Shinobi 4: A Way Out

"A final surge to live unbound"

2003 1h 20m EN

ActionDramaWar

Synopsis

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The country of Iga is deep in the throws of war. With smaller villages falling one by one, the largest families are in position to vie for their share of the power. Sankai of Minamiyama has his sinister eyes fixed – not only on total control of the area, but on Kagerou as well. After fleeing the village of Shiroyama, Kagerou and Aoi have been relentlessly hunted. And now, with the civil war in full flux, and Aoi in enemy hands, it is time for one last attempt to escape the clutches of the deadly Shinobi hierarchy – or die trying. They are all alone. They can trust no one. They must find a way out.

“A final surge to live unbound”

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Cast

Kenji Matsuda
Kagerou
Maju Ozawa
Aoi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kenji Tanigaki
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Shinobi Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Kenji Matsuda and Maju Ozawa carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A final surge to live unbound".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt4069200 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kenji Tanigaki directs. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 23 years ago.
3Part of the "Shinobi Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Kenji Matsuda and Maju Ozawa carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "A final surge to live unbound".
7IMDB entry: tt4069200 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Runtime: 80 min · 1h 20m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Shinobi 4: A Way Out (2003)

Part of

Shinobi Collection

In the world of the Ninja, skills as a fighter play only a small role in determining one's rank among the order of Shinobi. Kageru is from the village of Shiroyama. He is strong, fast and extremely intelligent - the best in his class. But therein lies the problem, for Kageru's birth predestines him to the lower class of Shinobi. His friend Aoi finds herself in the same situation, and together they will be forced to question not only themselves, but also some of the most sacred edicts of the Shinobi hierarchy. They must choose between their mission and their lives, and between their destinies and the Law of Shinobi. Kagerou and Aoi soon become fugitives, pursued by the Shinobi of Shiroyama, and assassins hailing from all the families of Iga. The chase is on. Kagerou and Aoi are left to search for both the sincerity of their allegiances as well as asylum from their hunters. Such are their lives as Runaways.