American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987)

User Rating:

3.6/10   

Director:

Sam Firstenberg

Writers:

Gary Conway (story)
Gary Conway (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 May 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot:

On a remote Caribbean island, Army Ranger Joe Armstrong saves an old friend from the clutches of "The Lion", an evil super-criminal who has kidnapped a local scientist and mass-produced an army of mutant Ninja warriors. |

Plot Keywords:

Ninja | Sequel | Martial Arts | American Ninja | Second Part

Cast

Michael Dudikoff	...	Sgt. Joe Armstrong
Steve James	...	Sgt. Curtis Jackson
Larry Poindexter	...	Sgt. Charlie McDonald
Gary Conway	...	Leo 'The Lion' Burke
Jeff Celentano	...	Capt. 'Wild Bill' Woodward (as Jeff Weston)
Michelle Botes	...	Alicia Sanborn
Mike Stone	...	Tojo Ken
Len Sparrowhawk	...	Pat McCarthy
Jonathan Pienaar	...	Tommy Taylor
Bill Curry	...	Inspector Singh
Dennis Folbigge	...	Sir Cloudsly Smith
Elmo Fillis	...	Toto
Ralph Draper	...	Professor Sanborne
John Pasternack	...	Vesuvius (as John Pasternak)
Gary Ford	...	Ambassador Scruggs

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | West Germany:16 | USA:R (Certificate #28530) | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2005) | Norway:18 (video premiere) | UK:18 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Company:

Cannon Group

Trivia:

Prior to the film's release in 1987, several cuts had to be made in order to recieve it's "R" rating due to excessive close-ups in various fight scenes.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Joe finishes off the ninja who trips him outside of Alicia's door, he does so by bending his leg in the opposing direction that was meant to be bent in, with sounds effects indicating the knee has been broken. However, it is clearly obvious that Joe actually bends it in a painless manner, but has turned the leg over to create the opposite image.

Quotes:

Wild Bill Woodward: Ninja? What the hell are ninja?
Curtis Jackson: They're a secret Japanese society expert in the art of assassination.
Wild Bill Woodward: Tell me, what would Japanese assassins be doing in this part of the world, taking a vacation?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Robbing Peter (2004)

Soundtrack:

Move to the City

Cheap and cheerful Ninja fun!.

Don't go into this expecting a Steven Seagal or Van Damme type movie. This was made when the Ninja was big on the small screen. I've seen countless Videos of Ninja movies, but this one, with Ninja III:The Domination, stuck in the mind.

Looking back on it, this movie somewhat tacky now but it's about entertainment more than anything. The story is feeble, but you want to see this for the action above anything else.

Steve James is about the only one in the film that acts really, I really can't see how he never made top billing around all the cardboard actors on screen. I saw this movie many years ago and thought it was an excellent movie back in my "Ninja phase", it's bad in places and fun in others. Don't go into this with a straight face, try and enjoy it as a fun "straight to video" movie.