One of the very finest, frequently rented VHS-era classics wasn't given much of a push in the digital age, as until only recently, ardent fans of maestro, Sam Firstenberg's explosive, Golan Globus classic, 'American Ninja' couldn't even have imagined how the uncommonly studly pugilists, Michael Dudikoff and super sinewy, Steve James would look in glisteringly restored High Definition! Arguably, 'American Ninja' remains one of the more dynamic examples of the enormously popular 'Ninja Craze', an exquisitely silly, relatively brief, yet unrepentantly violent celluloid zeitgeist, whereby any 80s action movie without at least one blackly shrouded, silently death dealing, Shuriken-slaying assassin was nigh on unthinkable! Even the legendary film icon, Franco 'Django' Nero colourfully donned the mystical PJs with , admittedly questionable results, but none ever did so with quite the same conspicuously deadly cool as, Dudikoff's soon to become immortal American Ninja hero, the taciturn, Private Joe T. Armstrong!

An island foundling, young Joe is lovingly and diligently trained in the murder-mystic arts of Ninjutsu by kindly sensei, Shinyuki (John Fujioka), and once this especially gifted initiate has endured the most rigorous training, Joe then fatefully becomes not only a fearful master of arcane, diabolically effective weaponry and quicksilver close quarters combat, but will ultimately be able to confound opponents by apparently manipulating the very nature of time and space itself! After a brush with the law finds him confined on a far-flung American army base in the Philippines; this silently brooding loner, initially shunned, soon earns the love of colonel, William T. Hickock's (Guich Koock) daughter, Patricia (Judie Aronson), and discovers that the recent thefts of high-end military equipment might be masterminded by someone on the base, and thus it will take all of, Joe's not inconsiderable Ninja mastery to keep his pretty girlfriend safe from harm, and resolutely take the desperate gun runner's to task! Huzzah!

Powerhouse filmmaker, Sam Firstenberg, and heroically handsome leading martial arts mancake, Michael Dudikoff quite literally knock it out of the park with cult classic, 'American Ninja', there was nothing quite like it back then, and there's certainly little to match it today! The furiously-mounted action is pretty relentless from the get go, and there's no time for introspective navel-gazing, as hero Joe is in a tight spot! Mr. Big want's him dead, the colonel's sweet lookin' daughter wants his bod, Steve James wants his killer moves, and the deliciously evil Black Star Ninja (Tadashi Yamashita) wants his finely chiselled head on a spike! 'American Ninja' is one of those truly magical action movies that strikes a powerful chord with the viewer when young, and remains no less compelling almost 40 years later, and I'm not convinced many of the uninspired action movies made today will share American Ninja's extraordinarily durable legacy! And no praise of 'American Ninja' would be anywhere close to complete without a mention of ace composer, Michael Linn's exhilarating soundtrack!

Happily eschewing logic and pretense in favor of loads of exciting and well-choreographed fights, punch-ups, and explosions, this film comes across like a cheerfully ludicrous live action comic book in the most breezy and entertaining manner possible. The slight story centers on loner martial artist army soldier Joe Armstrong (a likable performance by Michael Dudikoff), who almost single-handedly thwarts a gang of nefarious bad guys and lethal ninjas who are involved in an illegal arms operation. Director Sam Firstenberg, working from a perfectly absurd script by Paul De Melche, relates the eventful narrative at a constant zippy pace, treats the silly material with admirable seriousness, and stages the plentiful rip-roaring action with abundant go-for-broke flair and skill. The enthusiastic acting by the pumped cast keeps this picture humming: The gorgeous Judie Aronson adds lots of sass and humor as the feisty Patricia Hickock, Steve James registers strongly as the rough'n'tumble Curtis Jackson, Don Stewart positively oozes as slimy head villain Victor Ortega, and Tadashi Yamashita cuts a menacing figure as the ruthless Black Star Ninja, who uses such things as smoke bombs, poison darts, and even a portable wrist laser gun (!) in his game, yet futile attempts to take out our hero. Hanania Baer's slick cinematography provides an impressive high-gloss look. Michael Linn's energetic score hits the stirring and spirited spot. Best of all, this flick gets right down to rousing brass tacks from the start and rarely lets up for 95 wildly kinetic minutes. A hugely enjoyable romp.

American Ninja is a ridiculous action film, even worse by Cannon standards of the mid 1980s.

Michael Dudikoff lacks charisma and screen presence as the mysterious Joe with a criminal past and elite martial arts skills but with no idea how he got them.

He has arrived at an US Army base in the Philippines where he is a bit of a loner. Almost immediately on his first mission driving a convoy of trucks, the American soldiers are attacked by a group of filipino rebels who try to steal their weapons and take colonel's daughter, Patricia. Joe is to the rescue as Patricia just screams and irritates.

Joe discovers that people in the US army base are involved in gun running with local mercenaries but not too many people believe him.

A feeble B movie, with ineptly staged action scenes.