Hei ming dan (1972) Online

KUNG FU BLACKLIST is an odd and forgotten little contemporary kung fu thriller made in Hong Kong in 1972. It's chiefly remembered these days for being one of the original films that cut-and-paste director Godfrey Ho borrowed and turned into various ninja movies during the 1980s; as I understand it, this formed the basis of NINJA HEAT which may or may not be the same film as NINJA EXTERMINATOR. It also bears the title NINJA BLACKLIST, although there are no ninjas in this film.

Instead this is an ordinary type thriller in which a guy gets out of jail and goes gunning for revenge on the people who set him up and put him there in the first place. The protagonist is played by Chen Sing (DRAGON SQUAD), a second-tier kung fu star who nonetheless works hard in the fight scenes, but at least half of the running time is bogged down with overwrought family drama and histrionics.

Sadly this turns out to be a very ordinary fight film and the only thing it really has going for it is the novelty of the '70s setting; most kung fu films from this period went for earlier settings. The soundtrack is an eclectic mix of '70s funk and music ripped off from spaghetti westerns. Watch out for the unintentionally hilarious death scenes accompanied by cheesy flashbacks experienced by the dying...

When he's released from prison after being framed for crimes he didn't commit, a man teams up with his friend to get revenge on the evildoers who set him up. He's had plenty of time to stew over this, so now finally is his chance to cross - one by one - the baddies off of his "Blacklist". In the midst of all this, there's some family drama, but all our hero wants to do is pound his cheating, lying, thieving enemies into submission with his Martial Arts skill. Will he complete his goal? Ninja Blacklist was a pleasant surprise. It's actually a lot better than a lot of its "chop-socky" competitors. It has a very cool intro which sets the mood for the equally cool super-70's vibe. This overall feeling maintains throughout the movie, making it an enjoyable experience and not a slog. You can tell a true filmmaker is at work here, with interesting and different lighting schemes, creative camera angles and editing, and awesome music putting the cherry on top (check out the main theme, which seems like it's out of a Spaghetti Western - other themes have fuzzed-out funk that you can't help but love). All this leads us to believe that if a widescreen, uncut, subtitled, remastered DVD came out, everyone would love this movie and give it a nice reassessment. As it is, it's a pan-and-scan, dubbed abomination all too common with foreign films released at the time.

While not a ninja movie in any sense of the word, and actually not Japanese, but a Hong Kong production, like so many other movies unrelated to ninjas, it got repackaged and re-released to cash in on the massive Ninja Boom of the 1980's. As much as we love the Ninja Boom, the record must be set straight, and this is a stylish Hong Kong Kung-Fu movie, not a ninja movie. That being said, Ninja Blacklist overall seems influenced by some Japanese filmmakers, most notably Seijun Suzuki.

Some audience members may be put off by the copious use of the zoom lens, but it's a technique filmmakers used to use and it didn't bother us. We're hoping director/co-writer Mar Lo becomes a more well-known name in the West, and we're definitely going to be looking out for more of his stuff. In the clothing department, there are a lot of great fashions on display. The movie is like a moving catalog of amazing sunglasses.

We definitely enjoyed Ninja Blacklist, despite its misleading title, because the movie has a lot of merit in its own right. This is one of those undiscovered gems that, while Cobra Video tried to use it to cash in on the Ninja Boom, it got lost in it, and it's time for a re-release so new eyes can see it.

'Hei Ming Chan', also known as 'Ninja Blacklist', is definitely one of my ten favorite films of all time! Although it appears to be a martial arts "action/drama" flick, it ends up being more of a comedy! As you will quickly ascertain when you watch 'N.B.', the plot is simple. In order to avoid spoilers, I won't discuss it here. Instead, I will focus on the themes and merits of the movie.

Many of the fight scenes in 'Ninja Blacklist' are just plain funny since they are overly dramatic and lack realism. Likewise, the acting, production and English dubbing are frequently sub-par and, consequently, hilarious!

Also, the apparel of the characters and soundtrack to the movie are humorous. The attire ranges from comically colorful to downright gaudy! Similarly, the music is mostly a comical mixture of seventies-era funk and porn groove! I had mixed feelings on the funky, groovy tunes, but I did enjoy the traditional (presumably) Chinese song at the very end of the movie.

Although 'Ninja Blacklist' is generally hilarious, it possesses additional merit by virtue of a few sincere, emotional scenes. Another virtue of the film is that it allows us to catch an enjoyable glimpse of urban Asia (presumably Hong Kong) during the early nineteen seventies. Since the movie takes place in a westernized portion of Asia, some of the locales look similar to those found in Western Europe or North America. Other settings, however, are rather exotic. The fact that the viewer can absorb him or herself in these foreign, exciting locations adds further value to the film.

Overall, 'Ninja Blacklist' is, in my humble opinion, a comical and enjoyable movie. If you are a serious martial arts fan in search of intense, brutal action, you should definitely look elsewhere! On the other hand, if you adore cheese and comedy, give this flick a try! I hope that you enjoy 'Ninja Blacklist' as much as I did!

Best regards,

Esqarial525

Ninja Heat begins with a man being released from prison after serving time for a jewel heist he was wrongly accused of. He immediately hooks up with his brother to enact violent revenge on the criminals who wronged him.

This Hong Kong martial arts caper is definitely a superior example of the Chopsocky sub-genre. It has a simple plot-line which is used efficiently to allow for a series of kung-fu encounters to flow together. Like others in its genre the action is fast and furious. But this one really benefits from its contemporary early 70's setting, giving it quite a bit of extra character nowadays. Similarly, it has a somewhat lively funky soundtrack which enlivens events further and I am also pretty sure that it 'borrows' a bit of music from a spaghetti western as well. This one, on the whole, was a very successful and dynamic bit of fun. Its story incorporated a good balance of action with melodrama, while its overall 70's feel is a definite extra asset nowadays. Good fun.