Sung
- Mukesh BhattMike
- Tim ManMyat
- Jawed BerniLucas
- Saichia WongwirotSuu
- Shogo TanikawaAssistant Instructor