It took me a while to finally watch this film after my friend lent it to me ages ago. While I have been watching tons of Asian films since I am a huge fan of them, I decided to give this one a try on a Friday night.And I am so glad I took the time to watch this. It is a stunningly beautiful film with some fantastic scenery and cinematography. But that is not the only good thing about it - the story, despite some predictability and cliché (what is truly original nowadays anyway) is quite interesting. It's about warriors called Shinobi who have managed to reach a state of peace in ancient Japan. After some consideration by the Lord of Lords, they decide to lift a ban on the war between two opposing villages - both must fight to the death to claim victory. The only problem is that the two leaders who have been chosen to lead their parties to victory just happen to be romantically involved.So you have your Romeo and Juliet sort of story but what surprised me is that the film has a lot of fantasy elements - these warriors all have certain superpowers that not only make them strong but also vulnerable in terms of their desires and utility in life. It is sort of like Xmen in some ways as this film also touches upon the drawbacks on having certain gifts.The two main leads really do a great job in their roles. Yukie Nakama as Oboro, the team leader of the Iga clan is stunningly beautiful and combines sensitivity and wisdom into her role. Jô Odagiri, the other team leader of the opposing clan is great in his role to and both have pretty good chemistry on screen - though it is a shame that the beginning is where they spend the most time together and it's not for long though.The settings in this film are just beautiful, music score is pretty nice too and the action scenes are pretty entertaining, though some of the CGI gets a bit too much, though they didn't overblow it. The film really dwelves into the reasons for why we fight with other people and why some are for it, and others will try to resist it when it comes to human life.The film manages to be emotional yet not overly sentimental which is a good balance to achieve. At the heart of the film is a love story and if you're not into romance, well it's a shame because you have to have characters you care about to make a really great film.I'll just end this review by simply saying - go check it out. It may not be everyone's liking (and come on, a film isn't going to satisfy every person) but this did the trick for me. Recommended.

My wife and I decided to watch this after seeing a preview for it. A word of warning. As with many previews, you get the impression of an action film that was mostly combat. It would be a profound disappointment for anyone expecting that, as it has both plot and a rich historical and cultural background that is often lacking from action films.We had both seen and love "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", and enjoyed "The House of Flying Daggers." This movie lies somewhere between the two, and should not disappoint if you let it stand on its own instead of judging it on the manga on which it is based. The cinematography and scenery is absolutely gorgeous, and rates at least four stars. The combat sequences are excellent, amazingly so given the moderate budget this film had. The film could not climb much above five stars if that was all it had. However, it also has a story, that is both solid and at times, clever. The story does not exactly translate into the neat category of "tragedy" (and of course "comedy") that Western literature often falls into. However, the world it occurs in is very different. This is the Japan at the end of the Sengoku period, when the Tokegawa Shogunate was established and began a reign of peace, stability, and stagnation that would last over 200 years.The Shinobi are mystical warriors who have thrived on the conflicts of the preceding centuries. They no longer fit in this world of peace, yet there is no simple way to deal with them. The movie revolves around this conflict, between the two conflicting Shinobi clans and the new Japan that has no place for them. From these basic ideas the plot of the movie flows, and it does it quite well. It helps to understand some of the basics of Japanese culture, from the reverence for the authority (the Shogun in this case as the representative of the Emperor though the Shogun is actually in charge - as I said, this is Japan) to the omnipresent, and sometimes suffocating, sense of obligation that pervaded the culture, and how Japan has had to deal with seismic cultural shifts many times in the past.There are not plot spoilers here, everything is explained fairly well during the first 20 or 30 minutes. The story is a love story, caught within a web of obligation, destiny, and fate that makes it doomed from the start. Kouga Gennosuke refuses to accept this, and heroically struggles against the obligations and tradition that require him to see his true love, Oboro, as the enemy since she is from the opposing clan. She is more fatalistic, and the film takes this love and sets against not just this conflict but the determination of the Shogunate that the Shinobi represent a threat to the new peace that has been established. To solve this "problem", the Shogunate decides to require the five strongest warriors from each clan to fight to the death, with the winning side determining the next Shogun.The movie takes off from there. There are numerous combats as Kouga Gennosuke tries to prevent, and when he is unable to do this, limit the carnage from the challenge. Of course, being feudal Japan, the machinations of those in charge are a backdrop that continues to add more and more complexity that is revealed as the remainder of the film progresses. If you are unfamiliar with the original anime, you are never quite sure if the two lovers will escape their fate. The ending caught us by surprise. It is neither "happy" nor "tragic" in the context of Japan and it's culture. Instead there is a unexpected twist as these warriors, rejected by the new era, give their people one last chance, with a sacrifice and surrender that is profound, and uncommon in Western cinema.

After more than four hundred years of war between the Shinobi warriors of the Manjidani Koga and Tsubagakure Iga clans, the Lord Hattori Hanzou decrees that they must live in peace. Both clans live hidden in the woods and mountain without confrontation and without training ninjas in the shadow art of Shinobi. In 1614, the Lord of the Lords is convinced that the clans are dangerous threats for keeping peace in his lands, and his adviser plots a Machiavellian plan to destroy their best warriors in a contest. Meanwhile, the young Iga Oboro (Yukie Nakama) and Koga Gennesuke (Joe Odagiri) fall in love for each other. When Oboro's grandmother and leader of Iga clan Ogen (Riri) and Gennesuke's father and leader of the Koga clan Danjo (Minoru Terada) kill each other, Oboro and Gannesuke must lead their warriors in the ultimate battle of the Shinobi clans."Shonobi" is a wonderful and tragic romance, with drama, action and fantasy. The story slightly recalls Romeo and Juliet, with the impossible love of Oboro and Gennesuke that belong to enemy clans, and X-men, with the dark powers of the Shinobi warriors. The cinematography, the choreography of the fights and the state-of-art special effects are awesome, and the story is engaging and shows an adequate pace. The beauties of Yukie Nakama, Tomoka Kurotani and Erika Sawajiri are amazing, but the romance of Oboro and Gannesuke should have been better explored to increase the intensity of their final act. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Shinobi – A Batalha" ("Shinobi – The Battle")

Not to be confused with Sega's 80s hit video game series, Shinobi, was a sorely missed opportunity in my view. Having had high hopes for this period novel based screen adaptation, my expectations were only to be shattered. Without regurgitating the synopsis, Shinobi plays out like scenes from a stage bound theater play. With almost still set 'pieces' and 1 line dialogues drawing from Shakespearean tragedies, namely Romeo and Juliet. "Star cross lovers", "We are doomed by fate", abound. With a visual dictation of a video game, its not surprising some would think Joe Mushashi might have a cameo with his trusty wolf.Characters are given next to no background, nor are emotions explored beyond surface values and motivations. Audiences aren't given enough time to be convinced of the contrived romance between Oboro and Gennosuke, nor involved enough to care about the supporting cast. The narrative takes its time and draws on scenes longer than needed, with so much filler making the plot paper thin. Some scenes even invite a laugh when it's supposed to invoke sympathy, which is never good on a director's vision. Action scenes and CGI are passable at best and no doubt some Hong Kong choreography was a source of inspiration for this department. Score wise the music was suitable, and as usual in Japanese films the main theme (*Heaven, Ayumi Hamasaki) rolling after the credits never do appear in the film itself. Why is a soundtrack not in the actual movie is really perplexing. The numerous cons aside, the film does have its highlights. The cinematography is nothing short of beautiful, with shots of mountainous landscapes, gorgeous winter covered lakes and autumn leaves. The attires and costumes were also commendable, with contrast colors for both ninja clans. Lead actress, Yukie Nakama (Trick, G@me) exudes charisma and ethereal beauty, while Joe Odagiri holds his own. Besides Yukie Nakama, further eye-candy, the inclusion of cute Erika Sawajiri (1 Litre of Tears, Ghost Train) is worth a mention. But these pros alone can't overshadow the evident flaws surrounding thefilm. Had the narrative, script been given more attention, this film would have won similar critical praise as the comparable House of Flying Daggers. While both have shallow characterization, great cinematography, Shinobi differs in that it can't decide which market audiences its aiming at. With the inappropriate CGI in a period piece, and what could have been a thoughtful artistic film without the FX flair in a tragic romance drama. The main theme of Giri-Ninjo, duty over personal emotions is at least a good standing point in the film. Its worth a look, but don't expect a Kurosawa or even a Last Samurai.