Movie Review: Surf Ninjas

In modern times, most of us cling to the typical, A-class movies that Hollywood puts out on a

regular basis.  Thus, many have forgotten the days when fairly often would come along a low budget

cheese-bag of a movie consisting of mediocre actors and a plot line that could have been written

 by a third grader.  But have you ever felt like escaping from the archetypal movie catalog and

trying something not so widespread?  Well, welcome to the B-list movie segment!  In this particular

column we strive to introduce you, the people so embroiled in mainstream entertainment, to low-budget

Hollywood throw-out pried from discount movie bins.  These cinematic rejects, ranging from mud-caked pearls to gilded garbage are the ideal feast for the world-weary movie junkie.  With this in mind, kick back and let us recommend you to some of the best of the worst movies of all time.  Bon Appetit. 

SURF NINJAS
Echo's Review

What do you call it when teenagers pretend to be surfing while driving, wise masters of the martial arts look like hobo cowboys, and ninjas dressed in blue camo outfits pop up in urban Los Angeles?  I call it Surf Ninjas.  And I know what you must be thinking.  “Really?  Someone actually made a movie about surfing ninjas?”  Well the answer is yes, they did. 

In that Surf Ninjas is set in Los Angeles, California, it is sort of like a long lost relative of the original Karate Kid.  But take it from me, other than the martial arts, these movies have nothing in common.  Surf Ninjas starts out with a pretty generic martial arts prompt:  Two young boys destined to learn from a wise master and defeat an evil menace.  However, the truly novel part of the movie is how this classic idea of karate is now clashed with the laid-back lifestyle of the scenic vacation destination and, you guessed it, surfer dudes. 

            The humor and general charm of this production is drawn greatly from its sheer randomness:  Ninjas turning up out of nowhere, witty one-liners, nonsensical sound effects (since when do people make burping sounds when they get punched in the face?), and those are just a few examples.  And yet, Surf Ninjas is still classifiably an action film.  This fine blend of humor and serious action is so entwined as to have characters delving into toilet humor one second and, you guessed it, being attacked by ninjas the next.  Literally this movie can be summarized by “these people get attacked by ninjas at random intervals”. 

            Surf Ninjas came out in 1993, therefore yes, the effects and such are on the hokey side, and yes, many aspects such as the music and slang are outdated. Yet in all truthfulness this makes up most of the reasons the movie is worth watching.  It is a pleasant way to take a step back and reminisce in the 1990’s. 

            As far as B-List movies go, Surf Ninjas is actually pretty okay.  There’s not a whole lot to make fun of though, because frankly, it does a very thorough job of making fun of itself.  Still, it’s quite worth the watch for anyone wanting to indulge in a little of the corny yet clean humor most modern movies sadly lack in.  I rate it at 4/5 Domo-kuns.      

Movie Review: Arthur

Echo's Review

        When I went to see Arthur with a friend, I fully expected Russell Brand’s performance and character to be exactly the same as it has been in every other movie he’s starred in.  I mean, lets face it.  Russell’s main strong-point as an actor is his ability to out-perform everyone else in the role of the ditzy/drunk/druggy/fanciful playboy stock character.  In this respect, he met my expectations by stepping into the role of yet another clueless and offensive Richy Rich.  Take it from me, there is virtually no character diversity or distinction between his role as Arthur and his former role as rock-star Aldous Snow.  However, don’t go thinking I’m against this.  As in previous films, Russell also shows off his enormous talent for knocking an audience to the floor with laughter.  I’ll say this:  the main character roles in this movie were cast perfectly.  There’s a huge amount of on-screen chemistry between Russell and his accompanying actresses, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner, and especially Greta Gerwig.  The moment she first showed up on-screen, she and Russell completely took the spotlight. 

            Honestly though, one of the main reasons I loved this movie was because Russell did such a phenomenal job of transforming from a blasé comedian into a more serious and relatable character.  I didn’t see it coming at all, but it totally pulled me into the story.  In that respect, I would judge this to be Brand’s best performance so far.  He stole the show and turned Arthur into a movie I wouldn’t mind going back to see a few more times.

            All in all, Arthur took me by surprise.  It had a strong plot, was cleverly written, and though spiced up with Russell’s particular flavor of humor still stayed true to its basic premise.  I would rate it as an 8.5/10