Search - Beverly Hills Ninja on DVD

Chris Farley at his funniest

Daniel Jolley | Shelby, North Carolina USA | 07/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Farley was probably the greatest physical comedian of his generation, and his unique skills are truly showcased in Beverly Hills Ninja. It's sort of a no-brainer: cast Chris Farley as "the great white Ninja" and stand back while hilarity ensues. That's basically what happens, although the story itself isn't all that bad on its own. Obviously, there are lots of stunts and comedic pratfalls in the film, but the dialogue is hilarious, as well - Beverly Hills Ninja is eminently quotable. Adding Chris Rock to the comedic mix makes a good thing even better.

As a babe, little Haru (Farley) washed up on the shores of Japan and was taken in by a ninja master. Legends foretold of a white child who would become the greatest ninja in the world, and Sensei adopted the child as one of his own. By the time Haru grew up, though, it seemed rather obvious that he was not the prophesied Great White Ninja - he had plenty of heart and dedication, but no ninja skills whatsoever. Then a shapely American blonde (Nicollette Sheridan) comes to the dojo asking for help, and Haru readily agrees to put his ninja stealth skills to use for her. He discovers that the lady's boyfriend is a counterfeiter and murderer, and - hearing nothing else from her - he decides it is his duty to follow her to the Hills of Beverly and safeguard her life. Knowing that Haru is a clumsy goof, Sensei (Soon-Tek Oh) sends Haru's "brother" Gobei (Robin Shou) to surreptitiously watch over and assist him. Gobei is plenty busy, as Haru soon finds himself blamed for a couple of murders and basically keeps putting himself in peril. Incredibly, Haru does manage to find his client again, which puts him on a collision course with bad guys more than willing to rob and kill in order to get their counterfeit operation up and going. Haru makes some interesting detours along the way: forgetting everything he's ever learned about being one with the universe at a local strip joint, posing as an inking expert, and even serving up a most memorable meal at a Japanese restaurant. In case you're wondering, there is some martial arts action in the closing minutes, and it's quite a kick to see Farley actually take care of a little business.

Beverly Hills Ninja is a very funny movie. The world will never see the likes of Chris Farley again, and this role was seemingly made for him to play. It's like a highlight reel of all Farley's funniest stunts and hijinx, and great one-liners just pour out of the characters' mouths in abundance. If you're not into comedy for comedy's sake, you can even take heart in seeing Haru succeed at finally proving himself and earning the respect of his Sensei and "brother." The music, which does include both "Turning Japanese" and "Kung Fu Fighting," also adds a lot to the comedy. Really, if this movie doesn't make you laugh, I'm not sure there's any hope for you."

An Underrated Classic

Bill Lumbergh | Initech | 04/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Farley was one of the most underrated actors during his brief 33 years of existence. This movie is one of his final movies until he succumbed to a drug overdose in December 1997. This is why I don't do drugs. They kill great people.

The movie is another classic that will go down in history. It's pretty stupid, and it's not Farley's best, but it deserves 5 stars nonetheless. Chris Farley stars as Huru, a ninja school dropout. He is also known as "the great white ninja" throughout the movie. I don't want to tell you about the whole movie unless the movie sucks, and this movie is far from sucking, so I'll give you some of the funniest scenes:

- The Benihana scene
- the strip club scene
- the house invasion scene

Hell, the whole movie is a classic. Buy it now! NOW!! Watch something other than Napoleon Dynamite for once!"