Ninja Phantom Heroes belongs to a martial action tradition where masks, secret allegiances and sudden changes of identity turn combat into a contest of information. A costume tells the viewer how to expect a body to move before the story explains who is inside it. Watch for the transitions between covert pursuit and open confrontation. The film's rhythm is best approached through those bursts of action and the ways editing makes a fighter seem to appear, disappear or control more space than a single person should.