Ninja Wolves (1979)

Within the ranks of an elite guard made up of Japanese soldiers sworn to protect the Chinese Emperor, one man (Yueh Hua) ruthlessly works his way up the chain of command in order to topple the ruling Eunuch (Chang Yi) who is using them to defy the Emperor’s authority.

Ninja Wolves is an above average Taiwanese production starring numerous fine Shaw Brothers veterans including Chang Yi, Yueh Hua, and Eddy Ko. What sets this film apart is a relatively original plot that is interesting if somewhat inconceivable, good production values, and occasionally excellent kung fu choreography.

According to the film, during the reign of the Ming Dynasty, a Japanese warlord sends tribute to the Emperor in the form of weapons, treasure, women, and crack swordsmen who become the Emperor’s guard. Years later, a second Emperor comes to power and the valuable Japanese troops have come under the command of a powerful Eunuch who is corrupt and competes for authority in China. At this time a fresh tribute complete with more swordsmen is sent to Eunuch Ma Tung (Chang Yi) from Japan. Two of the new swordsmen to survive rigorous testing to become full-fledged guards are told of the Eunuch’s evil by a veteran who they are then forced to kill. Out of the two, Ti Yung (Yueh Hua) begins a vicious grab for power as he ascends the leadership ladder within the guards by killing all who stand in his way and showing utter loyalty to Ma Tung. He eventually becomes Ma Tung’s most trusted lieutenant, but Ti Yung’s cruel methods have earned him the ire of the lower ranking guards. They plot to kill him while a fresh group of recruits also plot to kill him and the Eunuch. Only at the end are the true motives of the ruthless Ti Yung and his partner Chu Chung (Chan Muk Chuen) revealed.

Japanese versus Chinese conflicts in kung fu movies is a common staple of the genre, but the idea of having Japanese soldiers become loyal to the Chinese Emperor is quite novel. Of course, the “Japanese” are all played by Chinese or Taiwanese actors while any cultural differences and language barriers are discarded. This was probably a good move since trying to have Chinese act Japanese would have looked worse. Yueh Hua himself makes a lousy Japanese, but does a great job of playing an antihero. He spends most of the film playing a character so ruthless that even Chang Yi as the real villain seems nice by comparison, something the low-ranking guards acknowledge themselves. His martial arts skills are not as strong as some other actors from his generation such as Ti Lung, but his years of film experience definitely come in handy by this point and he performs adequately, while stunt doubles perform more acrobatic maneuvers.

The scale of the film is quite impressive and features numerous elaborate and ornate sets and locations, mostly outdoors. Add to this a rather large cast of colorfully clothed extras who perform several complex combat scenes and you have a great-looking production. Unlike so many independent films that lose vigor by the final bout, Ninja Wolves manages to stay strong and finish with a show-stopping piece that rivals a classic battle choreographed by the likes of Tong Gaai. Chang Yi is one of the great screen villains of kung fu and proves it with a memorable match between Yueh Hua and Chan Muk Chuen. His legwork is excellent and the aerial finishing move the pair use on him is a real knockout.

What is wrong with the film is the story which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Yueh Hua and Chan Muk Chuen have just arrived in China and are told that the Eunuch who owns them is bad and the Emperor is good. For no compelling reason they vow to help the loyalists get rid of the Eunuch. Then they are told to kill their buddy who clued them in to this predicament and they have the added justification of seeking revenge for the death of the buddy they killed in order secure the loyalty of the Eunuch. Then Yueh Hua goes out of his way to kill and harass a lot of people to become the Eunuch’s chief. Poor Eddy Ko just wants to get away with his heartbroken mother and they receive the most vile treatment from the “heroes.” But, its never clear how all of this butchery and Yueh Hua’s new position makes him any more capable of killing Chang Yi. In short, a lot of court intrigue that includes the participation of a young “Japanese” servant whom Yueh Hua loves is pointless filler. To make matters worse, several scenes of plotting between the girl and Yueh are so low lit that no discernable details can be made out. The last major gripe has to do with the English title that gives the erroneous notion that ninjas appear in this film, something that is misleading.

Several great fights, one big finale, attractive art direction, and good performances by the lead actors manage to balance out an illogical plot that is dominated by too many average combat scenes. The end result is a decent film that could have been better, but is still somewhat entertaining for the avid kung fu fan.