It might seem strange at first glance that a company like Funimation would be releasing a movie like “Shinobi,” but once the film’s dynamic action sequences jump into the spotlight, it becomes painfully obvious that “Shinobi” is a live-action anime, complete with crazy characters and overblown battles. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet,” the film takes place in 17th Century Japan where the heirs of two feuding ninja clans – the Iga and the Koga – have fallen in love. When the Shogun set into motion a nefarious plot to rid the country of both ancient families, however, the two star-crossed lovers are forced to battle each other to the death. Like most martial arts fantasy films (save for maybe “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), you’re not going to find very much character development other than the bare necessities, but it’s easily overlooked thanks to some truly original fight sequences. Sure, the movie slows down considerably when it reaches its inevitably tragic end (“Romeo & Juliet,” remember?), but “Shinobi” is still far better than anticipated, and should please anyone who considers themselves a fan of this particular subgenre.
