EDITOR’S NOTE: As the journey through Cannon continues, this week we’re exploring the films of 21st Century Film Corporation, which would be the company that Menahem Golan would take over after Cannon. Formed by Tom Ward and Art Schweitzer in 1971 (or 1976, there are some disputed expert opinions), 21st Century had a great logo and released some wild stuff.

Before Cannon popularized ninjas, they were still showing up in movies like this one, also known as Powerforce and directed by Michael Mak, brother of Johnny and also the director of Sex and Zen.

It stars Bruce Baron (The Atlantis Interceptors, several Godfrey Ho movies like Ninja Champion) as Jack Sargeant, who eventually becomes a member of Dragon Force after facing off with two men dressed as a Chinese dragon, a flute-playing girl and a kabuki fighter, which makes me wonder if this wants to have every Asian stereotype in one breath. He’s protecting Princess Rawleen (Mandy Moore, no not the singer of “Candy”) from a criminal empire who has been killing all the members of the Mongrovian royal family (which is right next to Moldavia). In fact, when she’s hiding out at a friend’s house and trying to take a bath, ninjas show up and kidnap her.

Tan Lung (Bruce Li) is in charge of the Dragon Force and no, Herman Li, Sam Totman, Marc Hudson, Gee Anzalone and Alicia Vigil aren’t in this. Instead, they are a G.I. Joe karate force of extraordinary magnitude. It turns out that in order to win the space race, Russia is going to use acupuncture to take over the mind of the Princess. Russia has ninjas? How will we ever win the Cold War?

Dragon Force even has uniforms and an arms maker, Ah Chu — yes, that joke gets lobbed — who makes them bulletproof t-shirts. Yet this movie is all about the ninjas. Someone says, “Blood will flow from the body’s five holes!” but it’s more like “Ninjas will show up non-stop for the last ten minutes.” A giant tower of ninjas. Ninjas on wires. Ninjas getting their arms ripped clean off. Ninjas blowing up real good. Ninjas having their guts spray all over the screen. All different colored ninjas, all dying in the most incredible ways.

This was distributed not only by 21st Century, but also Bedford Entertainment, who seemed driven to distribute movies that I am crazy about, like Slashers, House On the Edge of the Park, Anaza hevun and even Messiah of Evil as Dead People.

This movie is amazing. You know how they put Criterion blu rays out that are always really stuffy movies that people have long discussions about and we’re supposed to just believe that those are all cinema is? Do any of them have ninjas or good guys who hide in a bakery called the Good Fu King Bakery Co? There are also two attractive women all over Jack at one point and one says, “We don’t have sergeants here, we’re only interested in privates.”

21st Century licensed this to Planet Video.

You can watch this on Tubi.