One of the recent highlights of home video and boutique labels has been seeing neglected films get a second life. But what about films that have never seen the light of a projector? The folks over at Vinegar Syndrome have outdone themselves by bringing John Liu’s unfinished film, New York Ninja to life. 

New York is in peril! Women are being abducted at an alarming rate. Some of the victims are turning up dead with radiation burns all over their bodies. When John’s (writer/director John Liu) pregnant wife witnesses an abduction she is killed. Driven by his grief, John takes the sword back up and becomes the New York Ninja. With his brand of justice and marketing, this Ninja gets popular for kicking crime in its collective ass. But as he gets closer to the truth, John will face his deadliest opponent.

Fans of Miami Connection and Revenge of the Ninja will find plenty to love. At least one of the plot points caught me off guard. Some of the stunts are quite impressive. Our lead is dragged by a car and hangs from a helicopter at one point. Concerning the fight scenes, Liu doesn’t have an equal, and maybe that’s the point. This is his show. The gang members and thugs all look like they’re wearing their own clothes, that’s not a complaint. I dig the uniqueness of the gangs. I love the shots of John Liu under the George Washington Bridge. So many scenes take place in nondescript locations, alleys, warehouses, and a whole lot of rooftops. Adding in landmarks is an easy way to give a sense of scale.

Before the unfinished film had come into Vinegar Syndrome’s possession, all sound elements were lost. As well as no screenplay or script notes. Just raw footage Kurtis Spiel, the new director, wrote a script around the footage and hired actors to dub the voices of the original cast. Don “The Dragon” Wilson voices John and does a great job of capturing Liu’s original performance. Linnea Quigley, Michael Berryman, and Cynthia Rothrock are some of the notable genre actors that fill out the voice cast. The score was done by a group called Voyag3r. Their synth-driven score is in the spirit of 1984, the year the film was shot. 

Also included in the screener was Michael Gingold’s documentary RE-ENTER THE NEW YORK NINJA. It does a fantastic job of contextualizing who John Liu is, how he came into the film industry and the wave of Martial Art films that were so popular in America. Gingold was able to track down at least one original cast member and one of the special effects artists. Funding fell through after filming had wrapped. And it languished for almost 30 years before landing at Vinegar Syndrome as part of a package deal. Seeing how it was rebuilt from the ground up is a great insight into filmmaking. 

New York Ninja is a fun slice of vintage Ninja Craze. Fans of Miami Connection and Raw Force will find plenty to love. I had a blast, but this movie benefits from viewing it with a boisterous audience.

NEW YORK NINJA is now available for purchase from Vinegar Syndrome! You can get it for a slightly lower price until November 8th!

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