Review of Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) by Ross R — 12 Jul 2017

Chris Farley never hit the mainstream and it was an utter shame. The films he starred in were not always a great showcase for him and Beverly Hill Ninja fits very much in the middle. Some of the laughs are only due to the comedic range of Farley, I always look at the Kevin James movies and know these were destined to be Farley roles.

The plot is a little too safe to go anywhere different and it plays all the cliche beats right to the forgettable finale. Chris Rock showcases talent that would later shine brighter but like everyone around Farley, they suffer from the key central performance.

I could fault a lot of Dugans boring direction but Farley gives everything, you could be forgiven for giving this film better teviews based on what he delivers. I liked the concept but it was too family oriented and easy to watch, Tommy Boy was nearly unpredictable until the usual happy ending finale.

Not without flaws but younger audiences will love Farley in action. 14-07-2017.