DVD review (region 2)
Directed by Ten Shimoyama
Starring Yukie Nakama, Jo Odagari, Tak Sakaguchi
Released 11 Februrary 2008

The year is 1614 and the Shogun of Japan makes a sudden ruling which will pit two rival tribes against one another in a fight to the death – much to the chagrin of young lovers Oboro and Gennosuke who must now commence battle…

If you ever thought love was hard then take solace in the fact that you and your spouse never needed to slice one another into minced meat. This is the basis of Shinobi – wherein two villages filled with people who can muster up supernatural powers have to pulverise one another. The logic behind this is that the ruling Shogun feels threatened by their powers and wants to rid the world of such mysticism.

In other words, Shinobi is a Japanese version of X-Men and none the worse for it. With some stunning special effects, and cinematography to rival even Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, this is one of the best Eastern movies in years and a good, solid comic book flick.

The DVD comes with some well produced making of segments – focusing on the visual effects and the storyboards – as well as the original theatrical trailer. Calum Waddell

VERDICT: 8/10
With cooler characters and sexier outfits, this is everything X-Men 3 should have been.