Tongan Ninja 2003

In a Festival boasting the most dazzling martial arts action the world can provide, one film stands apart – like a custard pie at a Chinese banquet. And one warrior outweighs all others. He means well too. He’s Sione (Sam Manu), an orphan raised in a Tongan monastery and trained in the ancient art of ninjitsu. Summoned to Wellington to defend the comely Miss Lee and her most humble restaurant from assorted heavies, he must dispatch a lethal line-up of local comic and musical talent, get dopey in the Botanical Gardens with Miss Lee, and finally travel to the Massey Memorial to confront his evil twin, Marvin. Conchord Jemaine Clement as Marvin, his dark brows knotted with intense concentration upon his own devilish superiority, cuts a swathe through the good-natured silliness of Jason Stutter’s spoof – and contributes great Elvis gyrations to boot. — BG

“People who like sophisticated comedy, devotees of the best Hong Kong action films, foley artists, all will want to corner the makers of Tongan Ninja in a darkened alley and ask ‘Why?’” — Producer’s notes