Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) * * 1/2

 

Directed by:  Dennis Dugan

Starring:  Chris Farley, Nicolette Sheridan, Chris Rock, Robin Shou, Nathaniel Parker, Soon-Tek Oh

I just finished a two-and-a-half star review of Absence of Malice (1981), which was earned because I expected more and was disappointed.    Now we have Beverly Hills Ninja, which is the other side of the two-and-a-half star review coin.   I did not expect much, and I was surprised by the movie's sweetness and Chris Farley, whose comedic style was that of the Pamplona bulls invading an antique store.  Farley leaned on physical slapstick and lots of yelling.   It didn't serve him well in previous films, but in Beverly Hills Ninja, we like the big lug.   He has a heart, takes a licking, and keeps on ticking.   

Farley plays Haru, a Caucasian who washed up as a baby on an island populated by ninjas and is raised to be one.   The opening credits establish all you need to know about Haru's non-existent skills.  He tries hard, but he just can't get it right.   His half-brother Gobei (Shou) is a superior ninja who is exasperated by his half-brother's ineptitude.   I expected Gobei to be a malicious sort who wants Haru gone, but Gobei actually loves the big guy while shaking his head at the things he does.   

The plot thickens years later when Haru is left behind while the rest of the ninja clan performs a mission, and the beautiful blonde Allison (Sheridan) wanders into the dojo looking to hire a ninja.  How did she find out about the supposedly secret ninja organization?   Don't ask.   Even though Haru nearly obliterates the dojo trying to show Allison he has mad skills, Allison hires him to spy on her boyfriend Martin Hanley (Parker), who she suspects is into crooked activities.   Haru witnesses a murder and is soon suspected of it, and flees to Beverly Hills in order to help Allison, who is a bit shady herself.  

Haru is shadowed by Gobei on orders of Gobei's father.   He assists Haru while trying not to be discovered, and winds up being accidentally struck by objects.   Haru is involved in a pratfall, slip, trip, errant use of weapons, etc. about once a minute.   Most of these are done with energy but grow tiresome.   When Haru speaks, he manages to sound intelligent and stupid at the same time.   A Beverly Hills hotel valet (Rock) is floored to be in contact with a real ninja and agrees to be Haru's student.   It's like the blind leading the blind.

Like Inspector Clouseau, Haru is convinced of his own genius, and stumbles and bumbles his way into success while trying to help Allison stop Martin's nefarious counterfeiting scheme.   The plot is immaterial; it's just something to hang gags on.   However, Beverly Hills Ninja nearly rises above expectations and provides a couple laughs as well as Chris Farley's softer side which peeks out in between Farley's slapstick.   It's not a great comedy, but it's worth ninety minutes and I have some affection for it.