Ninja Academy (1989) User Reviews (12)

not worth the rent nor a CDR

[steelsniper · 3/10 · 17 November 2003]

Take a look at Mastorakis's amazing profile to top-notch films. he's right up there with Spielberg and QT. A whole 5/15 films have received an IMDB rating of above 4/10. thats just amazing.

dont rent this movie. its not even worth the $.50 that a CDR costs and the 1/2 hour it'll take to download it off the net. Mastorakis is a shining example of someone who doesnt deserve to be in any film industry. however, he does make a great target for self-respecting movie goers who can all come together to attack one person, instead of fighting over who hates kevin smith and roger ebert.

the people who gave this movie anything higher than a 3/10 must have either thought it was another ron jeremy epic. i laughed harder when bambi's mother died than i did at this movie. 1/10 because i cant give 0.

found in $1.50 bargain bins worldwide

[steelsniper · 3/10 · 17 November 2003]

this movie sucks. i remember watching it when i was about 12 years old, and i didnt like it then. i thought that it'd be like the 3 ninjas movies - which kept me entertained as a kid. but it didnt deliver.

my fondest memory of this movie was when one of the ninjas is stumbling in the bushes doing some bad acting, when he looks to his side and sees the neighbours - a nudist colony. there were naked breasts bouncing all over the screen - the women were playing volleyball. hey, i was a 12 year old. but i remember that it had a PG rating, and my mom was shocked to see what i was watching. har har: she should see the stuff i watch now.

the plan: go to all rental stores, purchase their copy and melt it away. that is, if they haven't already sold it for $1.50 to get some space for a movie someone will rent.

I have seen this many many times

[BandSAboutMovies · 3/10 · 7 May 2020]

Yes, Nico Mastorakis, the same maniac who made Island of Death, Blind Date and The Zero Boys, made a Police Academy ripoff. It also checks off another box with an appearance by Phillip, who is pretty much James Bond. Also, because this is Mastorakis, there's some full-frontal nudity.

Also, Mastorakis never meant to actually direct the film, but after seeing that some of the dallies, he fired the original director and took over.

Gerald Okamura, the Hard Master from the first G.I. Joe movie and one of the hatchet men in Big Trouble In Little China, is Chiba, a man who owns a ninja academy in Topanga Canyon. His enemy owns Beverly Hills Ninja Academy. And just like Camp North Star and Camp Mohawk, they must battle.

There's a mime, a klutz, some attractive women, a wiseacre and all the things you expect from this genre. Is Police Academy ripoff a genre? It is now.

Becky LeBeau, whose IMDB resume has Joysticks, multiple David Lee Roth videos, Hollywood Hot Tubs, Back to School, The Under Achievers, Not of This Earth, Rock-A-Die Baby and both Munchie movies, is in this. That alone should give you reason to find a copy of your own.

Also: a band on the soundtrack is called The Piggy Dicks. That is now my favorite band name ever.

Amazingly bad

[kozout · 1 May 2002]

Rarely does one see a modern silent comedy, and one often wonders what one would be like. Well, this is pretty much it. Don't get me wrong, this is a VERY bad movie. But overall I found it enjoyable. The characters are SOOO absurd, and the attempts at humor are SOOO pathetic, one cannot help but laughing. This movie is so bad that MST3K couldn't make it any funnier, it's glaringly pathetic enough as is. As long as you don't take this movie at all seriously, I think you'll enjoy watching it.

Worst film I ever seen...

[weirdo-5 · 1/10 · 14 September 2001]

This movie is by far the worst I have ever seen. Don't get me wrong, I love slapstick, I can even confess liking Police Academy. But this?

The basic story, some kids join a "Dojo" to become marshall arts masters. Of course they mess up. The director's been following the blueprint on how to make a slapstick comedy.

don't see it, never, noway, nohow...please..

Meh...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 5 December 2023]

I had never actually heard about this 1989 movie titled "Ninja Academy", prior to stumbling upon it by random chance here in 2023. And with it being a late 1980s movie with ninjas, and allegedly in the likes of the "Police Academy" movies, of course I had to sit down and watch it, as there is a certain charm to the cheese of the 1980s cinema.

Well, writer Jonathan D. Gift just didn't really manage to capture much of neither the essence or the campiness and cheese of the good old 1980s ninja movies, nor the comedy elements or fun of the "Police Academy" movies. And that made sitting through 92 minutes of it a bit of an ordeal, especially since I wasn't brought to laughter a single time throughout the course of the story.

The acting performances in "Ninja Academy" were actually fair. It wasn't a cast ensemble that had any particular familiar talents on the cast list, well aside from Gerald Okamura, of course.

For a comedy movie, then director Nico Mastorakis didn't deliver anything overly impressive. Sure, the movie could be watched for what it was, but it was hardly an outstanding or memorable movie experience. And this is definitely not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.

My rating of "Ninja Academy" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

This movie is so bad it's good.

[Aphostile · 10/10 · 21 January 2006]

God bless Nico is what I say. This is B-movie perfection. Stereotypes are twisted and turned every which way possible. The film is so light hearted and mad-cap that you can't help but laugh your way through.

The greatest thing about this movie is that it gleefully breaks all the rules and mocks the martial arts movie genre soundly, while not completely disrespecting it.

The level of absurdity could not be raised much higher than it was raised here in Ninja Academy. You either love it or hate it I suppose. If you like B-movies then you'll adore it. Otherwise, your taste is too refined and elite for me.

Awful, awful, awful!

[zenwards · 6 September 2003]

As a part of my quest to watch every ninja movie I could get my hand on, I viewed this last night. Apparently released as a five-years-too-late cash-in on the Police Academy craze, Nico Mastorakis, who also brought us Glitch! and .com for Murder, saw fit to put Ninja Academy on the screen. The movie flagrantly combines the idiotic wackiness of the Police Academy movies with the kind of directorial judgment you'd expect from someone with advanced Alzheimers, not to mention one of the doughiest, most idiotic villains ever seen in a martial arts film. The movie has about the kind of humor usually aimed at second graders, but boasts too much nudity and dirty language to be shown to them. Which leaves me with the theory that this movie must have been created for adults with mild to severe mental retardation.

Fortunately, most of the people associated with this film have gone on to careers in the food service and janitorial industries, save Mastorakis, who inexplicably continues to receive funding for his films. Avoid unless you hate yourself.

You, little grasshopper, are the wise one!

[sethn172 · 10/10 · 22 May 2006]

This is such a funny film! I like how this film is full of, as many people refer to it, "camp." (BTW, what the heck does that mean, anyway?) Think of this movie as a spoof to all the awful dubbed Asian martial arts films. Instead of boring stuff, we get fun and funny stuff. Also think of this movie as "Airplane" or "Spaceballs," Orient style! (That's what I would call it) I'm sure if one really liked this film so much, might I recommend to you other movies such as Chris Farley's "Beverly Hills Ninja," or better yet, Hulk (American Tor Johnson) Hogan's "3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain" for good laughter at ninja comedy? Yes, I definitely would! Take that, Mr. Carradine!

Before you give in to the negative reviews you've read about this film, read this: It's underrated!!

[John-Woo · 10/10 · 1 August 2010]

First off let me just say this in all honestly; forget the negative and overly harsh reviews you may have read about this. This movie as a comedic and low budget B Grade is without a doubt, underrated!! Yes it's camp, yes it's corny, yes it's a low budget film with unknown actors & certain moments that make little or no sense or could at least have been either edited better or had a few more takes taken but mark my words, if you can watch a movie and not take it too seriously and open yourself up for the potential for a fun and enjoyable time; this is the perfect B-movie! I honestly do not see it any other way and am personally rather shocked at the negativity this film has received so I had to add my thoughts to the internet in an attempt to help balance the scales a little. I rarely take my time to write reviews here but this is a great film but if you are expecting anything profound or monumental within this film, then keep on looking because you will not find it here. What you will find is an ultra light hearted, comedic, slapstick, funny, fun and a highly enjoyable and very cartoony low budget B-grade movie with mega corny yet timeless one liners, a great and unforgettable bunch of characters full of a steady dose of light hearted entertainment, a mostly fast paced progression of a fun yet clichéd story and action, comedic performances which consist of many which are highly quotable and funny for years to come and dare I say it again, FUN! Yes, this movie is without a doubt, fun. Honestly, for comparisons sake I love Police Academy I have the box set & this is just as good as the best of that, and in many ways better. Sit back back, relax and let yourself have a fun time. Check this movie out!!! P.S. For a bit of background if it helps add some weight in any way, some of my favourite movies are The Good The Bag & The Ugly, Scarface, Donnie Darko, The Matrix and True Romance.

Thoroughly enjoyable, and more than a mere copy

[BrickNash · 8/10 · 22 November 2020]

I watched this film a lot when I was a boy, so coming back to it I was wary that it wouldn't hold up. I knew even back then that it was a Police Academy rip off, and not as good as that film, but regardless I remember enjoying it.

I was pleasantly surprised at just how much I still enjoyed Ninja Academy. It's honestly no worse than any other silly 80s comedy, and it mixes in some cool ninja action to the laughs.

The film also has quite a surprising range of good characters. The mime in particular was very memorable, and the usual roster of pretty girls, tough guys, the accent prone geek, the handsome lead, and love interest are all present and correct, but do their job well.

The action scenes are all surprisingly well staged, and there's a good pace to the film which means it never gets boring.

I think if the film didn't have "Academy" in the title then it might have avoided some of the very unfair hate that it gets, becasue apart form that it's a different film to Police Academy.

If you like goofy cheeseball 80s comedy films then this is well worth a watch, and the added bonus of some cool ninja stuff just makes it more appealing.

Formula update of a 'service comedy'

[lor_ · 24 May 2023]

My review was written in July 1990 after watching the film on Quest Entertainment video cassette.

A mild entry in the ongoing trainee film sweepstakes (e.g., "Police Academy"), this direct-to-video feature includes enough gags and pretty girls to prove diverting.

Motley cast members assemble at Gerald Okamura's martial arts academy to gain toughness, an update of traditional military academy films. Modern version features a coed dorm, spotlighting sexy blonde Kathleen Stevens, her pal Lisa LeCover and especially the bodacious instructor (Okamura's daughter) Kelly Randall. En route to a climactic battle with a rival school (just like in every Hong Kong kung fu film), the goofballs run through the usual antics, including spying on a neighboring nudist camp and mocking the obstacle course. Running gag has a James Bond type (he's named 007-11, working for M&M) who plays the entire film in his tuxedo as well as a mime who's consistently out of place.

Cast is enthusiastic in what amounts to an audition for bigger features. End credits reflect filmmaker Nico Mastorakis' fondness for in-jokes but are pretty lame.