NINJAS VS MONSTERS (2012)

Directed by Justin Timpane, Starring: Daniel Ross, Cory Okouchi, Jay Saunders, Devon Brookshire. Martial Arts, Horror, Comedy. US, 2012, 96mins, Cert 15.

(To be read in dramatic trailer-voice). In 2008 he brought you NINJAs VS ZOMBIES; in 2010 he brought you NINJAs VS VAMPIRES; now he brings you the concluding part of the NINJA VS trilogy with: NINJA VS MONSTERS...

I confess I’m new to the NINJA VS... party, not having seen either of writer/director Justine Timpane’s two previous instalments. But it really doesn’t take much time to get up to speed with the characters, (there is a black and white back story montage which helps, sort of) but frankly it’s not essential as this isn’t a tightly plotted character-driven piece (it has “VS” in the title for crying out loud). So onto the plot. Dracula is turning in his coffin (not literally), fed up with how monsters and in particular vampires are now perceived thanks to the werewolf/vampire romance and sparkle of the TWILIGHT franchise. So he summons up his monster mates Frankenstein (creature/creator hybrid), The Mummy, Werewolf and a coven of witches to destroy our leading Ninjas (two of which have magic powers – just go with it).

I don’t know quite how modest the budget was for this ridiculously undemanding hyper-geek chop-socky monster mash – the seemingly obligatory Kickstarter campaign target was a humble $15,000 (total raised $17,319) – but I’m pretty sure the constant bombardment of effects shots and relentless action on screen represent a staggering value-for-money ratio.

Of course you have to make huge allowances for the production limitations in order to give it a fair viewing. I must admit after the opening 15 minutes I glanced at my watch thinking the remaining 75 minutes were going to be some of the longest of my entire life. But I was wrong. It’s fun, occasionally laugh out loud funny and played with a likeable geeky gusto by a cast who throw themselves (literally on occasions) head-first into the hokey mayhem.

On the technical side, Brian Anderson (who has since sadly passed away) as visual effects supervisor is owed a huge debt of gratitude (which is duly acknowledged by the onscreen dedication, the tribute on the ‘extras’ and the steady references to his work on the commentary tracks). 

On the acting front, head ‘ninja’ (the term needs to be used lightly) Daniel Ross as ‘Kyle’ leads the cast admirably, deftly breaking the fourth-wall along the way, and a special mention is warranted for Alexia Poe as ‘The Guide’ who threatens to steal the entire film as a kind of battle-axe wielding Xena Warrior Princess / dungeon-mistress cosplayer advising our heroes of the rules of combat when challenging their classic monster foes.

In the end, the constant stream of sheer unadulterated full-throttle geekiness batters you into submission. And whilst it belongs in a galaxy far far away from the mega budgets of the Marvel universe (now there’s a mixed-franchise analogy if ever I wrote one), it boasts a lot of genuine heart for its modest resources, and for that I award it three ninja stars. 

***(out of 5*)

Paul Worts