gavin6942 An American soldier, obviously very skilled in martial arts, single-handedly takes on mercenaries in the Philippines.If you don't think this is a great movie, you clearly don't understand what 1980s action films were all about. Great acting? Plot? Well, no, we don't have those things. But the cheese is thick here and very much in keeping with the sort of thing we want from Cannon.Interestingly, this title escaped my notice for a long time despite it having many sequels. I suppose with Arnold, Stallone and Norris dominating the 80s, it makes it hard for others to stand out. But if you want a white ninja (who looks like Dennis from "Always Sunny") this is for you.

Paul Magne Haakonsen The first action scene alone is worth watching this 1985 movie over, as unarmed American soldiers take down Filipino mercenaries armed with Automatic weapons. It stars with a blast, literally, and just keeps getting better. I mean, ninjas in the Philippines, does it get any better than that?This movie has it all; stereotypical villain, martial arts, goons unable to-hit anything more than an inch away, lots of action and of course ninjas! Granted this is not Shakespearian cinema, but it is still entertaining for the campy thing it is. And it was also a trip down memory lane to my childhood."American Ninja" is predictable to the core, sure. But it still has an entertaining enough storyline. The background story of Joe doesn't make much sense. But all this can be looked past because this is, after all, a ninja movie! You know that when someone snatches your arrow out of its trajectory and breaks it that you have found your arch nemesis.As for the action and martial arts, taking into consideration that it is from 1985, then it was adequate and did what it was supposed to. However, if you haven't seen the 1980's ninja movies, and only watch todays martial arts movies, I believe you will not be impressed with "American Ninja".In all its cheesy, campy self "American Ninja" is an entertaining enough movie if you want to kill some time with a no-brainer movie.

Spoffdarko The title of my review aside, I adore this film.When American Ninja was released on VHS back in 1986 Ninja fever was rampant. Even in the sleepy little village where I lived in England, every single boy of my age dreamed of being a ninja. The school playground was rampant with us wannabe assassins in duffel coats!In the aforementioned little village we only had one video shop, I spent weeks and weeks in a state of despair on Saturday afternoons, as we would go there only to see the dreaded "Film on loan" tab attached to the box. Eventually we finally turned up one afternoon and it was there...With no "Film on loan" tab on it! my life was finally complete and we took it home. My parents were never really into the whole "film ratings exist for a reason" thing. Incidentally, neither were the parents of pretty much all my friends, ahhh...The 80's, these young un's today don't know what they missed. Saturday evening finally came and American Ninja was inserted into the top-loader...As I sat eating my Vesta curry, My life literally changed in the following 90 minutes, I learned more than any teacher could ever show me at school, Joe was literally a god! This guy could do anything...Beat anyone! Most of my friends had already seen it and we were all finally on the same Ninja wavelength! We practiced Joe's moves, disappeared in a "cloud of smoke" (England gets a lot of fog in Autumn/ Winter) behind the school canteen, jumped over the tyres in the playground as part of our "ninja training school".Watching it back a couple of weeks ago (now I am 38) It is total crap, but total crap of the highest order. I thought ninja's were actually, you know, supposed to be elite assassins. Here they seem to get away with being pretty mediocre to be fair, they miss the easiest targets, and are usually knocked out by a punch or kick that does not seem to really connect (or even come close in some cases). Joe comes across like he has something stuck up his backside most of the film (maybe constipation?)and the whole thing is just laughable.But laughable in the best possible way.Thank you Golan Globus and Cannon films, thank you Michael Dudikoff and Steve James, thank you the guy who did the music.I am indebted to you all for this slice of my childhood that I can also enjoy now I am a grown-up, albeit in a different but still entirely satisfying way!

Emerald Reprobates This film comes straight from the 80's action mould. And not the good mould that Top Gun came out of.The loner with no memory but super ninjistu skills and his army buddies face off against generic European bad guys and Black Star Ninjas.The good guys win, the girl falls for the guy and everybody lives happily ever after except the non American ninjas and the Sensei of the good ninja.The fact this spawned four sequels must have been part of some tax dodge by the producers.If you are looking for an action film from 1985, give Rambo First Blood Part 2 a look before you watch this.Featured on Episode 55 of The Emerald Reprobates Podcast