New York Ninja

It's 'Death Wish' without the seriousness, it's 'The Exterminator' without the heavy sleaze, it's 'New York Ninja'. From Vinegar Syndrome & Kurtis M. Spieler comes this put together "lost film" from original director / star John Liu in his only American production. Some notables names like Don 'The Dragon' Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock & Michael Berryman providing voice dubbing since the original audio material was lost.

John (Liu) learns his girlfriend Nita is pregnant and he's going to be a father. However she's killed after witnessing a young woman getting abducted on the streets of New York. Gangs control the city and an evil mastermind villain aptly named 'The Plutonium Killer' is behind most of it. Can John get revenge and turn the tide when he becomes the masked savior?

It's a 2021 production from a 1984 source so it looks great picture- wise otherwise it's very much the feels of the 80's. Lots of poorly choreographed fighting, bumbling cops, wacky clothed street hoods, one set of huge boobs and a villian who purposely gives himself radiation poisoning. As you know whenever a flick needed a crime ridden, seamy undertone NY was the go-to city.

Filmed without much of a budget you have to decide if the 80's charms and barrel of tropes - vigilantism, ninjas and poor acting - are enough to make this a good time. I appreciate the effort restoring and releasing 'NY Ninja' and there's some fun campy bits, but as a whole it's missing something.