American Ninja (1985)

My quick rating - 5.1/10. This popped up on Radarr, and I just had to watch it again. I remember seeing this on VHS as a kid, but I don't remember much about it, minus the name. Realistically, it probably isn't a great flick in the slightest, but it still is fun. If you are the right age, you will surprisingly still get a kick out of it, since without the nostalgia, it doesn't hold up all that well. Michael Dudikoff was working on taking the helm as the martial arts star of the future after appearing in an underrated action flick called Uncommon Valor, and this was his first leading role. He admittedly had the look and the skills to get it done, but the movies that ended up in his lap always seemed to be the STV quality scripts that really never escalated him to stardom. The action here has an A-Team type feel to it, which had just started running around the same time (damn, I am old.) The fights are choreographed a lot differently than you have grown accustomed to, with more solid camera shots with multiple moves in them instead of quick editing the fights together. It works for the time since the action itself isn't a constant barrage on your senses, like what you would soon start seeing out of Hong Kong. Steve James pops up in this, and you most likely will recognize him since he has a tendency to appear in this exact same role, the hero's sidekick. He does have a certain charm to his little one-liners that gave him appeal in that role. One for the collection that I cannot see as something to watch frequently, yet still worth checking out.

You can catch this on a few freebies, and Amazon.

American Ninja (1985)

#action #jackmeatsflix #IMDB #Plex