{ "id": "epmvfdh8h2", "slug": "revenge-of-the-ninja", "title": "Revenge of the Ninja", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": 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2000: Action and adventure films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946", "label": "United States · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure", "label": "Action and adventure films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Revenge of the Ninja is a 1983 Cannon Films martial arts film, the second of the Ninja trilogy, directed by Sam Firstenberg and starring Sho Kosugi as Cho Osaki, a former ninja in America whose doll-import business hides a heroin smuggling operation.", "snippet": "Revenge of the Ninja is a 1983 Cannon Films martial arts film, the second of the Ninja trilogy, directed by Sam Firstenberg and starring Sho Kosugi as Cho Osaki, a former ninja in America whose doll-import business hides a heroin smuggling operation.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.action-adventure.martial-arts-films.yr-1943-1985", "markdown": "# Revenge of the Ninja\n\n**Revenge of the Ninja** is a 1983 American martial arts action film directed by Sam Firstenberg and starring the Japanese martial artist [Sho Kosugi](https://www.edgepedia.org/sho-kosugi) as Cho Osaki, a former ninja who rebuilds his life in the United States after ninjas slaughter his family, only to be drawn back into violence when his business partner uses his doll-import shop to smuggle heroin.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) • [2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0086192/credits/) It was the second entry in the loosely connected ninja trilogy produced by the Cannon Group, following *Enter the Ninja* (1981) and followed by *Ninja III: The Domination* (1984).[3](https://www.tcm.com/articles/020793/revenge-of-the-ninja) • [4](https://cinema.wisc.edu/2015/03/04/maureen-rogers-enters-cannons-ninja-cycle/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Release | September 7, 1983 (New York City); distributed by MGM in the United States[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) • [5](https://www.slashfilm.com/574702/ninja-3-the-domination/) |\n| Director / writer | Sam Firstenberg; screenplay by James R. Silke[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) |\n| Producers | Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus for Cannon Films[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) |\n| Budget / gross | Reported budget of $700,000 against a reported $13,168,027 domestic gross, about 18.8 times its cost[6](https://filmdb.co.uk/box-office/movie/revenge-of-the-ninja-1983-box-office) |\n| Running time / rating | 90 minutes; rated R[7](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Revenge-of-the-Ninja) |\n| Critical scores | Metascore 32 of 100 from 5 critics (generally unfavorable); Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer 58% from 4 reviews[8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/revenge-of-the-ninja/critic-reviews/) • [9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/revenge_of_the_ninja) |\n| Significance for its star | Promoted Sho Kosugi from villain in *Enter the Ninja* to sole lead; one film-history timeline calls him the first Japanese actor in the sole leading role of an American film[3](https://www.tcm.com/articles/020793/revenge-of-the-ninja) • [10](https://vintageninja.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/VN-Timeline_%C2%A9KeithRainville2019_V1-2.pdf) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nAfter a band of ninja assassins slaughters his family, Cho Osaki flees Japan for the United States with his mother (Grace Oshita) and his young son Kane, hoping to leave his ninja past behind.[13](https://kinolorber.com/film/revengeoftheninja) He opens a business importing porcelain dolls for collectors, but the enterprise is a front for smuggling heroin into the country and for eliminating competing mob bosses.[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0086192/credits/) When his friend betrays him and American drug traffickers kidnap his son, Cho prepares for a final battle.[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0086192/credits/) • [9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/revenge_of_the_ninja) The antagonist Braden, a businessman drug trafficker who fights as a masked ninja, was played by Arthur Roberts.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) • [2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0086192/credits/) The supporting cast includes Keith Vitali as Dave Hatcher, Virgil Frye as Lieutenant Dime, Ashley Ferrare, Mario Gallo, and Professor Toru Tanaka.[13](https://kinolorber.com/film/revengeoftheninja)\n\n## Production\n\nCannon announced the film in April 1981 as a sequel to *Enter the Ninja*, with producer Menahem Golan slated to direct; he was later replaced as director by Sam Firstenberg, a Polish-born, Israeli-raised former Golan assistant who had attended film school in the United States.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) • [11](https://goodefficientbutchery.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-cannon-files-enter-ninja-1981-and.html) The cast was built around martial artists: Sho Kosugi, described in trade announcements as the All-Japan karate champion; Stephen Hayes, billed as \"the only non-Japanese Ninja in the history of Ninjitsu\"; and Keith Vitali, the 1980 National Grand karate champion.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) [Principal photography](https://www.edgepedia.org/principal-photography) began on July 1, 1982.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA)\n\n**Locations and stunts.** The film was shot largely in [Salt Lake City](https://www.edgepedia.org/salt-lake-city), Utah; its end credits thank the Utah Film Commission, the Utah County Sheriff, the Salt Lake City Police Department, and other local organizations.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) Stunt coordinator Steven Lambert performed a simulated skyscraper climb using a cable and harness apparatus, pulled toward the roof by three men while appearing to scale the facade and maintaining radio contact with Firstenberg.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) The film marked the screen debut of eight-year-old karate practitioner Kane Kosugi, Sho Kosugi's son, who plays the hero's son Kane.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA)\n\nDirector of photography David Gurfinkel shot the film on 35 mm and it was finished photochemically at an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.[12](https://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/item/revenge-of-the-ninja-4k-uhd-review?category_id=1)\n\n## Release and box office\n\nThe film opened in New York City on September 7, 1983.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) MGM picked it up for distribution after Cannon showed it to studios hoping to secure a deal.[5](https://www.slashfilm.com/574702/ninja-3-the-domination/) Box office figures differ between trackers: [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) lists a domestic gross of $13,168,027,[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0086192/credits/) while The Numbers lists $10,325,628 from a widest release of 504 theaters, with an opening weekend of $509,106 and a seven-week run.[7](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Revenge-of-the-Ninja) Against a reported $700,000 budget, the film returned roughly 18.8 times its production cost.[6](https://filmdb.co.uk/box-office/movie/revenge-of-the-ninja-1983-box-office) It also sold an estimated 4.2 million tickets in the United States, 333,182 in Germany in 1984, and 32,200 in France.[14](https://cinequiz.com.br/en/movies/revenge-of-the-ninja-action-1983)\n\n**Home video and later releases.** The film was more popular on cable and in home video rentals than its theatrical run suggested.[12](https://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/item/revenge-of-the-ninja-4k-uhd-review?category_id=1) Kino Lorber released it on video on May 26, 2015,[7](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Revenge-of-the-Ninja) and later issued a 4K Ultra HD edition scanned from the original camera negative with HDR10 and [Dolby Vision](https://www.edgepedia.org/dolby-vision) grades; this edition presents the uncut international version rather than the R-rated US version.[12](https://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/item/revenge-of-the-ninja-4k-uhd-review?category_id=1) In the United Kingdom, the [British Board of Film Classification](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-board-of-film-classification) required cuts for the 1983 cinema release (83 minutes 48 seconds) and the 1986 video release (80 minutes 12 seconds); the 2011 home entertainment release passed uncut at 86 minutes 21 seconds.[15](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/revenge-of-the-ninja-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmtq1otg)\n\n## Reception and legacy\n\nContemporary reviews were lukewarm, with several critics attacking the underdeveloped plot and excessive violence while acknowledging the film's entertainment value.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA) On Metacritic it holds a weighted average of 32 out of 100 from five critics, categorized as generally unfavorable.[8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/revenge-of-the-ninja/critic-reviews/) Variety called it \"an entertaining martial arts actioner\" while noting it lacked the name players and [Far East](https://www.edgepedia.org/far-east) locale of *Enter the Ninja*; The Washington Post's Gary Arnold found it \"lamentably short of sense and acting skill but extravagantly long on choreographic combat\"; [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) judged that removing the weak acting would leave \"a fairly good display of martial arts.\"[8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/revenge-of-the-ninja/critic-reviews/) Rotten Tomatoes records 58% on the Tomatometer from four reviews, with later critics praising the stunt work and fight choreography while noting the absurd plot turns.[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/revenge_of_the_ninja)\n\nThe film's reputation has grown as a cult favorite. Reviewers and fans single out its wall-to-wall fight sequences, including a rooftop-set opening massacre and a climactic duel between Cho and Braden that features a robotic decoy ninja arm and a dummy ninja hidden in a duffel bag.[11](https://goodefficientbutchery.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-cannon-files-enter-ninja-1981-and.html) Within Cannon's ninja cycle, the film is frequently ranked above its siblings: the UW-Madison Cinematheque essay describes *Ninja III: The Domination* as the third and final installment of a loosely connected series starring Kosugi,[4](https://cinema.wisc.edu/2015/03/04/maureen-rogers-enters-cannons-ninja-cycle/) and one retrospective calls *Revenge of the Ninja* the standout of Cannon's ninja films.[11](https://goodefficientbutchery.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-cannon-files-enter-ninja-1981-and.html) The trilogy, made on very low budgets with above-average doses of violence, helped carry the 1980s ninja craze in American popular culture that Kosugi's screen persona had ignited.[16](https://as.com/meristation/cine/michael-dudikoff-la-estrella-olvidada-del-cine-de-accion-que-mejor-aprovecho-la-fiebre-ninja-de-los-80-f202605-n/) • [17](https://www.wiki.japanifornia.com/index.php?title=Sho_Kosugi)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Revenge of the Ninja, AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58059-REVENGE-OF-THE-NINJA)\n2. [Revenge of the Ninja (1983), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0086192/credits/)\n3. [Revenge of the Ninja, Turner Classic Movies](https://www.tcm.com/articles/020793/revenge-of-the-ninja)\n4. [Maureen Rogers Enters Cannon's NINJA Cycle, UW-Madison Cinematheque](https://cinema.wisc.edu/2015/03/04/maureen-rogers-enters-cannons-ninja-cycle/)\n5. [How Did This Get Made: A Conversation With Sam Firstenberg, SlashFilm](https://www.slashfilm.com/574702/ninja-3-the-domination/)\n6. [Revenge of the Ninja (1983) Budget & Box Office, FilmDB](https://filmdb.co.uk/box-office/movie/revenge-of-the-ninja-1983-box-office)\n7. [Revenge of the Ninja (1983), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Revenge-of-the-Ninja)\n8. [Revenge of the Ninja Critic Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/revenge-of-the-ninja/critic-reviews/)\n9. [Revenge of the Ninja, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/revenge_of_the_ninja)\n10. [How Ninja Conquered the World timeline, Vintage Ninja](https://vintageninja.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/VN-Timeline_%C2%A9KeithRainville2019_V1-2.pdf)\n11. [Good Efficient Butchery: The Cannon Files: ENTER THE NINJA (1981) and REVENGE OF THE NINJA (1983)](https://goodefficientbutchery.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-cannon-files-enter-ninja-1981-and.html)\n12. [Revenge of the Ninja (4K UHD Review), The Digital Bits](https://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/item/revenge-of-the-ninja-4k-uhd-review?category_id=1)\n13. [Revenge of the Ninja, Kino Lorber](https://kinolorber.com/film/revengeoftheninja)\n14. [Revenge of the Ninja (1983): where to watch, cast and plot, Cinequiz](https://cinequiz.com.br/en/movies/revenge-of-the-ninja-action-1983)\n15. [Revenge Of The Ninja, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/revenge-of-the-ninja-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmtq1otg)\n16. [Michael Dudikoff y la fiebre ninja de los 80, MeriStation (AS)](https://as.com/meristation/cine/michael-dudikoff-la-estrella-olvidada-del-cine-de-accion-que-mejor-aprovecho-la-fiebre-ninja-de-los-80-f202605-n/)\n17. [Sho Kosugi, J-Wiki](https://www.wiki.japanifornia.com/index.php?title=Sho_Kosugi)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Martial arts films › Released 1943 to 1985*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/revenge-of-the-ninja", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/revenge-of-the-ninja.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Revenge of the Ninja\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/revenge-of-the-ninja. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Revenge of the Ninja](https://www.edgepedia.org/revenge-of-the-ninja)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/revenge-of-the-ninja](https://www.edgepedia.org/revenge-of-the-ninja). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Revenge of the Ninja\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/revenge-of-the-ninja. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Revenge of the Ninja is a 1983 Cannon Films martial arts film, the second of the Ninja trilogy, directed by Sam Firstenberg and starring Sho Kosugi as Cho Osaki, a former ninja in America whose doll-import business hides a heroin smuggling operation." }