Mask of the Ninja starts off a little confusing. You follow two separate groups of people that you know have to collide somehow, but you just don't know how that's going to happen. First there's the old man and his daughter, Miko (Kristy Wu). He is obviously very traditional, wanting a man to ask his permission before dating her. She's obviously quite a bit more modern, but still loves her father very much. They're also quite rich with a huge mansion and security guards. These security guards look pretty bad ass, but they're no match for the ninjas that show up. They are demanding something from Miko's father, but we have no clue what it is. Miko's father is killed without giving up the information. Luckily she survives and calls her boyfriend for help.
Then there's the cop group of people. Detective Jack Barrows (Casper van Dien) is playing in a band at a club, undercover, of course. He's there for a drug bust that they've set up with a dealer. Of course, the drug bust goes wrong and there's a lot of shots fired showing that Jack isn't afraid to fight. His partner Gina (Bellamy Young) admonishes him for his actions, but what are you really going to do? Nobody got hurt, so no harm done, right?
So I'm sure you're wondering how Jack is going to end up protecting Miko. Well, remember that boyfriend Miko called earlier. That just happens to be the guy that was the dealer they were using for the bust. Since he was in handcuffs, Jack answered the call. Of course, he's going to run to the aid of a damsel in distress, that's just the kind of guy he is. All of this has happened in the first 10 minutes of the movie. From here on out, it's going to be all out war between the police department (and the good ninjas) and the kokushibyu (the bad ninjas).
Overall, Mask of the Ninja is a pretty good movie. It can be confusing at times if you're not paying close attention. There is a lot of subterfuge going on. You can never really be sure who you can trust and who is really working for whom. Personally, I have watched the movie twice through now, just to make sure I got everything. There's just so much action packed in there that you can watch it several times over and not be bored. If you like action movies or ninjas, I recommend that you buy Mask of the Ninja today.
