spidermatt01 My wife got this movie out and I wasn't happy. However, it turned out to be one of the best "bad" movies I've ever seen. The post dubbing is particularly enjoyable, with large sequences dubbed in where there is no mouth movement at all. The dubbing is also fun on the crowd scenes. Large groups of baddies run toward the Tongan Ninja saying: "I'm ready to fight" and "I've got a big sword" etc. The fight sequences are a treat. Initially I was disappointed (I love a good fight), but as the style of the piece grew on me, I just enjoyed the sheer tackiness of it all. The final fight sequence is hilarious. If you want a good laugh this film is highly recommended.

TeMahia I just saw this movie on DVD. It was truly, truly awful. I tried to like it.Yes, I understood it was a spoof, but really, it was appalling. The jokes fell flat. The dubbing which at first was amusing, became very irritating.I couldn't see what market the film was aimed at. No matter which one it was, I feel it missed on all points.For no reason, there was at least one brief musical scene (when Chef Guy thinks Sione is a restaurant customer) that just further detracted from the plot line. I don't remember any musical scenes in any Bruce Lee movies.The only amusing bits on the DVD were the extras.The Beat Girls performing at the Bar in the club scene was one of the very very few highlights.Don't waste your time unless you're a kiwi who likes early Bruce Lee movies.

Antzy88 Every time I see a new film come out that purports to be a martial arts comedy, I should learn my lesson.This film stars Sam Manu as the Tongan Ninja of the title, who was one of two kids who survived a plane crash years earlier and ended up training in Ninjitsu in a temple (the other kid was Marvin, played by Jemaine Clement). However,when our Tongan hero is picked by the teacher to help out the daughter (MissLee, played by Linda Tseng) of an acquaintance of his, Marvin is determined to get his vengeance.Unfortunately, the whole film falls flat. The plot is very similar to Bruce Lee's self-directed 'Way Of The Dragon' ('Return Of The Dragon' in some parts of the world), right down to the threatened restaurant idea, and as a comedy it is not even remotely funny; it's just plain pants. The bad dubbing idea is somewhatdated now that foreign-language movies get released in their original language with subtitles, and the fight scenes are so dumb even for a comedy (and most of the people don't seem to be real martial artists).'Way Of The Dragon' itself was, and still is, more amusing for the right reasons and is much better as a whole (and the fight sequences are still awesome). Or, in a nutshell, why have cotton when you could have silk?Avoid 'Tongan Ninja' like it was about to strike you down with its five fingers of death; you'll be wishing for that fate if you watch it. If you must watch a martial arts action comedy, you'd be better off going for 'Beverly Hills Ninja' or a vintage Jackie Chan or Sammo Hung film; either would be much more satisfying.

mweston This is a wonderful parody of Hong Kong action films, and also of "Star Wars," "Titanic," Quentin Tarantino, and probably many other things I've forgotten.The film starts with two kids in an airplane piloted by the father of one of them, somewhere over the south Pacific. Marvin is not the pilot's son and is clearly Trouble--he refuses to stop kicking the back of the seat in front of him. Sione is the son of the pilot, and grows up to become the title character under the training of Master Magasaki. He doesn't *seem* much like a Ninja, though. He's more like a big, bumbling kid.The look is intentionally that of a low budget Asian action movie, which is probably at least partially motivated by the fact that *this* film has a low budget. None of the acting is very good, many of the characters are dubbed (badly, for effect), and it looks like it was shot on video. In one particularly funny scene, you see a microphone stick down into the shot, and you think that it is a mistake. The second time, you decide it's probably intentional, at which point you see one of the characters on screen reach up, grab the microphone boom, and begin to use it as a weapon.But wait! There's more! It's also a musical! And a floor wax! No, not really a floor wax, but it is a musical, complete with an Elvis, and with go-go dancers who suddenly appear for a musical number and just as suddenly disappear.This is a film of continuous little jokes, like a Ninja having to move his mask each time he wants to take a drink. Think of it like "Airplane!" for the 21st century.Seen on 11/8/2002 at the 2002 Hawaii International Film Festival, where an earlier showing was the U.S. premiere. Assuming it gets home video or theatrical distribution, you should definitely seek it out.