A few weeks ago, I watched Shinobi: Law of Shinobi (2004). Shinobi 2: Runaways picks up where Shinobi left off. Our heroes, Kagerou and Aoi are on the run. Literally, they run through the woods for half the movie. Along the way, they encounter other shinobi who are instructed to kill them. There is a Shinobi 3 and 4, so it is not a spoiler to say the other shinobi don't succeed. Not even the crazy prisoner guy who yells "Kagerou" often.
The low quality of these movies make them confusing. I think they are supposed to take place in the 16th century but they talk like it was last week. Yet the dialogue is not as bad as the narrative breaks in the movie that fill in unnecessary backstory about the villages and tribes. And I am still not sure what to think of Aoi. She continues to be a confusing mix of damsel in distress and badass swordswoman. Overall, this movie doesn't advance the story at all. It's just more running. I can't wait to watch Shinobi 3.
Grade: 1 running shinobi of 5.
