'Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe' Is Infinitely More Fun Than 'Bloodshot'

Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe was originally intended to be a six-episode web TV series a few years ago, but rights issues prevented it from being widely released.  But now, it can be viewed completely, conveniently, and for free.  As part of Valiant Comics’ promotion for Bloodshot, the whole thing was turned into a full-length movie and uploaded on their Youtube channel.

In it, Colin King a.k.a. Ninjak (Michael Rowe) is coerced into stealing an ancient magical book from MI-6’s custody when the super villainess Roku (Chantelle Barry) kidnaps the wife and daughter of his friend, MI-6 officer Neville Alcott (Craig Young).  If he fails to comply or informs others of the situation, she threatens to kill them.  As a result of this situation, Ninjak has no choice but to fight his peers in the superhero community – Bloodshot (Jason David Frank – yes, the Green Ranger), Eternal Warrior (John Hennigan a.k.a. WWE Superstar John Morrison), X-O Manowar (Derek Theler), Archer and Armstrong (Alex Meglei and Kevin Porter, respectively), Livewire (Ciera Foster), and Shadowman (Damion Poitier).

Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe is a cheesy, low-budget movie overall.  The acting is generally hammy and amateurish.  The effects are cheap looking (to be fair, I’ve been seeing worse from the Arrowverse shows lately).  The script lacks sophistication and substance.  But even so, I prefer this movie a million times over than the big-budget, theatrically released Bloodshot.

How come?  Well, for starters, as far as the eye test is concerned, Jason David Frank looks and fights more like Bloodshot than Vin Diesel.  But more decisively, unlike Bloodshot, Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe has a sense of nerdy fun.  It’s fluent with the beats and quirks of the genre, and any flaws are overcome by the earnest comic book feel it has.  Thus, it’s extremely entertaining.

While its special effects aren’t striking by quality movie standards, its overall production value still looks compelling and impressive when looked at as a low-budget “web show” production.  It’s because it gives off the impression that it gets who these characters are, and it has managed to make the most from whatever little it has to depict them in live-action with much fidelity as possible.  But that should come as no surprise, really, since this movie is co-produced by Bat in the Sun.  If that doesn’t ring a bell, that’s the production company behind Super Power Beat Down, the awesomely nerdy Youtube show that features excellent live-action fantasy battles between pop culture characters.

And just like many Super Power Beat Down episodes, the fight sequences in Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe are outstanding.  The actors make up for whatever shortcomings they have in acting with their proficiency in stunts and close-combat choreography.  Truly, the action is the main source of the movie’s entertainment value.

The writing isn’t particularly strong, but it has some efficiencies.  There’s no time to delve deeply into the characters, but it manages to give the audience a general comprehension on what type of character each one is.  The story is basic and predictable, but there’s a decent display of cleverness in how some plot points and events unfold.  Moreover, the writing also manages to produce a couple of funny lines and amusing moments.

As what I mentioned in my review for Bloodshot, having not read any Valiant comic book, I only know Valiant’s characters by reputation.  Still, I know enough about them to gather that, if nothing else, Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe succeeds in giving the unversed a better picture on what’s special about Valiant’s roster of superheroes.  Moreover, it reinforces the notion that these characters, if properly translated, have what it takes to make a rewarding major TV or film franchise.  Valiant Comics just needs to find knowledgeable, visionary architects who can pull this off.