Checkered Ninja
Checkered Ninja (Danish: Ternet Ninja) is a 2018 Danish computer-animated comedy-drama film, directed by Anders Matthesen, and Thorbjørn Christoffersen, and based on Matthesen's 2016 novel Ternet Ninja. It stars Anders Matthesen and Alfred Bjerre Larsen.
Checkered Ninja | |
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Danish | Ternet Ninja |
Directed by | Thorbjørn Christoffersen Anders Matthesen |
Produced by | Anders Mastrup Trine Heidegaard Cemille Matthesen |
Screenplay by | Anders Matthesen |
Based on | Checkered Ninja by Anders Matthesen |
Starring | Anders Matthesen Alfred Bjerre Larsen Emma Sehested Høeg |
Music by | Christian Vinten |
Cinematography | Niels Grønlykke |
Edited by | Kristian Håskjold |
Production company | A. Film Pop Up Production Sudoku ApS |
Distributed by | Nordisk Film (Scandinavia) LevelK (rest of the world) |
Release date |
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Running time | 81 min. |
Country | Denmark |
Language | Danish English |
Box office | $2,040,520[1] |
The film was released on December 25, 2018, to positive response and box office success.
Plot
In Thailand, Danish businessman Philip Eberfrø arrives to check out his new factory. As a boy accidentally uses his scarf to create a checkered ninja doll, Eberfrø brutally beats him to death. In the same moment a lightning strikes, causing the doll to be possessed by the spirit of Taiko Nakamura. As the ninja ends up on a Danish cargo ship, he is picked up by Stewart Stardust, who gives him as a birthday present to his nephew Aske. After the ninja defends Aske's friend from a bully named Glenn, Aske find out the doll is alive, and the two strike a friendship, as the Checkered Ninja promises to help Aske, in exchange for revenge against Eberfrø.
Aske and the ninja challenge Glenn to a fight, which Aske wins, causing Aske's love interest Jessica to invite him to her party. However, as the ninja believes they should move on with the mission, Aske joins him unwillingly, and they arrive at Eberfrø's house where the ninja attempts to kill him. Eberfrø escapes, and as Aske becomes angry with the ninja for bring too brutal, the ninja makes Aske seem insane, causing him to be imprisoned in an asylum. While in the asylum they strike a deal to defeat Eberfrø. They insert a packet of cocaine into the ninja doll, and proceed to the airport. As Eberfrø arrives in Thailand, the ninja jumps onto him, the police find the cocaine, and Eberfrø is arrested.
Cast
- Alfred Bjerre Larsen as Aske Stenstrøm
- Anders Matthesen as Taiko Nakamura
- Matthesen also portrays all other roles in the film.
- Emma Sehested Høeg as Jessica
Reception
The film currently have an 89% audience response on Rotten Tomatoes.[2] Jordan Mintzner of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, summarising it as "Clever and a bit crude".[3] The film also sold over 1 million tickets in Denmark, making it the highest-grossing Danish film since Op på fars hat from 1986.[4]
The film won three Robert Awards,[5] for best children's film, best adapted screenplay, and best original song (Skubber det sne). It was also nominated for the Bodil Award for Best Danish Film.[6]
Music
Checkered Ninja | |
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Soundtrack album by | |
Released | 2019 |
Recorded | 2018 |
Genre | Hip hop |
Label | Sony Music |
Producer | Kewan Padré |
Singles from Checkered Ninja | |
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Music for the film was composed by Christian Vinten, while six original songs were written and performed by Anders Matthesen, and produced by Kewan Padré.[7] The singles "Pesto" and "Pushing the Snow" was also released independently.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Checkered Theme" | |
2. | "Jessica's Song" | 1:00 |
3. | "Pesto" | 2:56 |
4. | "Taiko Nakamura" | 3:36 |
5. | "World's Best" | 1:23 |
6. | "Pushing the Snow" | 2:54 |
7. | "Aske's Goodbye Song" | 1:25 |
References
- "Checkered Ninja" – via Box Office Mojo.
- "Checkered Ninja (Ternet Ninja) (2018)" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
- Mintzner, Jordan (2019-06-14). "'Checkered Ninja' ('Ternet Ninja'): Film Review | Annecy 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-07-31.
- "Checkered Ninja hits the 900,000 mark". www.dfi.dk.
- "Ternet Ninja vinder tre priser til årets Robert prisuddeling". February 3, 2019.
- "Bodilprisen: "Ternet Ninja" nomineret til årets bedste film". Filmz. January 11, 2019.
- "Ternet Ninja (Soundtrack)". Spotify.