Directed by: Seiji Chiba
Starring: Rina Takeda
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Section 23
Release Date: July 24, 2012
Running Time: 65 minutes
Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
When it comes to ninja and samurai swords, I am first in-line. “Kunoichi” suffers from slow-pacing and a rushed ending. The action and fight sequences in the film are great though, if and when they occur though. Rina Takeda is labeled as a rising martial arts superstar and Japanese Karate champion but when it comes to acting, her skills aren’t as developed. Luckily for her the few fights in the film are decent. The film also runs just over an hour, which is sad especially since it feels longer.
The film follows the brutal and bloody war between the Iga and Koga ninjas. Though it is the women of these rival clans who suffer the most. They are captured, denied death and reduced to sex slaves. But when two Iga warriors kidnap four Koga women, they get a lot more than they bargin for. They learn they have captured a ninja, Kisaragi, and find out they made a big mistake.
The special features for the release are decent overall. Included is “The Making of The Kunoichi”. There is a Kunoichi Stage Greeting from a screening. There is a featurette on the Action of The Kunoichi (misspelled though on the DVD box). There are a few outtakes and lastly Japanese trailers for the films. If you are a fan of samurais and ninjas, this is worth checking out but is nothing amazing overall.