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IMDbPro

American Ninja

  • 1985
  • R
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
16K
YOUR RATING
Michael Dudikoff and Tadashi Yamashita in American Ninja (1985)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer1:38
1 Video
96 Photos
ActionAdventureRomance

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

  • Director
    • Sam Firstenberg
  • Writers
    • Paul De Mielche
    • Avi Kleinberger
    • Gideon Amir
  • Stars
    • Michael Dudikoff
    • Steve James
    • Judie Aronson
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.4/10
    16K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Sam Firstenberg
    • Writers
      • Paul De Mielche
      • Avi Kleinberger
      • Gideon Amir
    • Stars
      • Michael Dudikoff
      • Steve James
      • Judie Aronson
    • 112User reviews
    • 76Critic reviews
    • 20Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:38
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos96

    Michael Dudikoff and Tadashi Yamashita in American Ninja (1985)
    Michael Dudikoff in American Ninja (1985)
    Michael Dudikoff in American Ninja (1985)
    Michael Dudikoff in American Ninja (1985)
    Michael Dudikoff and Tadashi Yamashita in American Ninja (1985)
    Michael Dudikoff and John Fujioka in American Ninja (1985)
    Michael Dudikoff and Tadashi Yamashita in American Ninja (1985)
    Michael Dudikoff and Tadashi Yamashita in American Ninja (1985)
    Michael Dudikoff in American Ninja (1985)
    Michael Dudikoff and Tadashi Yamashita in American Ninja (1985)
    Michael Dudikoff in American Ninja (1985)
    American Ninja (1985)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Michael Dudikoff
    Michael Dudikoff
    • Joe
    Steve James
    Steve James
    • Jackson
    Judie Aronson
    Judie Aronson
    • Patricia
    Guich Koock
    • Hickock
    John Fujioka
    John Fujioka
    • Shinyuki
    Don Stewart
    Don Stewart
    • Ortega
    John LaMotta
    • Rinaldo
    • (as John La Motta)
    Tadashi Yamashita
    Tadashi Yamashita
    • Black Star Ninja
    Phillip Brock
    Phillip Brock
    • Charley
    • (as Phil Brock)
    Tony Carreon
    • Older Colombian
    Roi Vinzon
    Roi Vinzon
    • Younger Colombian
    Manolet Escudero
    • Bodyguard
    Greg Rocero
    • Bodyguard
    • (as Gregg Rocero)
    Berto Spoor
    • Bodyguard
    Michael Hackbart
    • Bodyguard
    Jerry Bailey
    • Head Hijacker
    Rohy Batliwala
    • Truck Driver
    Jim Gaines
    • Truck Driver
    • (as James Gaines)
    • Director
      • Sam Firstenberg
    • Writers
      • Paul De Mielche
      • Avi Kleinberger
      • Gideon Amir
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In an interview with German media in 2012, Michael Dudikoff revealed that he sweated so much during the later fight scenes because he had malaria.
    • Goofs
      After Joe jumps Jackson's bike over the wall to the American base, the stuntman, who is not wearing a helmet, smashing his face into the bike's windshield.
    • Quotes

      Shinyuki: You are ready, my son. I will be with you indeed and in my heart. Follow the Bushido.

      Joe: I will honor the code, father.

    • Alternate versions
      All previous cuts were waived for the UK DVD release which is uncut.
    • Connections
      Featured in Movie Nights: American Ninja (2011)

    User reviews112

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    "He...Possess...Great...Skills."
    When asked at school "What do you want to be when you grow up?" most kids answer fireman or astronaut. To hell with that, I wanted to be the American Ninja. As far back as I can remember I wanted to be the American Ninja. So, I finally picked it up on DVD the other day and let me say this is one of the corniest action movies out there, but I still love it. It's one of my fondest childhood dreams. As unrealistic as it may seem, Michael Dudikoff stills kicks ass, as does the late, great Steve James. Dudikoff single handedly takes out an entire private army of ninjas. It's better than Commando. It's definitely not for the serious action audience. But here's the real kicker, the villain who is hijacking military equipment to sell to the highest bidder is only making 4 million dollars. That's really not that much money for all of the trouble he's going through. Did he only go to one bidder or what? Oh well, it's all about fun, right? My friend came up with the suggestion that we should get all of the eighties martial arts stars and have a huge battle royal. To which I replied: "Well, Dudikoff and Steve James would team up with Ralph Macchio to win the thing." Check out jedibolger's comments for a hearty laugh.
    helpful•16
    2
    • Backlash007
    • Oct 25, 2002

    Top picks

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    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the BBFC-18 VHS and the uncut version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 30, 1985 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Philippines
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • American Fighter
    • Filming locations
      • Philippines
    • Production companies
      • The Cannon Group
      • Golan-Globus Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $10,499,694
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,234,837
      • Sep 2, 1985
    • Gross worldwide
      • $10,499,694
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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