5.4/10
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American Ninja (1985)

R | | Action, Adventure, Romance | 30 August 1985 (USA)
American Ninja Poster
American soldier, obviously very skilled in martial arts, single-handedly takes on mercenaries in the Philippines.

Director:

Writers:

(screenplay), (story) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Pvt. Joe T. Armstrong
... Cpl. Curtis Jackson
... Patricia Hickock
Guich Koock ... Col. William T. Hickock
... Shinyuki
... Victor Ortega
John LaMotta ... Rinaldo (as John La Motta)
... Black Star Ninja
... Pvt. Charley Madison (as Phil Brock)
Tony Carreon ... Older Colombian
... Younger Colombian
Manolet Escudero ... Bodyguard
Greg Rocero ... Bodyguard (as Gregg Rocero)
Berto Spoor ... Bodyguard
Michael Hackbart ... Bodyguard
See full cast »
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Storyline

Joe Armstrong, an orphaned drifter will little respect for much other than martial arts, finds himself on an American Army base in The Philippines after a judge gives him a choice of enlistment or prison. On one of his first missions driving a convoy, his platoon is attacked by a group of rebels who try to steal the weapons the platoon is transporting and kidnap Patricia, the base colonel's daughter, who happens to be along for the ride. Joe rescues Patricia and gets her safely back to the base, but everyone else in the platoon is killed, leading his superiors to conclude that Joe is guilty of cowardice, collaboration or simple incompetence. At the same time, the rebel leader vows revenge against the serviceman who disrupted his plans, and sends an army of ninjas to assassinate him and bring back Patricia. If he wants to survive and save the girl, Joe's going to have to draw on every last ounce of his training. Written by Jean-Marc Rocher <rocher@fiberbit.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

philippines | rebel | martial arts | colonel | prison | See All (244) »

Taglines:

The deadliest art of the Orient is now in the hands of an American. See more »

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Romance

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

30 August 1985 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

American Warrior  »

Filming Locations:

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Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,234,837, 2 September 1985, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$10,499,694
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Dudikoff only knew Karate before this film. But during the production of this film Michael Dudikoff started knowing other martial arts moves and earned a blackbelt See more »

Goofs

Several of the soldiers, including the Colonel who is in command, have hair that is way too long. They are not in compliance with Army regulations. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Pvt. Charley Madison: Hey! I'm great at that game. Back home in California, I'm like deadly. Hold on, I'll teach you girls how to play.
First Soldier: Yeah. Yeah.
Pvt. Charley Madison: Hey, Buddy, come on. We need an extra guy to even up the sides. Hey, come on.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Die schlechtesten Filme aller Zeiten: "Hercules" (2018) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the differences between the BBFC-18 VHS and the uncut version?
See more »

User Reviews

 
A ninja today, keeps the doctor away.
22 May 2006 | by – See all my reviews

A new army recruit proves to have Ninja skills which he then uses to fight hi-jackers and ninjas. Nobody seems to be impressed that the soldier saved the equipment and saved the colonel's daughter, just upset he got people killed. However this is because high officials in the army are in on the scam. Also the black-star ninja looks to do in our hero. American Ninja is one of those movies they just don't make anymore. The action sequences are well staged (Although edited poorly) and there are enough cheesy moments to make American Ninja just lovable. For example the part where the black star ninja pushes over a palm tree which then falls near Dudikoff's love interest. Also the climax has so much goofy action and ponderous zen philosophy (I dare anyone not to smile when Dudikoff says "Then he must die!") that the movie is even more fun now than it was in 1985.

* *1/2 out of 4-(Pretty good)
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