The Saints are back, and so is the rope!

It's impossible to separate the term 'ninja' from awesome. For centuries, the legend and myth of the ninja has been the subject of many stories, films, games, and books, and it's a topic that never gets old or becomes any less awesome over time. That said, to me there is a surprising lack of ninja-related media these days, but lately ninja fans have been lucky -- both Ninja Assassins and First Look Studio's Ninja are out on Blu-ray now. Earlier this week, I watched Ninja, and here's what I discovered.

On the fateful night when ace teen detective Jimmy Kudo was attacked by two mysterious strangers and forced to ingest a poison, he was on a date with his sweetheart Rachel Moore at a popular theme park. Now, when a horrific murder has shocked Rachel into amnesia, he must solve the mystery as quickly as possible before the murderer returns to eliminate her as a loose end. As Rachel tries to recover her memories, will she be able to see past Conan’s disguise, and does he even want her to? When a return to the theme park might spark Rachel’s memories, can they risk a return with the killer still on the loose?

In 1981, I had traveled with my father to the theater for the first time. It was my first official film of my life. I didn't know what to expect and quite frankly, I didn't care. Clash of the Titans was the film and it was such a long time ago that I actually remember receiving a program of the film in the lobby of the theater (yes, it was a long time ago). The film had everything a kid could want; a hero, a princess, monsters and a flying horse. It was perfect for me and it wore down our top loading VCR in less than two years ($1300 device back in the day). Fast forward nearly 30 years and it has been released on Blu-ray from Warner Home Video. Can it still capture the same magic that the young kid remembers from the early 80s?

You're going to hate me, Stargate fans. It's okay.

In 2003, martial artist Tony Jaa starred in Ong-Bak, a film from Thailand that was well received in the US. A sequel was produced only recently, and both films came to Blu-ray this week.

Dyna-MITE! Dyna-MITE! Oh, yeah.....

Sometimes it's difficult to decide what a movie is while you're watching it.  Is the movie a sci-fi piece? Is it an action film? Is it a thriller? Could it possibly be a little bit of everything? If it is, it better be good.

Based on the video game(s) of the same name, Devil May Cry is the ultimate payoff for those of us who greatly enjoyed the sardonic humor of the game, but are too busy to devote hours to puzzle-solving and random battles.  Dante, the sword-swinging, gun-wielding, but-kicking proprietor of Devil May Cry detective agency, lives a day-to-day existence like anyone else:  ordering pizza on an ever-growing unpaid tab, trying to find a decent strawberry sundae, and goading otherworldly horrors into fights.  Wait...what?  There's also the constant stream of wry humor, the occasional irritating orphan, and drop-ins from friends, allies, and friendly rivals who aren't above charging a finder's fee to include him on jobs.  With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Some say this was the beginning of the end for our main action man, Arnold. There is some irony with the title Last Action Hero.

It’s more wacky adventure on the high seas as the Straw Hat Pirates continue their adventures on the Grand Line. Their newest mission? Protecting Princess Vivi until she can be safely delivered to her homeland of Alabasta, preferably before Crocodile, the leader of the elite assassin group Baroque Works, can completely destroy her kingdom. With enemies on all sides, who has time for the minor annoyances, like landing on an island populated with warring giants and hungry dinosaurs?

You could say this began a revolution that is responsible for today's cartoons. You knew the mouse was mighty, but you didn't think he was that strong, right?

20th Century Fox and WWE Studios are back with another straight to video action film. This time it's The Marine 2, a sequel to Jon Cena's The Marine which came out in 2006. There is no connection between the two films other than the name, although they do share another commonality: neither are worth a purchase, but die hard action fans may want to give them a rent.  

The first time I saw a trailer for District 9 it was unique and the possibilities it could establish were endless. Why would an alien race land on earth and stay? Who was keeping them? Why were they being kept? Is there a sinister reason? This movie could literally go anywhere. Let me tell you where it went exactly.

The first film was an introduction to the characters and places. The ultimate edition of it made it even more enjoyable than it already was. The second go around of the series was darker and different. The ultimate edition has that same personality.