On A List of Movie Reviews
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American Ninja (1985)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
9/04, 3/06, 3/22
3/06:
Although I'm a huge fan of the ninja genre as it reached the zenith during the 80's, American Ninja is a cheesy,
mindless flick but has plenty of ninja action.
Michael Dudikoff makes for a fun character...not! He has the personality of a rock. I like Steve James more, but he'll be
better in the next installment. Judie Aronson is a major babe, so feast your eyes on her when the going gets boring.
All in all, as a kid, I thought American Ninja was the coolest ever, but now, nah.
3/22:
Highly memorable during the 80's zenith of ninja flicks, American Ninja fails to hold up today.
The sheer amount of cartoonish violence and illogical situations are hard to overcome. Soldiers are constantly shooting at Joe,
but not a single bullet hits him, no matter how close they are. The film cheats too much through editing with the heavy usage
of stunt doubles. At one point, Joe's love interest stands in front of the panoramic background poster that's substituted
for a real beach.
Granted, it's Michael Dudikoff's most famous role, and he's handsome-looking. But let's be real: his personality sucks.
Prior to filming, he had no martial arts experience. The biggest mistake is not giving Steve James more screen time because the
story goes in circles which slows down the pace during the second half. Judie Aronson does her best, but she isn't
a good actress.
All in all, American Ninja isn't a well-made Ninja picture.