American Ninja (1985): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
American Ninja is a 1985 action adventure film directed by Sam Firstenberg, starring Michael Dudikoff, Guich Koock and Tadashi Yamashita. It runs 1 hour 35 minutes and earned $10.5 million worldwide. Critics gave it 20 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.5/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 35m (95 min)
- Director
- Sam Firstenberg
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Cannon Film Distributors
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is American Ninja About?
The premise of American Ninja without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A skilled ninja is tasked with a dangerous mission: to rescue a brilliant scientist's daughter who has been kidnapped. He must team up with a young, impetuous newcomer to navigate a perilous criminal network and overcome formidable adversaries in this action-packed adventure.
American Ninja Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- martial arts action
- ninja
- murder
- one man army
- swordsman
- action hero
- tough guy
- battle
- american ninja
- violence against a woman
- sword fight
- damsel in distress
+38 more Show fewer
- first of series
- psychotronic film
- camp
- fighting movie
- nunchaku
- two word title
- nationality in title
- hacky sack
- backhoe
- reference to john wayne
- convoy
- pouring a bucket of water on someone
- garden house
- one fights many
- dark comedy
- philippines
- rebel
- martial arts
- colonel
- prison
- male female relationship
- revenge
- soldier
- rescue
- training
- male soldier
- blood splatter
- 1980s
- american flag
- sword duel
- brutality
- faked death
- heavy rain
- suitcase full of money
- mute
- temple
- man with no name
- haunted by the past
American Ninja Cast
Michael Dudikoff leads the cast, with Guich Koock and Tadashi Yamashita. Directed by Sam Firstenberg; 10 actors are credited in all.
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Director Sam Firstenberg
Also Starring in American Ninja
· 6 moreMore from Sam Firstenberg
More films directed by Sam Firstenberg, best-rated first: Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, American Ninja 2: The Confrontation, Ninja III: The Domination and Revenge of the Ninja.
American Ninja Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave American Ninja 20 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.5/10.
-
IMDb 5.5 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 20 Metascore
User score 6.6
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 59% User score
See on TMDB
American Ninja Plot Summary
What happens in American Ninja from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Pvt. Joe Armstrong, portrayed by Michael Dudikoff, opts to join the U.S. Army instead of serving time in prison. His journey takes a perilous turn as he battles the notorious Black Star Order of Ninjas, along with communist insurgents, stationed in the Philippines. During a daring confrontation, Joe heroically saves Patricia, the daughter of Colonel William Hickock, played by Guich Koock. However, this act of bravery leads to his fellow soldiers’ disdain when he loses the rest of his platoon, making him a prime target for vengeance, particularly from the ruthless Black Star Ninja, played by Tadashi Yamashita.
Full summary
The whole story of American Ninja, scene by scene
American Ninja Box Office
American Ninja grossed $10.5 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$10.5M
- US & Canada
- $10.5M
American Ninja Trailers & Videos
4 videos: 1 trailer and 3 clips.
- Clip Jackson Challenges Joe To A Fight
- Clip Joe Gets Ambushed
- Clip Ninjitsu Lessons
How Well Do You Know American Ninja?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What alternative to incarceration does Joe Armstrong face at the start of the movie?
Cars in American Ninja
31 cars on screen, including the AM General M-35 and the Cadillac-Gage Commando V-150.
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AM General M-35 Important role -
Cadillac-Gage Commando V-150 Important role -
1975 Ford Granada Important role -
Kawasaki GPZ 550 Important role
American Ninja Also Known As
24 alternative titles, including “American Ninja 1” and “Guerreiro Americano”.
- Also known as
-
- American Ninja 1
- Guerreiro Americano
- Ninja americano
- El guerrero americano
- 军中忍者
- American Fighter
- Guerriero americano
- Amerykański Ninja
- Americký ninja
- Amerikai nindzsa
- Американский ниндзя
- American Warrior
+12 more Show fewer
- O Regresso do Ninja Americano
- נינג'ה אמריקאי
- Американський ніндзя
- Amerikan Ninja
- American Ninja: Guerreiro Americano
- 아메리칸 닌자
- Американска нинджа
- Commando spécial
- 美国忍者
- Američki ninja
- El guerrer americà
- Ninja Mỹ 1
Seen American Ninja?
Movies Like American Ninja
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including American Ninja 5, Ninja: American Warrior and Ninja USA.
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American Ninja 5 1993 -
Ninja: American Warrior 1987 -
Ninja USA 1985 -
American Ninja 2: The Confrontation 1987 -
American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt 1989 -
Enter the Ninja 1981 -
American Commando Ninja 1988 -
Lethal Ninja 1992 -
Revenge of the Ninja 1983 -
American Ninja 4: The Annihilation 1991 -
Ninja Warriors 1985 -
Ninja Assassin 2009
American Ninja FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of American Ninja, each answered in a sentence.
How long is American Ninja?
American Ninja runs 1 hour 35 minutes (95 minutes).
When was American Ninja released?
American Ninja was released on August 30, 1985.
Who directed American Ninja?
American Ninja was directed by Sam Firstenberg.
More films by Sam Firstenberg Who is in the cast of American Ninja?
American Ninja stars Michael Dudikoff, Guich Koock and Tadashi Yamashita, among 10 credited actors.
How much did American Ninja make at the box office?
American Ninja grossed $10.5 million worldwide.
How is American Ninja rated?
American Ninja has 5.5/10 on IMDb, 20 on Metacritic and 59% on TMDB.
Does American Ninja have a post-credit scene?
No. American Ninja has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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