Quentin Tarantino had nothing but nice things to say about Five Element Ninjas, a film he claimed had one of the best movie endings of all time. When it comes to great endings, movie тιтles that normally come to mind are classics like Casablanca, Citizen Kane, The Usual Suspects, and The Shawshank Redemption.
Of course, there are only a handful of the many candidates for that distinction, given the sheer breadth of the subject. After all, movie history is full of memorable endings. That makes it all the more striking when an under-the-radar film – as opposed to a critically acclaimed, universally loved classic – is brought into the conversation.
That’s certainly the case with Five Element Ninjas. One of a long list of old-school kung fu movies from Shaw Brothers, Five Element Ninjas contrasts greatly with the aforementioned films, not only because it’s a martial arts movie, but also due to the fact that it’s not even one of the most respected films in its own genre.
Quentin Tarantino Says Five Element Ninjas Has One Of The Best Movie Endings Ever
And Apparently Samuel L. Jackson Loves It Too
Shaw Brothers’ Five Element Nsinja was a 1982 kung fu movie that sees several martial arts students team up to endure a series of battles with an evil group called the Five-Element Ninjas, which is led by Mudou, who serves as the main villain. Naturally, the story culminates in a showdown between the protagonists – who have been whittled down to four by the ninjas – and Mudou.
The fight ends with three of the heroes grabbing Mudou by the shoulders and holding him still on the ground while Cheng Tien Chi’s character yanks at his feet. Shockingly, they manage to literally pull Mudou apart, leaving him in two pieces.
Five Element Ninjas was directed by Chang Cheh, widely regarded as one of the best martial arts movie directors of all time.
Referring specifically to the death of Mudou, Quentin Tarantino called it one of the “greatest endings” not just in a Shaw Brothers movie, but “any movie ever made.” Tarantino’s comments were made on the Pure Cinema Podcast, where he briefly discussed showing the film to the cast and crew of Django Unchained, including its star and frequent Tarantino collaborator Samuel L. Jackson.
One of the three main stars of Five Element Ninjas was Lo Mang, which makes it one of the few films to feature a single member of the Venom Mob in a prominent role. The five Venom Mob actors – who received their name for their work in The Five ᴅᴇᴀᴅly Venoms – generally appeared together, or at least with only one or two actors missing.
Speaking about his rewatch of Five Element Ninjas, Tarantino recalled the both of them being wowed by the scene of the villain being torn in half. Jackson, who Tarantino says had seen the film before but not in years, reacted to the scene, saying it was “just as good as I remembered!“
Five Element Ninjas Has One Of The Best 1980s Martial Arts Movie Endings
Five Element Ninjas Ends A Great Fight Scene With A Brutal Final Blow
To call its ending one of the best ever may seem like a stretch, but it can certainly be argued that when it comes to the best endings in 1980s martial arts movies, at least, Five Element Ninjas is near the top of the list. And that can be attributed to more than just the grisly nature of Mudou’s death.
Five Element Ninjas is a martial arts film where no one is safe. Characters, including its heroes, die throughout the story, which helps drastically raise the stakes of the final showdown. When they face off with Mudou, it’s hard to say who – if anyone – will come out alive. That feeling of uncertainty lends itself well to the intensity of the well-choreographed fight sequence in the final minutes.
The diverse approach to the action makes it all the more entertaining, with the icing on the cake being the coup de grace.
Five Element Ninjas brilliantly combines multiple fighting and weapon styles for its final battle through the various methods used by the students. The diverse approach to the action makes it all the more entertaining, with the icing on the cake being the coup de grace.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter that the end that Mudou meets in Five Element Ninjas isn’t grounded in reality. Like so many other great kung fu movies, it embraces the idea of its heroes being superhuman, allowing them to perform extraordinary feats even if they defy the limits of what real people can do.
What’s more, Five Element Ninjas doesn’t make the mistake of actually showing the bloody act of Mudou being ripped in half; given the time period and the budget of a Shaw Brothers film, making it look real wouldn’t be possible. Instead, the movie lets you hear the sound of his legs being savagely removed from his torso, and that alone captures the gruesomeness of the moment.
Source: Pure Cinema Podcast
