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 and serves as a standalone sequel to Terkel in Trouble from 2004. It stars Anders Matthesen and Alfred Bjerre Larsen.
| Checkered Ninja | |
|---|---|
_Film_Poster.jpg) | |
| Danish | Ternet Ninja |
| Directed by | Thorbjørn Christoffersen Anders Matthesen |
| Screenplay by | Anders Matthesen |
| Based on | Checkered Ninja by Anders Matthesen |
| Produced by | Anders Mastrup Trine Heidegaard Cemille Matthesen |
| Starring | Anders Matthesen Alfred Bjerre Larsen Emma Sehested Høeg |
| Cinematography | Niels Grønlykke |
| Edited by | Kristian Håskjold |
| Music by | Christian Vinten |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Nordisk Film (Scandinavia) LevelK (rest of the world) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 81 min. |
| Country | Denmark |
| Languages | Danish English |
| Box office | $2,040,520[1] |
The film was released on December 25, 2018, to positive response and box office success.
The film was dubbed to English in 2019, with an Irish cast, and the dubbed version was released on Amazon Prime and iTunes. The international sales of the film has been handled by LevelK Film while the dubbing was done by Moetion Films.
Plot edit
In Thailand, Danish businessman Phillip Eberfrø arrives to check on his new factory. After a boy named Quang accidentally uses his scarf to create a checkered ninja doll, Eberfrø brutally beats him to death. At that moment, lightning strikes, causing the doll to be possessed by a spirit of a deceased ninja. As the Checkered Ninja ends up on a Danish cargo ship, he is picked up by Stewart Stardust, who gives the doll to his nephew Aske Stenstrøm as a birthday present. At school, the Ninja comes alive and defends Aske's friend, Odysseus, from a bully named Glenn using Aske’s voice. After school, Aske learns that the doll is alive after he insults Glenn. Glenn chases Aske throughout Albertslund and the doll quickly gets rid of him and the two quickly become friends. The Checkered Ninja promises to help Aske, in exchange for him unknowingly helping him get revenge against Eberfrø using his lost credit card as a lie to return it to him. Aske realises that Eberfrø shares the same last name as his crush Jessica. He then learns from his mother that Jessica’s dad is also called Phillip so the Ninja makes sure that Aske is invited to Jessica’s upcoming party on Saturday.
After Aske’s stepbrother Sune, attempts to tell everyone about his crush on Jessica, the Ninja, using Aske’s voice and the school intercom, confesses Aske’s love for her to the whole school. Aske and the Ninja challenge Glenn to a fight on the same day as Jessica’s party. Choosing the playground for the fight, Aske and the Ninja build traps to ensure Aske’s win. On the night before the fight, Aske asks if the doll if he is a real ninja which he responds by telling him about ninja clans that lived in Iga Province and how the samurais were sent to massacre them. A ninja named Taiko Nakamura was given the mission of protecting the clan’s children whilst fleeing the province. But he was betrayed by one of the clan members and led Nobunaga soldiers to Nakamura’s hut. Nakamura killed most of the soldiers but they burnt down the hut, killing the clan’s children. Enraged, he vowed for vengeance in exchange for his soul and committed suicide with his katana (seppuku). His soul left his body and killed the traitor and went on to become an avenging spirit that dedicates himself to protect children.
On the day of the fight, Aske wins, gaining him popularity and causing Jessica to invite him to her party. At the party, Aske and the Ninja confront her father who is not the one the Ninja is looking for as he spells his last name ‘Eberfrö’. Eberfrö gives Aske and the Ninja Eberfrø’s address. The Ninja wants Aske to leave the party to go to Eberfrø’s house but he refuses, causing the Ninja to embarrass him in front of everyone, ruining his newfound popularity. Aske is forced to join after the Ninja insults Jessica using Aske’s voice in which she kisses Odysseus instead, upsetting Aske. The two arrive at Eberfrø's house where the Ninja attempts to kill him. Eberfrø escapes, as does Aske and the Ninja. Aske realises that the Ninja is actually Nakamura. When Aske refuses to help him, Nakamura attempts to murder Sune after what Aske said earlier (“I just wish you were dead”). This makes Aske seem insane, causing him to be imprisoned in an asylum. While in the asylum, Aske and Nakamura strike a deal to bring down Eberfrø without killing him. Visiting Stewart, he gives them a number of a drug dealer who gives them a kilogram of cocaine. Aske inserts the cocaine into Nakamura’s body, intending to frame Eberfrø for possession of illegal drugs, and follows Eberfrø to the airport where Aske and Nakamura emotionally bid farewell. As Eberfrø arrives in Thailand, Nakamura jumps onto him. Police subsequently find Eberfrø carrying the cocaine-stuffed doll. Nakamura’s spirit leaves the ninja doll and Eberfrø is promptly arrested.
Back in Denmark, Aske finds out that before departing, Nakamura sent Jessica a voicemail, using his voice, apologising to her and the two to become a couple. That night, Aske sees on the news about street criminals and, inspired by Nakamura, becomes a vigilante, dedicated to protecting Albertslund.
Cast edit
| Role | Danish | English[2] |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Stenstrøm (Aske Stenstrøm) | Alfred Bjerre Larsen | |
| Cameron Simpson | ||
| Jessica Eppermynt (Jessica Eberfrö) | Emma Sehested Høeg | |
| Ava Connolly | ||
| Taiko Nakamura / Checkered Ninja (Ternet Ninja) | Anders Matthesen | |
| Luke Griffin | ||
| John (Jørn) | ||
| Philip Eppermint (Phillip Eberfrø) | ||
| Tina (Mie) | ||
| Gina (Fie) | ||
| Sirena Stenstrøm (Sirene Stenstrøm) | Doireann Ní Chorragáin | |
| Stewart Stardust | Michael Glenn Murphy
Paul Tylak (singing voice) | |
| Sean (Sune) | Paul Tylak | |
| Glenn | ||
| Jasper (Jeppe) | ||
| Hugin | ||
| Principal | ||
| Security guard | ||
| Odysseus | Emmet Ryan | |
| Munin | ||
| Scooter Scotty (Scooter Schrødder) | Brendan McDonald | |
| Eppermynt (Eberfrö) | ||
| Siberius | ||
| Carsten | ||
| Dr. Warming | ||
| Perry (Pelle) | Eoin Daly | |
| Boys |
Reception edit
Jordan Mintzner of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, summarizing 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 edit
| Checkered Ninja (Ternet Ninja) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 2019 |
| Recorded | 2018 |
| Genre | Hip hop |
| Label | Sony Music |
| Producer | Kewan Padré |
| Singles from Checkered Ninja | |
| |
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" ("Skubber det sne") was also released independently. The English versions of the songs were sung by the Danish hip-hop singer Waqas Qadri ("Taiko Nakamura", "Pesto" and "Pushin That Snow") and songwriter Jimmy Antony ("Jessica" and "Alex’s Goodbye") according to the credits of the English dub version of the film. Paul Tylak, who voices Stewart in the second movie (replacing Michael Glenn Murphy) provides the English vocals to "The Best in the World" ("Verdens bedste").
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Checkered Ninja’s Theme (Ternet Tema)" | 1:37 |
| 2. | "Jessica (Jessicas sang)" | 1:00 |
| 3. | "Pesto" | 2:56 |
| 4. | "Taiko Nakamura" | 3:36 |
| 5. | "The Best in the World (Verdens bedste)" | 1:23 |
| 6. | "Pushin That Snow (Skubber det sne)" | 2:54 |
| 7. | "Alex’s Goodbye (Askes farvelsang)" | 1:25 |
Sequels edit
A sequel, Checkered Ninja 2 (Ternet Ninja 2) was announced, based on Anders Matthesen's sequel to the original novel which was published in 2019. The film was released on August 19, 2021, and saw Anders Matthesen and Thorbjørn Christoffersen return as directors.[8] The film went into production in late 2019 with a budget of 8,000,000 DKK (1,319,108.80 US dollars) provided by the Danish Film Institute.[9]
A third film, Checkered Ninja 3 (Ternet Ninja 3) was announced in 2023 with Anders Matthesen and Thorbjørn Christoffersen returning as directors and Trine Heidegaard and Anders Mastrup returning as producers.[10] The film is planned to be released in Denmark on August 21, 2025.[11]
References edit
- ^ "Checkered Ninja" – via Box Office Mojo.
- ^ "Checkered Ninja". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Hartvig Nielsen, Daniel. "EKSKLUSIVT: TERNET NINJA 2 FÅR PREMIEREDATO (EXCLUSIVE: CHECKERED NINJA 2 GETS RELEASE DATE)".. Kino.dk May 2019. (Danish)
- ^ Hoff, Frederik. "Otte millioner til Ternet Ninja 2 (Eight million to Checkered Ninja 2)".. Ekko Film Magazine. November 1, 2019. (Danish)
- ^ Mitchell, Wendy (2023-10-31). "LevelK strikes with 'Checkered Ninja 3' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Pham, Annika (2023-10-31). "Levelk and TrustNordisk bring top Nordic animation projects to the AFM". Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
