American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt

I don't know exactly why Michael Dudikoff didn't return for part 3, but apparently some conflict did emerge between him and Cannon, seeing how his agent (when contacted by a Hollywood gossip column) refused to get into it and simply said, "He's appearing in no more ninja movies!" (Oddly, Dudikoff did return for part 4.) Upon examining the finished product (and remembering the details from the previous movies), it seems that part 3 *was* originally written for Dudikoff's return. Sure, the movie showcases Bradley's character, but as you are watching the movie, you can mentally do some minor rewrites in your mind and see Dudikoff in the role. The fact that there are a number of scenes that do absolutely nothing to advance the plot, as well as a third-wheel character who proves to be absolutely unnecessary, just further the suspicion that the movie was hastily reconstructed upon Dudikoff's exit.

Whether or not the movie was rewritten or not, the end results are pretty poor. Once again, Steve James proves the better actor (and martial artist), though this time around he barely gets a chance to show both of those talents. Bradley proves to be even more underwhelming than Dudikoff, if you can imagine that. The low budget is starting to become pretty evident, and the whole enterprise is poorly directed. Not just with the fight scenes being remarkably unexciting, but even simple scenes of dialogue are at times done with incredible incompetence. The story itself is pretty garbled at times - that is, when it *bothers* to try telling a story. But what do you expect from notorious schlock producer Harry Alan Towers? It's hard to believe, but he has you fondly remembering the days of Golan and Globus!

This was my first, and most likely also the last, time to watch "American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt". It just wasn't an "American Ninja" movie without Michael Dudikoff. This third movie was more of a mutation between "Karate Kid" and "American Ninja", but it just never took hold on either account.

Sean, a boy who was orphaned and taken in by a Japanese and trained to be a ninja, is participating in a martial arts competition. But when he sees his sensei kidnapped, the martial arts competition become of no interest, and Sean sets out to find his kidnapped sensei and fight all the ninjas in his way.

Right... Seriously? Couldn't they have come up with something just a bit more original? Why boil soup on a formula already exhausted? The acting in this third installment to the "American Ninja" series was up to par with the previous movies, adequate but not particularly memorable.

As with the previous movies, you know exactly how the movie will unfold, as they used the same recipe three times by now.

And to top the icing on the cake, "American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt" had an overly annoying piano score playing throughout a large part of the movie. I am sure it was intended to compliment the movie, but it just added a level of idiotic spoof to the atmosphere of the movie.

And it was especially entertaining to see Sean throw to arrows, yes throw, and killing two ninjas with them.

Despite lacking originality and the original "American Ninja" star then this third movie is adequate, albeit slightly less mediocre, in entertainment value.

When I found out that Dudikoff was not going to feature in this sequel, my heart sank immediately but still, I decided to give this one a chance. Sadly, it didn't live up the expectations that I had hoped for

First off, I thought that the character Sean Davidson written for newly American Ninja star David Bradley here was kind of out of place. Hands down to David for an impressive performance here but I felt that he was portrayed more of like of the grown up version of Daniel from karate kid and has no Ninja background within him whatsoever which for me seemed out of place

Apart from that, I felt that the script for film was quickly rewritten after Dudikoff's exit. Rumors had it that he and the director (and probably Steve James) had some kind of argument backstage which led to Michael's departure from the franchise. James did a decent job in trying to make the film entertaining but in the end the film failed to impress me due to the fact that the title itself didn't really connect to the film

I think that if the crew took time in developing Bradley's character better (by giving him a more convincing ninja background), then it would have made the film better than what was given here

American Ninja, yet another series of movies which failed from the word "go" brings us yet another sequel; American Ninja 3: Bloodhunt.

Chop socky is not the word for the American Ninja movies...boring comes more to mind. I've seen American Ninja 1, 2 and now 3 and each one is just so boring. I think the 3rd installment tops it off.

No Dudikoff this time, maybe he's seen sense and got the hell out of the American Ninja movies before it completely wrecks his constant down hill career. Although Mr badass himself, Steve James (Jackson) returns, who looks so out of place. There's also a new guy in town, David Bradley, who in my opinion is just a beefier version of Dudikoff, but with less acting abilities and more facial expressions.

As usual the countless number of "ninja's" if that's what you want to call them (I personally think they are the local thugs dressed in pj's) are back. These ninja are possibly the biggest pushovers in movie history, they can't fight for toffee. James and Bradley have to wade through them all, displaying awful choreographed fight scenes (which is the highlight of the movie, as it's so pathetically funny) and kill the usual bad guy...whose also a pushover.

American Ninja is bad, I mean really bad. Don't watch these movies if your like me, a big martial arts fan. The fight sequences are so badly choreographed it's an insult to every decent martial arts movie out there.

You'll see what I'm talking about when Steve James attempts to "display" his wonderful martial arts skills. I'm sorry but the guy just hasn't a clue, it's obvious that he's clueless...just watch the double broadsword scene towards the end of the movie and you'll know what I'm talking about. Wooden isn't the word for him.

2/10 - boring but hilariously crap in parts

This is the pits. Absolutely the pits. If a picture says more than a thousand words, then writing "abysmal" 133,500,000 times should begin to touch the level that this movie is on. Brain death is a good place to start if you want to enjoy this pathetic dribble.

Stunts that would embarrass Matlock and a script that could frighten the writers of the Menthos commercials.

Apart from such elements as secret island ninja cults, the obligatory karate championship and the evil European-accent criminal mastermind, this manages to scrape the bottom of a barrel to a degree that even the original movie could not touch when it introduces such wonderfully realistic elements as genetically modified superninjas as a tool to terrorist generals and - here is something new and original - oil sheik arabs driving Mercedeses.

There is also a female ninja master who sees the light and is turned over to the "good side" and is wooed by the American ninja, as well as a comic relief sidekick, both of whom - and this is the only redeeming feature of the movie - die.

Apart from this, ninjas that are clearly made from alabaster, judging by how easy they snuff it, fighting sequences that lack any sort of power or punch (the female ninja is absolutely pathetic) and a piano "riff" that plays through every damn single fighting sequence to the point where you can feel it drilling through your ear drums.

Oh, and the credits song. "The Cobra Strikes". I am considering suing for aggravated assault.