Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25063 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-02-18
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Danish, English, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
• Dubbed in: German, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 91 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The first of what would be a series, 1985's American Ninja is a martial-arts thriller. Michael Dudikoff plays Joe, a sullen young GI who turns up at American airbase Fort Sonora and immediately makes himself unpopular. Even when he single-handedly saves the Commanding Officer's daughter (Judie Aronson, whose function is to scream a lot and get her clothes very wet), from a ninja ambush, he's still ostracised. It turns out that Joe is actually a highly skilled ninja warrior, but he's an amnesiac with no idea how he acquired his abilities. Eventually, having bonded with fellow GI Steve James, he helps foil criminal arms-dealer Ortega, whose morals are as dubious as his accent, which veers from French to Hispanic.

American Ninja is essentially an excuse for a series of martial arts set pieces, though these seem a little lumbering by the standards later set by Jackie Chan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The soundtrack and overall feel is clearly influenced by the classic A-Team. The plot is well signposted at every turn and the dialogue makes you think of an American film that has been badly dubbed. However, the film will work as kitsch, for idle comfort-viewing or for small boys.

On the DVD: The cheapness of the original has been immaculately preserved--however, the only extra is the original trailer.--David Stubbs

DVD Description
This is a seminal Ninja movie, with breath taking action as swift and sure as the blade of a samurai sword!

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Original theatrical trailer
Interactive menu screens
Chapter selections
Languages in English Dolby Digital: English
Languages in Mono: English, German, Spanish
Subtitles: Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English for the hard of hearing, German for the hard of hearing
1.85:1 Widescreen 16:9 version

Customer Reviews

BEST KICK ASS NINJA MOVIE EVER
Back in the good old eighties when ninja movies were flying off the shelves at your local rental store, i discovered this.
I must have been around six when i first saw this movie after my grandfather renting it one Sunday afternoon.I loved it.This film has some of the best fight scenes i have ever seen in a martial arts movie.The sequel: the confrontation was even better.Parts 3,4,and 5 are not worth the light of day.
I strongly advise you purchase the Region 1 U.S. version of this film and its sequel(Parts 2 and 3 are in a double pack)as the uk versions are cut.Once again the bbfc strike (They do it just to p**s people off im sure).The bad thing here is that there are no extras on the dvd.But what do you expect from such an old film.
Michael Dudikoff plays the lead role as Joe Armstrong,a quiet loner who has lost his memory of the past and joins the us Rangers.Army trucks are being hijacked by ninjas and when Joe intervines a battle ensues with the help of a fellow soldier Curtis Jackson.Cue loads of fighting,Swordplay and Guns galore.
This film is pure action.Dudikoff never got the credit he deserved for this film and went on to play small roles.If you like this film then i recommend Avenging force(if you can get hold of a copy)The delta Force,Bloodsport and No retreat no surrender.All are available on D.V.D.

Stunning
This video, the first of a mindblowing series, is excellent. Non-stop action and a novel script. Totally original and ground breaking. An example to all other film-makers of teh same genre.

20 years on and still looks as good as ever...
A grand ol movie from the dim dark era that was the 1980s. Many of the younger generation would fail to truly understand this movie that could only labelled as a "period classic" it is right there on the shelf next other "cool must haves" such as Rocky and Terminator.

American Ninja is a fine example of one the better Martial Arts flicks of 80s. Choreagraphed by the great Mike Stone, the fights are better and a little more realistic than most films (even by today's standards).

Sure the story is a little transparent and the acting is barely on the plus side of ordinary, but what more could we want from a Martial Arts movie of the mid-80s.

Froma Martial Arts perspective, the moves are there and there are enough fight scenes to highlight that there was a competant cast and crew involved. Unlike the earlier flicks by Richard Norton (can you find him in this film?) and even Chuck Norris, the lack of repetion gives a sense of the 'Martial Arts Mastery' of the characters.