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The two-part adventure
Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu is based on a line of toys Lego introduced in 2011. Kai, a young blacksmith, is eager--too eager--to forge a great sword. He initially snubs the unassuming Sensei Wu, the master of Spinjitzu martial arts. When Kai's sister Nya is kidnapped by Samukai and his skeleton army from the Underworld, Wu realizes the evil Garmadon is using Samukai to find four legendary weapons that will give him enormous power. Wu trains Kai to join his student-warriors, Jay, Zane, and Cole, and keep Garmadon from seizing power.
Masters of Spinjitzu is a lightweight, product-based adventure, but it's not a terribly original one. The training sequence, which pits Kai against a series of armed mechanical devices, borrows heavily from
Kung Fu Panda. Other elements recall
Naruto and
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the filmmakers blithely mix Chinese, Japanese, and Western elements. But little kids who love their Lego toys will probably overlook these shortcoming and enjoy the adventure, which is obviously designed to kick off a series. Parents should be prepared to field requests for the many toys that appear in
Masters of Spinjitzu. (Unrated; suitable for ages 5 and older: cartoon violence)
--Charles Solomon
