American Ninja (1985)

Director:

Sam Firstenberg

Writers:

Gideon Amir (story)
Paul De Mielche (writer)

Release Date:

30 August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sport

Tagline:

The Orient created the world's deadliest art.Now there's an American master!

Plot:

American soldier, obviously very skilled in martial arts, single-handedly takes on mercenaries in the Philippines.

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Training | Ninja | Ninja Magic | Punched In The Face

Cast

Michael Dudikoff	...	Pvt. Joe Armstrong
Steve James	...	Cpl. Curtis Jackson
Judie Aronson	...	Patricia Hickock
Guich Koock	...	Col. William T. Hickock
John Fujioka	...	Shinyuki
Don Stewart	...	Victor Ortega
John LaMotta	...	MSgt. Rinaldo (as John La Motta)
Tadashi Yamashita	...	Black Star ninja
Phil Brock	...	Pvt. Charley Madison
Tony Carreon	...	Older Colombian
Roi Vinzon	...	Younger Colombian
Manolet Escudero	...	Bodyguard
Greg Rocero	...	Bodyguard (as Gregg Rocero)
Berto Spoor	...	Bodyguard
Michael Hackbart	...	Bodyguard

Also Known As:

American Warrior (USA) (trailer title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | West Germany:18 (original rating) (cut) | Germany:18 (re-release) (uncut) | Australia:M | USA:R (Certificate #27866) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2008) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1986) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | UK:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Philippines

Company:

Cannon Group

Trivia:

A rare 1984 poster featuring the rock band 'KISS' advertising their then current album "Animalize" can be seen on the wall in Joe's squad's sleeping quarters. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Eric Carr have their faces hidden by additional stickers to avoid any legalities and Mark St. John's head seems to be cropped off by the camera angle.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Ninjas do not follow the Bushido.

Quotes:

Ortega: This is Shinyuki. I found him in the jungle when I bought the estate, dressed in the uniform of a Japanese soldier, unaware for many years that the war was over. He never says a word.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: High Top Fade Out (#4.7)" (2009)

Dude the Koff : Word !

Although others might disagree, I strongly believe that there are far too many beautiful moments in this film that do demand mention and critique :

· Close you eyes and LISTEN to the last few seconds of the credit's score. That is one *enraged* horn.

· There are lots of chubby and scruffy-haired men in The Army in this movie.

· In the 1st back-shot, there is obviously no gun on the first hijacker that approaches the caravan. In the next two shots, there obviously is a gun strapped behind him.

· Dudikoff does a lot of bunny hops and touchdown-dives in his first battle sequence for no apparent reason.

· Black Army Dude : Gets shot in the back with an arrow AND gets stabbed in the stomach with a sword. Later, when Black Star Ninja orders his men after Joe, can be seen getting up and walking off the set. (*)

· The First Truck that Dudikoff helps out in the first shot leaves with its back flap open. Later, it's tied down.

· Ninja's carefully sliding down palm tree's like Ghostbusters's

· (*) ALSO : The second arrow that the Palm Tree Ninja fires at the 2nd Army dude is in the scene before he fires it.

· Not even his commanding officers seem to know Joe's name or rank.

· Everybody makes a big deal about Joe being the `American Ninja' but no one mentions that Senior Ortega only hires Phillipino Ninjas. What's up with that ?

· `He Posses great SKILLS.'

· Happy, light-hearted music during the 'Romancing The Stone' moment when Joe cuts the Cornell's daughter's miniskirt.

· Ninja look over bush. Ninja look under bush.

· Joe hangs out with The Cornell's Daughter and the movie turns into an Irish Spring commercial few a few terrifying moments. Joe looks sincerely nervous, confused, and sexually frustrated during this awkward moment.

· `Have you ever heard of Nijistu, Sir ?...Well, according to witness testimony and evidence, this massacre was the work of Ninjas.'

· `Ninjas ?'

· `Yes, Sir.'

· Senior Ortega : The Frenchman ? Dude, come on ! Make up your mind !

· Joe does a great lazy-ass, pansy, salute and then 90-degree exit, stage left.

· `Date of Birth : Unknown... But at age 16 was sent to reform school for almost killing a man.' Now, wait a second. If you don't know when you were born, how can you tell when you are 16 ?

· `Construction crew found him in an island off the Pacific 6 years ago, knocked unconscious by an explosion where they were blasting a road threw the jungle.' Remember this quote. That means that all of the flashbacks to when Joe was a VERY pre-pubescent child, was only `6 years ago.' Ninja time-warp paradox.

· As is mentioned before, Senior Ortega, in a very Austin Powers moment, likes to describe his plans allowed in front of the Mr. Mijagi Guy.

· Color-cornated ninja running through the swing set of death traps.

· The chubby Army troop that Jackson leads in March is pretending to, but really isn't, mumbling any type of military drill march.

· `We left all the glory boys in Vietnam.'

· `Ain't this a bitch ? I've been instructing martial arts in the Army for many years now.....'

· When Jackson presses Joe about his kung-fu origins, Joe answers that, `It's a long story.' He then proceeds to describe that `long story' in 4 sentences : 13 seconds flat.

· `I knew I touched something again.'

· Joe gives Jackson a manly head-nuggie in a very Top Gun oily-bicep moment.

· Charlie asks Joe how he plans to get off the base without the MP's noticing and Joe is like, `Well, check out that huge ramp that someone conveniently left right next to that wall.' Whomever was Dudikoff's stunt double that day earned their pay the hard way. Watch that landing in slow motion and try not to cringe. Our friend, the horn, is also back with a vengeance.

· Senior Ortega feels not only comfortable explaining his plans aloud to the Mr. Mijiagi Guy, but also in giving assignation commands in front of his waiter.

· Just as Joe's commanding officers don't know his name or rank, Joe never has to identify himself when showing up for duty.

· When hosting Saturday Night Live, John Goodman had this great `Ninja Community Collage' skit where he tried unsuccessfully to train his class of ninja to attack their enemy all at once, instead of one at a time. They even sampled clips from `American Ninja 3'. Only after viewing this movie a few times over can you appreciate the brilliant humor of that skit.

· Ninja in a box !

· In the Indian Jones / Lethal Weapon / Cape Fear moment, Joe hides under the truck. From his vantage point, you can see that as they pull into the warehouse that the driveway is empty. In the next shot there are 4 ninja (3 left : 1 right) standing in the driveway.

· Bonus points if you catch the Black Star Ninja's bald spot !

· The Ambushed guard is very obedient when Joe stuffs him into a barrel.

· Just as the are random ramps around the base, there are also random ladders next to the barbed wire fences of the stockade.

· When caught in an arm lock, Joe just kind of blows off the Black Star Ninja.

· ½ hour later, Jackson signals Joe in the motor pool with his truck's headlights.even though Joe is only a few feet off-stage to our left.

· `You gotta trust somebody, sometime !'

· Jackson drop kicks one dude's rifle then throws down a great , `Peace !....never mind.' sign.

· The Segarant's exploding car. Like a Pinto in heat.

· `Without this shipment, this county will fall to the Communists !'

· Bonus points if you can spot the Cornell's bald spot.

· Close your eyes and listen to Joe kick people in the nuts.

· The Mr. Mijagi Guy pops up again and we have a flashback back to `when I was 6' which, according to the previous information, was `6 years ago.' Which means that Joe is now 12 years old and in the Army because `at age 16 he was sent to reform school for almost killing a man.' Ninja time warp paradox.

· `Beware the Black Star Ninja. He just saw Jedi last night for the 15th time and is biting it's plot, big time.'

· As mentioned before, we are in store for a great massacre royal. Every extra gives performances above and beyond the call of duty, but honorable mention does go out to :

· 2nd person that Jackson shoots on balcony who drops his weapon and climbs FORWARD, over balcony.

· Dude who suddenly appears on the hood of Jackson's jeep than just as suddenly pushes himself off.

· Guy in the corner of the roof who throws his hands up in the air and waves them just like he just don't care.

· Ninja flamethrower ! Ninja wrist machine gun ! Ninja laser !

· Joe jumps onto a real helicopter with a front rail. Later, a toy model helicopter with no front rail is blown up by Jackson.

· Like I said, this is a priceless movie filled with many a beautiful moment, only a few that I have shared with you here. Anyone who is serious about being a director/ editor should study this film intently for 72 hours and then write their own thesis. Myself, I pledge to you, the good people of the imdb.com board, that when I become Quinten Tarinatino famous (or at least Kevin Smith successful) to hunt down and employ Michael Dudikoff in a cameo role in EVERY SINGLE one of my big-budget films. It's the least that we owe him for his contribution to our art form.

· Strength and honor -

· Bolger.