Killa42 Do you like 80s action-drama films with weird plots that kind drag, but are interesting nonetheless? Than this is for you! Do not be mislead by the fact that it's one of Nicole Kidman's first films and by that get the impression that this is something else. This movie is more like American Ninja than a drama. Only, this is Australian Ninja. I really enjoyed the movie because it had an original plot and a good moral in the end. I was moreover pleased with the conclusion and how the writer tied all things together in the end, leaving zero holes and answers all questions brought about. The other reviewers seem to be displeased because they were expecting something else. But if you go in knowing that you're about to view an 80s action-drama, you might just enjoy this.

webmaster-625 technically - (sound / camera / scenery / lights) this is not the greatest effort ever but the film has so much going for it! In the not too distant future youngsters play ninja/paintball games in an abandoned power station by night, and during the day they attend their studies which include martial arts lessons with a former member of the military You can watch the film just on those terms and go no deeper; * or you can look at the theme of the "passing of the flame" from the martial arts teacher to his students; karate starts and ends with courtesy, it is not for killing someone in a fit of temper); * or you can watch the film for some wonderful martial arts fight sequences. (arguably the VERY BEST KENDO sequence I have EVER seen in any film) * or watch the film as a historical effort from early in Nicole Kidman's career.The casting of Vince Martin is nothing short of a stroke of cinematographic genius This movie gets a definite thumbs up!!

sol ***SPOILERS*** Futueristic movie about a number of Austrailien collage students playing Ninja games all night then attending karate/physical classes at 5:AM and by the time they go to their regular classes are too knocked out to really learn anything. Their karate instructor Steve Beck, Vince Martin,has a very strong grip on the students to the point of almost killing themselves in their Ninja night games to impress him. Steve's best student and his biggest admirer is young Robby Mason, Tom Jennings, who Steve is guiding to the champion karate/boxing finals.A very impressionable young man Robby lost his father at an early age and Steve was the perfect father-figure that he needed so badly at this time. One of Robby's teachers Sonia Spane, Joanne Samuel,is very concerned by her students, especially Robby, being so infatuated with Steve. Sonia knows some things about Steve, by being his former lover, that they don't and those thing can be fatal to both the students as well as Steve.A highly decorated war veteran Steve is the only survivor of his army unit and has developed very deep emotional as well as psychical scares to the point where he can show no human feelings other then anger and violence to hide the fact he was the only one to survive. Steve put all this violence and aggression into his karate/boxing classes and Sonia sees that those students who are so impressed by Steve are slowly turning into the violent and brutal person that Steve is. Steve also developed a drug habit in the army and is being supplied with his daily dose by local drug dealer and all around sleaze ball Guy Duncan, Craig Pearce, who also is blackmailing him. Sonia trying to get Robby away from Steve before he's caught up with Steve's secret life that can destroy him as well as Steve. As hard as she tries Sonia can't budge Robby away from his hero worshiping of Steve and it took an incident the night of the big karate/boxing Champiship that Robby was to participate in that finally open his eyes to just what kind of person Steve really is.Very interesting movie with a young 20 year old Nicole Kidman playing Robby's girlfriend Amy Gabriel who caught on to Steve early in the movie when she saw him and Guy exchanging money for drugs and it almost cost her life for finding that out. The real star in the movie is Tom Jennings who was both strong and sensitive, what ever happened to him?, in his part of Robby Madson. In the end Robby had to face the truth, as well as the fists and kicks, of the person he looked up to for so long. Robby battles Steve in the abandoned warehouse that he and Steve's students practice on their Ninja/Karate skills that Steve thought them at the end of the film. The movie is hard to follow due to the very dark photography in it making it very difficult to tell who's who in the very thrilling fight sequence between Robby and Steve at the conclusion of the film but if you give it a chance and overlook that you may very well like it.

loz4cs I wasn't sure at first whether or not it was a convincing plot - however the acting is very good. Kidman is freshfaced and delivers her role very well, despite there not really being a complexed plot to work with.Tom Jennings is very convincing too, not seen him in any-thing else at all actually which is a shame. If any-one has any more info on him would be grateful. The film is set within a school where kidman and jennings are both members of what seems to be a martial arts club. They're both trained by their master who much to their dismay a drug dependent loony who in anger kills one of their fellow pupils. Yes extreme but subtly done - as it is quite randomly fragmented. (ie His dream sequence) However for a unique Australian gemstone of a film you have to watch it - the dubbing of the martial arts sequences are pitiful but to see kidman and jennings running about in ninja suits is truly priceless