It's hard to believe, with all the Western otaku out there, that very few reviews online have noted that this film is a live-action version of a popular kids animation called Nintama Rantarou. It's little wonder that most of the reviews seem as disjointed and unsure as they believed the movie to be.The film itself has a threadbare plot that mostly serves to pay fanservice to those who grew up watching the series and/or have children who've seen it. The costume designers, make-up crew and set directors have made pinpoint recreations of the artwork of the original series. The make-up is the equal of the work on Takashi's somewhat similar film The Great Yokai War.It's rife with sight gags, slapstick and deadpan humor, some that will be lost on those without the reference point of the animation in their heads going in.My very young children have seen Ninatama and chuckled and laughed through most of the goofy fun of Takashi's version. They tended to drift as the film ran on; it's probably too long to hold their interest all the way through. For adults looking for Takashi to live up to his reputation as Mr blood and guts they should probably look elsewhere. However, if you're interested in a vibrant slapstick comedy that doesn't reference thousands of American comedies, Ninja Kids is a spectacle to see.

Within a minute of watching this film, I realised that every director can have an off-day. Takashi Miike, the acclaimed director of the 13 Assassins, Yatterman and Audition, fails miserly in his attempt at pure comedy. May be it is the light hearted nature or family orientated style that Miike is heading towards, but Ninja Kids qualify nothing more than a waste of time. In fact the film began brightly and the laughs, the sets and manga style comedic sequences are fun enough to watch and cute enough kids' antics to make the 1st quarter works out in a promising manner. Then the moment when the kids are all send home for an early Summer holiday, the film and everything goes downhill from there. At times the film not only feels prolonged, dragged, but ultimately stale and bored. The funny moments and sets soon became far and between and the result is alienating the audience involvement, which is in essence a crucial part of any comedy. If audience is not laughing with you, at you or at whatever, then the film is simply not working. All in all, Ninja Kids is a massive disappointing effort from such a capable director. Sure some fun can be had and the class of kids are fun to watch, but it is only a manner of time before the same antics you once fall for, becomes quickly frankly annoying and eventually regrettably bored. Perhaps this film is really made for kids and as for the title, there is no misleading advertising. So maybe it is just me that is expecting Ninja Turtles, but I am just not sold on it… P.S. This is in fact based on the popular comic book – Ninja KidsNeo rates it 5/10www.thehkneo.com

I went to see this film with my daughter, with little expectations, but a bit of hope, as Miike is always original. I actually watched this movie in Miike's home town, just a bit away from where he was born, and only add this to inform some of the English fans out there how interesting it is, that not only do most Japanese not know who Miike is, even the people in his home town don't know him.But, to stay on topic, I enjoyed many of the childish fun of this film, along with the great use of ridiculous over the top special effects and make up.However, I can't really say I enjoyed this film, as I found it very unfocused. This had a charm for a time, but I felt it wore thin eventually, and the fighting for the middle 40 minutes or so of the movie lacked any reason or possibility of resolution. During this middle part, so many characters were introduced, who, although stylistic in appearance, were unnecessary, especially in a children's movie.Most of the bad guys could have been pushed into one characters, and most of the good guys too. (If you have a chance to see this movie, try and explain why Miike chooses to introduce all the students from 1st to 6th grade, despite the fact that we know, from all that has come before that part, as well as from the Japanese title, that this movie is about Nantaro and the 1st graders) I also really felt that a lot of the FX style was influenced by Stephen Chow's films, and in comparison, not as good.So, I don't mean to come down too hard on this film, which is appropriate and good enough for 4 - 10 year old to enjoy, with some very anime influenced make-up and costume designs. With the near 2 hour running time for this one, I would bet a 90 minute cut might be good enough to really recommend.I do hope more people in Japan, and Yao city learn about Miike, but this will not be the movie I show first.

When I saw Ninja Kids!!! at a sold-out screening at NYC's Japan Society, I was surrounded by a cluster of viewers that was about 25% 10 years old or younger (including a couple as young as 5), about 50% 20 years old to 30 years old, and about 25% 40 and older (including a couple approaching 60 years old).I can tell you every one of us was completely enthralled from beginning to end. Children and adults alike were howling at the abundant scatological humor, gasping with amazement at the feats of dexterity, and cheering the heroes on to victory.Pure cinema, with something for everybody and excluding no one.Is there nothing Takashi Miike can't do?