Genroku Dragon's Den

Genroku

'Ninja In The Dragon's Den'

This is a ground-breaking martial arts action adventure with a touch of humour, from Corey Yuen-kwai, the acclaimed action-director of 'Romeo Must Die' and 'Kiss of the Dragon'. Featuring breath-taking art design, and shot on stunning locations in both mainland Japan and China, 'Ninja in the Dragon's Den' combines the lethal high-precision arts of the Japanese Ninja Warrior with the physical flamboyance and dynamic flexibility of Chinese Kung Fu to create a martial-arts showcase of truly epic proportions.

Ninja in the Dragon's Den includes a truly remarkable performance from Hiroyuki Sanada, whose emotive, charismatic acting style and fluid mastery of the Japanese fighting arts guarantee him a place as one of the most memorable martial-arts screen legends of all time.

The story is set during the time of Ieyasu Tokugawa's rule. A man known as the 'Shadow Ninja', disguises himself as an Ega family ninja, and prepares to leave his home in Japan to travel to China. His purpose is to avenge his father, and lay the blame on the Ega family. Meanwhile in China, a carefree young man named Chee watches a festival of stilt fighting, unaware that his family is in danger.

This is a compelling tale of two opposing warriors, one Japanese and one Chinese, brought together by destiny and the sacrifice of their master, to defeat an all-powerful enemy.

Our story begins in Japan in the time of Ieyasu Tokugawa's rule. Genroku is a young Ninja warrior whose father was betrayed by those he trusted.

Intent on revenge against those who betrayed his father, Genroku dresses in his Ninja clothes and sets out to kill corrupt government officials.

...

Having travelled with his wife to China, he heads for a bar, and there runs into trouble very quickly when the locals think he is deaf and an imbecile because he pretends not to speak any Chinese.

As local martial artists display their skills, Genroku watches and takes everything in, hoping to find out where he can find the man he's looking for..

Having discovered the whereabouts of the man known in China as Uncle Foo, Genroku cleans and prepares his sword in readiness for the fight ahead.

Confidently Genroku discusses his plans with his wife, Akane, promising her that they will soon be able to return home to Japan.

At last he is happy that his sword is ready for the gruesome work ahead.

His wife worries that he will be killed and not return to her. He reminds her that she is a Ninja's wife and must not speak so. He assures her that he will return, with his father's honour avenged.

At Uncle Foo's house Genroku waits in the rafters, ready to attack.

When he spots his prey he drops down from the rafters quietly.

Despite Uncle Foo's protestations, Genroku will give no mercy. He attacks, perhaps surprised by the older man's strength and ability to still be able to fight.

The battle continues outside Uncle Foo's house, both men fighting for their lives in the waterfall that drives the mill wheel. Genroku blows up Uncle Foo's house, but the old man escapes.

Genroku gives chase, and as the battle intensifies, Uncle Foo is wounded. At that moment, his nephew Ching arrives and the young Chinese man ferociously defends his wounded uncle.

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Genroku escapes, but won't give up and soon makes his way to Ching's house, where Uncle Foo has been taken to stay.
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	Ching has set some intricate traps inside his house, and Genroku finds himself trapped. Eventually he outsmarts Ching and escapes, but later returns once more to kill Foo.
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Finding that he has been tricked, and that the person he thought he had killed was in fact a dummy and not Uncle Foo, Genroku is furious..
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	Returning home, he is worried as he discovers his wife Akane ill with a fever.
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He realizes that Akane must have medicine in order to recover.
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	He goes in search of medicine and finds himself in Chee's father's house. Chee works for Ching and knows full well who this Japanese man is. Genroku also knows Chee and threatens him if he doesn't do as he's told.
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Genroku takes Chee with him, in case the Chinese man issues a warning to Ching and Uncle Foo. Chee has put poison in the medicine.
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	Genroku gives Akane the tea with the medicine. Chee is struck by guilt as he watches the young woman drinking the potion.
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Genroku makes Chee drink some of the medicine as well, and Chee is convinced that he will die until Genroku shows him the unused poison, which he had rightly guessed was poisoned.
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	Sanchiro arrives, intent on killing Genroku. He is one of those responsible for killing Jen Boku, Genroku's father.
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Having quickly dispatched Sanchiro's ninja warriors, Genroku faces his enemy, a look of pure confidence and hatred on his face. Genroku draws his sword, ready to kill the old man.
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	As the vicious battle heats up, Genroku shows his amazing agility and Ninja skills.
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Suddenly he sees Akane behind the thin walls, and watches helplessly as his adversary stabs her with his sword, her blood flowing over the paper-like materials of the walls.
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	Enraged and grief-stricken by the loss of his beloved wife, Genroku takes the cord from his hair and mercilessly strangles Sanchiro with it.
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Too grief-stricken to look at Akane's dead body, Genroku leaves the house, leaving Chee still tied up.
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	At last Genroku finds Uncle Foo, whose real Japanese name is Fukada. By now, Fukada has learnt the identity of the young Ninja, and why he wants to kill him.
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Fukada tells Genroku that his father was never a true Ninja, that he was too kind and thoughtful and thought too much of his family amidst the battles. He tells how Jen Boku had died honourably. Genroku realises that he's been trying to kill the wrong man all along..
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	Genroku admits he was wrong and begs forgiveness. Fukada gives him a keepsake that Jen Boku had entrusted to him, asking as he died, to give it to his son. Fukada tells him that he had ran away from the dishonour of defeat, not from Genroku.
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Distressed, Genroku listens as Fukada tells him that he has taken poison before he came to meet him. That the time has come for him to face up to his dishonour and his duty as a ninja.
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	Clinging on to Genroku, the old man crumbles to the floor, the poison beginning to take effect on his body. He gives Genroku the second half of his smiling Buddha as a token of his esteem.
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As the pain of the poison becomes unbearable, Fukada asks Genroku to cut off his head, to end his pain. Genroku is horrified, but as his father's friend pleads for him to end his agony, Genroku obliges.
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	Genroku has aided Fukada in his suicide, and looks at the man's dead body. He bows to honour him.
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With the realization that he had been wrong in his initial thoughts and beliefs about Fukada, Genroku makes his way towards the Sun Family Temple. At that moment Ching arrives and believes that Genroku has murdered his Uncle Foo. He picks a fight with the ninja, insulting his mother in order to make Genroku fight.
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	The two warriors use every means, and every trick they know to win the fight. They soon realise that while their fighting styles are rather different, their skills are quite equal.
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Genroku listens, his senses tuned in to every sight and sound. Ching is equally stealthy and will not be easy to defeat.
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	Genroku shows Ching that he too knows some Kung Fu, as well as his more traditional Japanese ninja training.
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Genroku moves around the room stealthily, looking out for Ching, who has hidden himself behind fabric that blends him in against the walls.
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	As the fight continues, both men take refuge for a moment behind pillars, both exhausted and relieved to take a moment's breather to catch their breaths and relieve the cramps in their joints.
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Ching tries to set Genroku on fire, but the ninja comes back at him, having stripped the burning kimono off, revealing a new garment underneath.
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	Ching repeats his accusation that Genroku murdered Uncle Foo, but Genroku denies it. As they continue to fight, Ching notices the second half of the smiling Buddha in Genroku's possession. He remembers Uncle Foo's words that he should not blame the young ninja.
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They talk, and soon discover that there should be no animosity between them. As they agree to stop fighting, and to become friends, another enemy arrives.
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	Genroku watches intrigued as Leong Kit and his family build a platform on which to fight. Ching explains what they are doing.
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One by one Genroku and Ching defeat Leong Kit's family.
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	With his family defeated, Leong Kit stands alone to fight Genroku and Ching. His mystic skills make him a dangerous adversary and Genroku and Ching find it difficult to overpower the mystic.
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At that moment, Chee turns up with Akane, and knowing that only impure thoughts can destroy Leong Kit, he slips Akane's kimono off her shoulders. It works, and Leong Kit is at last easily defeated! Genroku rushes over to cover up his wife's body, to protect her honour.
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	Genroku listens as Chee explains that Akane had not been killed earlier; that only the dummy had been stabbed.
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As Chee makes an impolite comment about Akane's physical attributes, both warriors attack together!
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