Season Three Episode Twenty-Two: Master Ninja I
Network: Comedy Central
Riffers: Tom Servo, Joel Robinson, and Crow T. Robot
Mads: Dr. Clayton Forrester and TV's Frank
Plot Synopsis: Another TV Show turned Movie, this 'movie' involves an old man (Lee Van Cleef), a former World War II vet who stayed in Japan and learned to become a Ninja Master, and his hot-headed American apprentice (Tim Van Patten) travel around with a gerbil in a van looking for the Ninja's daughter and helping out people in trouble. Any similarities with ANOTHER 80's show about a group of vets in a van helping people is totally coincdental and definitely not something this TV series ripped off. Nope.
Host Segments:
Prologue: The Bots make up their own model car, and Magic Voice is a bit cranky.
Segment One/Invention Exchange: The Mads make Boil-In-A-Bag IVs, while Joel and the Bots make adult-oriented pop-up books. Dr. Forrester tries to smother TV's Frank with a pillow.
Segment Two: Crow discusses the conspiracy that is the Van Patten Project.
Segment Three: JatBs have a war of background music.
Segment Four: JatBs demonstrate alternatives forms of nunchucks.
Ending Segment: JatBs start their own funk-fusion action band to chase away the bad movie blues, and create the Master Ninja Theme Song. Frank turns things around and tries to smother Dr. Forrester.
Stinger: Timothy Van Patten admits confusion, "To them it’s some kind of ritual."
Review:
What a really strange TV Sho- er.. Movie. It is strange to see Lee Van Cleef play a ninja (well, most of the time.) Not to mention seeing one of the best directors HBO has as some mumble-mouth hero. Oh, and don't forget the gerbil and van.
The riffing was really strong for this episode, I felt. Lots of laugh out loud moments. Since this show was made in the middle of the 80's, the riffing definitely enhances the show, but you can tell the TV Series is as hilarious without Joel and the Bots there. The host segments I thought were pretty good too, and I particularly enjoyed The Mads trying to smother each other. All in all, a great episode. 9/10
Trivia: It appears that the big scene where Max confronts Christensen in his office building is actually the same building they shot Die Hard in. Oh man, talk about a missed riff. Another thing to note is that instead of the usual ending credits song, we get the Master Ninja Theme Song.
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