Shinobi No Mono

This is the first in a series of films about ninjas.  This is not the kind of movie one might expect from a ninja tale.  This is a very historical, realistic portrayal of assassins.  The ninjas here are essentially sneaky samurai.

The story centers on a young ninja named Goemon.  He is charged with the task of assassinating the warlord Nobunaga.  But after an affair with his master's wife (and her accidental death), Goemon is shamed into becoming a thief for his master, Sandayo.  Goemon meets an equally shamed woman (a prostitute) and they fall in love, which leads Goemon to swear off being a ninja.  But Sandayo threatens Goemon's new found love and in order to save her, Goemon must complete his mission.  Cue ninja action!

This is a very basic tale.  It is more of a drama about shame and discovering your priorities than a balls out ninja action movie.  Just remember, there is nothing special about the ninja other than they are sneaky.  Not to say that the ninja don't kick ass in the movie, it's just that they are very human.

I love old jidai geki movies, but most are about samurai (because samurai kick more ass than ninjas).  It was nice to have a change of pace and see a different warrior with different techniques.  Very good movie.  I plan on finding the rest of the series. 

Ranking: 7 out of 10