Let it be known that I simply love martial arts movies. Anything with ninjas, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal and of course Chuck Norris. Yes, growing up I watched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... the originals made in the 80s no less! And yes, I stood in line and sat in theaters to watch their films. A craze overtook American in the 80s, Ninja Fever. And in the midst of that period, this television series emerged. *Sigh* Sadly, it's not all that good. Like most series that don't do well, in a desperate move the makers slammed two pilots together and released it as a movie called MASTER NINJA. And that is where MST3K entered the picture. Their comments are brilliant as we watch the annoying, whining Timothy Van Patten (anyone notice his little lisp?) and Lee Van Cleef (wasted in the role) battle it out with ninjas, corporate monsters and share unfunny banter. Also in the first half, look for a young gravelly-voiced Demi Moore. A lot of the special martial arts stuff is so fake and it's obvious that Lee Van Cleef had stunt doubles. Plus the storyline is so incoherent that things soon get confusing. So what is there to like? Henry, the hamster! He's so darn cute!! Only see this if you want a good laugh, in the company of Mike and the Bots, or your own brood!

Found this film under Cinema Classics and was very disappointed with the entire film or TV Series film which lasted with only two episodes. The only reason this film might have interested the film viewers was Demi Moore who is a daughter to The Master (Lee Van Cleet) and was missing from her dad for many years. The Master enlists the help of a young man (Timothy Van Patten) whom he trains in the martial arts so the both of them will be prepared to defeat the kidnappers. However, The Master and Timothy are unaware that a deadly group of Ninja assassins are on their trail. Demi Moore made a few brief appearances and gave a few quick kisses to Timothy, there was some action, but nothing to write home to mom about.

This series will always live on in my memory despite my not having seen it for a number of years. Sho Kosugi was well cast as the ninja bad guy. It is such a shame that he never became a greater star, but such is life. However, the casting of Lee Van Cleef as the good ninja was just pitifully unrealistic. Whilst a fine actor, it required too much of a suspension of disbelief to believe he could do any of the martial arts maneauvers he was supposed to. He was just plain too old. That said, I have many a fond memory of this series. No doubt, were I to watch them again now I would find many of the episodes cringe-inducing (just like some of the original Star Trek series). But still worth a look at on a rainy day.

Max Keller, the unintelligable, custom-van-drivin', gerbil-totin', dirt-bike-racin', light-aircraft-pilotin', young-gal-smoochin' hero of "Master Ninja I" is back, in another film that bares a striking simularity to the television show "The Master". "For a Few Dollars More" star Lee Van Cleef is back too as Max's Ninja instructor, who drops about thirty pounds everytime he dons his ninja robes. This time they battle corrupt fish canners who have killed several union organizers without reprisal, then lend a hand to some tense hostage negotiations.This installment of the venerable series is star studded (compared with the last one, who's star power consisted of Clu Gulager and Claude Akin's butt). Joining Max and The Master are Crystal Bernhard (TV's "Wings"), George Lazenby ("Who Saw Her Die"), David McCallum (TV's "The Man From Uncle"), and Monte Markham (TV's "Campus Cops"). OOOO!Timothy Van Patten applied his experience of starring in "The Master" to his later career, directing episodes of "Touched by an Angel" and "The Sopranos". Lee Van Cleef died. If you enjoyed this, perhaps you'd like "Master Ninja III", "Master Ninja IV", "Master Ninja V", "Master Ninja VI", "Master Ninja VII", or "Three Ninjas Kick Back".