Review of Surf Ninjas (1993) by Ray D — 15 Mar 2009

Part of the wave of kid ninja films in the 1990's, including most famously the 3 Ninjas, but also the Pocket Ninjas and the uh, little Ninjas, SURF NINJAS is notable for having Leslie Nielsen move outside his usual typecast role of a lovable incompetent authority figure to play a comically evil authority figure. At least, I think he's supposed to be comic. The plot revolves around two surfer brothers who are attacked by Ninjas when they're trying to use the beach, and find out they're actually heirs to the throne in a tiny island country (Which Leslie Nielsen has seized in a coup. Never trust a Canadian!) Rob Schneider played their wacky sidekick, as is his wont, and Tone Loc plays a police detective. The scenery is nice, and the brothers show some charisma, but the movie's greatest asset is probably as a time capsule of scenes somebody thought would probably appeal to the kids in getting them to take up surfing and/or ninjary.

Ninjary?