Best of Netflix: Ninjas!

Welcome To Ninja Week

Beware the stealthy fury of the deadly Ninja! Ninjas are awesome, with their silent scurrying about, leaping and kicking all over the place and slicing and dicing with swords and throwing stars. Their masks are also pretty sweet, too. Here are some nifty Ninja adventures available on Netflix Instant for when you need your Ninja fix delivered with lightning-quick speed.

Watch Afro Samuari: Season 1 on Netflix Instant

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This super-sweet anime adaptation of Takashi Okazaki’s mad-dog manga captures all of the wildly creative energy of its source material, perfectly “getting” Okazaki’s love of hip hop, soul and… well, martial arts. Samuel L. Jackson provides the voice of the title character, a haunted warrior out to avenge the murder of his father, the former No. 1 Headband (you’ll see). He’s joined on his quest by the wisdom-spewing Ninja Ninja, who may be real or just a hallucination (our theory? He’s both!). Quentin Tarantino wishes he could make something this cool.


Watch Shinobi No Mono on Netflix Instant

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A “classic Ninja movie,” if such a subgenre exists (and why not?), Shinobi No Mono (or, simply, Ninja 1) follows a young warrior taken under the wing of a mysterious mentor, undergoing rigorous Ninja-training that has a hidden objective: the assassination of a powerful warlord. The young apprentice is exiled after having an affair with his mentor’s wife, but he can’t escape his Ninja destiny! A more somber and serious look at the art and practice of ninjitsu, Shinobi is a must-see for any serious Ninja student, teacher or fan. Several elements of this 1962 mini-masterpiece were adapted by Roald Dahl into his 007 screenplay, You Only Live Twice.


Watch Ninja vs. Mafia on Netflix Instant

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A pretty self-explanatory title if there ever was one, Ninja vs. Mafia (or Mafia vs. Ninja, depending on what poster art you stumble across) is a punch-drunk B-movie fever dream, a no-holds-barred freak-out of a martial arts flick with visible wires, horrible acting, ridiculous dialogue and everything else you could hope for in something called Ninja vs. Mafia (or Mafia vs. Ninja). The plot? Two sewage workers get involved in mobster shenanigans, and fighting ensues. Grab a six-pack (or two), invite your friends over and enjoy.


Watch Revenge of the Ninja on Netflix Instant

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“400 years of training in the art of sudden death… unleashed on 20th century America.” So sayeth the tagline for Revenge of the Ninja, promising an epic Ninja attack like no other. It doesn’t really deliver on that promise, though it does feature some pretty impressive scenes featuring Ninjas doing their awesome Ninja thing, including the opening battle that leaves most of the hero’s family dead (Mom and his younger son survive, though). Relocating to America to start a new life only makes things worse, as our poor Ninja soon becomes disillusioned by his old friend and business partner’s new secondary income: drug dealin’. Time for everyone even vaguely involved with this guy’s turmoil to die a Ninja-fueled death!


Watch 3 Ninjas on Netflix Instant

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This is one of the most lovable and adorable movies ever made, and if you disagree, then you must hate joy. What’s not to love about a movie that was pitched as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meets Home Alone? Victor Wong plays the boys’ lovable and adorable grandfather, for Pete’s sake. His Ninja skills and wisdom are so intense, he renames his Ninja grandkids with “Ninja Names”: Rocky, Colt and Tum Tum. And they all go out for pizza after the dastardly plans of the warhead-buying villains are thwarted. Kick evil in the FACE! Followed by more sequels than you ever thought possible.

Or, see what movies are In Theaters