Review of Ninjas vs. Vampires (2010) by Dave T — 19 Jan 2012

Ninjas vs. Vampires suffers heavily from a slow and, frankly, not very good start, but for those possessing the resolve to continue past the first 15 minutes, develops into a very fun little film. The premise has been done to death: boy loves girl, girl is in danger at the hands of an all-encompassing evil which wishes to destroy the world, boy is magically granted super powers and joins with a group of heroes to defeat evil, save the world, and get the girl.

What stands out in this one a very witty script, much better acting than one would expect from a low-budget "B" movie, and some pretty impressive effects considering said budget. Director Justin Timpane is heavily influenced by the early works of Kevin Smith, and it certainly shows in the dialogue. Daniel Ross (who apparently and rather shamelessly plugged the film below) was absolutely a highlight in providing much of the comic relief.

On the downside, poor lighting takes away from several of the fight scenes, some of the minor roles appear to have been played by friends or family of the crew (with predictable results), and of course the relatively "straight" opening will likely turn many viewers off before to they get to the meat of the movie...which, again, is actually quite funny and entertaining.

For lovers of low-budget comedy/horror productions, this film is absolutely worth the time invested to watch it and will likely provoke repeat viewings. For those expecting a more serious scare flick, one has to wonder why you're investigating a film titled "Ninjas Vs. Vampires" in the first place. Finally, for parents or for the faint of heart, there is relatively little gore and next to no nudity involved (a one-second shot of a topless woman), but there are a few references to marijuana use and a lot of strong language. Overall, this movie comes highly recommended as a jewel in its genre.