“Ninja” is a somewhat likeable but ultimately generic and forgettable action flick about the deadly world of ninjas. It’s got a lot of fight scenes and just enough plot to tie those scenes together. Martial arts film enthusiasts may get a few kicks out of it but most casual fans of the action genre are unlikely to be impressed.

An American by the name of Casey (Scott Adkins “The Bourne Ultimatum”) spends his life training in the martial art of ninjutsu in Japan. He is tasked with protecting an armoured chest, which is filled powerful ninja weapons, from a fellow student turned contract killer (Tsuyoshi Ihara “Letters From Iwo Jima”). There’s a lot of sword slashing, shuriken throwing and high-flying kicks as the ninjas battle across New York.

Scott Adkins has a muscular physique and can clearly do the action scenes but he lacks any personality. The reason why action stars such as Jackie Chan (“Rush Hour”) and Jason Statham (“The Transporter”) are so successful is only partly to do with their stunts, they have personalities too. Adkins has no personality and nothing his character says is meaningful. Tsuyoshi Ihara is a little better as the villain. Mika Hijii plays Casey’s sort of girlfriend but she’s capable of fighting too. There is also a sinister cult but they get very little screen time and feel a little tacked on.

“Ninja” has some impressive action scenes with lots of great stunts and plenty of gore but the story is dreadful and the characters are very dull. I found myself enjoying the fighting but the film as a whole is very forgettable and I’m afraid it just doesn’t quite cut it when you have so many action films and more specifically, so many martial arts movies to turn to. Some (including myself) will get some enjoyment out of “Ninja” but in the end, this is an underwhelming action film.