10 Movies Every Action Fan Needs To See

This in-name-only sequel to Enter The Ninja (1981) is a marked improvement over its predecessor with better staging and more action and, crucially for the film’s success, the lead is played by Sho Kosugi, a real-life practitioner of Ninjutsu.

When Kosugi discovers that his best friend is a heroin smuggler with ties to some 'Eye-talian' mobsters, the scene is set for a showdown. What our hero doesn’t realize is that his buddy is also a ninja who’s been killing his competitors. Following several car chases and shootouts, this leads to a climactic rooftop duel where the weapons utilized include flamethrowers and a mask with glowing green eyes that hypnotize their opponent.

Revenge is a thriller without filler, 88 minutes of unapologetically fun action that at no point attempts to be deep or goes off on meaningless tangents. Sure, you can complain about the B-movie production values (is that the cameraman’s shadow during the van chase?), but as long as Hollywood keeps churning out joyless and oppressive dreck like Transformers, these films will retain their appeal.