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The Challenge of the Lady Ninja

Original title: Lang nu shen long jian
  • 19831983
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
134
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
Lang nu shen long jian (1983)
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Thriller
During the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, a Chinese woman trains in the covert arts. When she arrives in Hong Kong, she learns that her brother works on behalf the Japanese cause. She then... Read allDuring the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, a Chinese woman trains in the covert arts. When she arrives in Hong Kong, she learns that her brother works on behalf the Japanese cause. She then pulls together a team of women warriors to stop her brother.During the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, a Chinese woman trains in the covert arts. When she arrives in Hong Kong, she learns that her brother works on behalf the Japanese cause. She then pulls together a team of women warriors to stop her brother.
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
134
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Tso Nam Lee
  • Writers
    • Hsin-Yi Chang(story)
    • Hsin Wei(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Hui-Shan Yang
    • Kuan Tai Chen
    • Yun-Peng Hsiang
Top credits
  • Director
    • Tso Nam Lee
  • Writers
    • Hsin-Yi Chang(story)
    • Hsin Wei(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Hui-Shan Yang
    • Kuan Tai Chen
    • Yun-Peng Hsiang
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 9User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Lang nu shen long jian (1983)
    Lang nu shen long jian (1983)
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    Top cast

    Edit
    Hui-Shan Yang
    Hui-Shan Yang
    • Wu Shiau-kueias Wu Shiau-kuei
    Kuan Tai Chen
    Kuan Tai Chen
    Yun-Peng Hsiang
    Yun-Peng Hsiang
    Ying-Chi Chang
    Kai-Chun Chen
    • Liu Chunas Liu Chun
    Sung-Young Chen
    Sung-Young Chen
    Yi-Chun Chiang
    Yi-Chun Chiang
    • Madame Kingas Madame King
    Yen-Fei Chin
    Yi-Fang Chin
    • Chang Fangas Chang Fang
    Han Hsieh
    Han Hsieh
    • Elder Wuas Elder Wu
    Il-do Jang
    Il-do Jang
      Ti-Men Kan
      Ti-Men Kan
      • Iwagaas Iwaga
      Tsai-Yung Li
      Kang Peng
      • Kurodaas Kuroda
      Ying-Lan Pu
      • Ya-Chihas Ya-Chih
      • (as Ying-lan Po)
      Jung Chi Sun
      • Yeh Fengas Yeh Feng
      Robert Tai
      Robert Tai
      • Yamamotoas Yamamoto
      • (as Chieh Tai)
      Chien Tsao
      • Ninja Senseias Ninja Sensei
      • Director
        • Tso Nam Lee
      • Writers
        • Hsin-Yi Chang(story)
        • Hsin Wei(screenplay)
      • All cast & crew
      • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit
      During the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, a Chinese woman trains in the covert arts. When she arrives in Hong Kong, she learns that her brother works on behalf the Japanese cause. She then pulls together a team of women warriors to stop her brother. —Neva Friedenn
      • violence
      • fight
      • fighting
      • ninja
      • female ninja
      • 17 more
      • Plot summary
      • Add synopsis
      • Genres
        • Action
        • Adventure
        • Thriller
      • Parents guide

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Goofs
        Nonsensical time inconsistencies. The Japanese occupation seems to be around WW II (including a vaguely Nazi underling), but cars, much of the wardrobe, and many hairstyles were pure 1970s-80s. Early use of guns disappears, leaving martial arts of olden times as the medium for conflict.
      • Connections
        Referenced in Best of the Worst: The New Gladiators, Exterminator 2, and Aftermath (2013)

      User reviews9

      Review
      Top review
      Oddball ninja film has its charms
      CHALLENGE OF THE LADY NINJA (1983) is a product of the same star-director team (Chen Kuan Tai, Elsa Yeung, Lee Tso Nam) that gave us A LIFE OF NINJA (1983), which I've also reviewed on this site. This one involves a Chinese woman (Elsa Yeung) who trains as a ninja in Japan and returns to Shanghai for the funeral of her father, a martial arts teacher who was killed in a conflict with a local crime boss known for collaborating with the Japanese occupiers. She then embarks on a campaign to recruit and train three female ninjas to help her kill the crime boss (Chen Kuan Tai). Why she's not considered a traitor herself for training in Japan at such a time is never addressed. The film is set during the war although you wouldn't know it from the fashions, hairstyles, late-model cars, interior décor and new building architecture that all scream early 1980s. There isn't a single trace of period detail in the entire film.

      While the film plays lip service to a female empowerment theme with its female ninja figures, it crosses the line frequently into rank exploitation with scenes of women mud wrestling, fighting in swimsuits in shallow pools of water, and shots of cleavage and shaking booties in scenes where ninja seduction strategies are employed by one of the recruits, a prostitute-turned-ninja. Dressed in red ninja garb, the ladies can project multiple versions of themselves or turn into a pink bikini-clad version of themselves, all to distract their attackers. These techniques would pop up 20-odd years later in the ninja-themed anime series, "Naruto."

      Eventually, a twist involving one of the main characters' loyalties causes a change in everybody's plans and culminates in a battle between Elsa and her male rival from the Japanese ninja school. Elsa is attractive and competent in a substantial fighting role although she's doubled in all of her acrobatic stunts. Chen Kuan Tai (BOXER FROM SHANTUNG, EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN) doesn't have enough fighting scenes for a star of his stature and background. Robert Tai, a noted action choreographer and sometime director (NINJA: THE FINAL DUEL), plays a tattooed Japanese killer sent after Elsa and her team. The fight scenes involving the lady ninjas are generally quite imaginative and fun to watch, even if, from a narrative and production standpoint, the movie is below average. A LIFE OF NINJA was much better. I watched this on a VHS tape edition from Goodtimes Home Video under the title, CHALLENGE OF THE LADY NINJA. The English dubbing is rather poor.
      helpful•2
      1
      • BrianDanaCamp
      • Jun 21, 2012

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • 1987 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • Taiwan
      • Languages
        • Mandarin
        • Cantonese
      • Also known as
        • Chinese Super Ninja 2
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Technical specs

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      • Runtime
        1 hour 32 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Aspect ratio
        • 2.35 : 1

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