Wrath of the Ninja (1987) Rated R Starring: Voices not credited on English version Rating: out of

As a very casual fan of anime, I expect a movie to have at least two things: an intelligible plot and interesting characters. If those are present, I can forgive bad dubbing and the unintentional humor that results. The problem with Wrath of the Ninja is that it lacks the former and has plenty of the latter.

The movie has been edited together from three volumes of a series called Yotoden: Chronicle of the Warlord Period and it feels like it. I was constantly wondering if I'd missed something as incidental characters popped in and out of the movie. The main characters are about as fleshed out as, well, cartoon characters. It's a major disappointment, especially considering that the basic premise of the movie is solid.

The action scenes are visually stunning, but they're strung together with a weak plot and not much else.

Hardcore anime fans may want to seek this one out, but casual fans should steer clear unless absolutely nothing else is available for rental.

Trivia: Released on DVD by U.S. Manga in 1998. (Source: The Internet Movie Database)