Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Joe Armstrong, an orphaned drifter with little respect for much other than martial arts, finds himself on an American Army base in the Philippines after a judge gives him a choice of enlistment or prison. On one of his first missions driving a convoy, his platoon is attacked by a group of rebels who try to steal the weapons the platoon is transporting and kidnap the base colonel's daughter.
American Ninja is a quintessential mid-80s B-action film that rides the ninja craze of its era. The plot is boilerplate — orphaned lone wolf soldier uncovers a weapons conspiracy and rescues the girl — with thin characterization and functional dialogue. Acting is serviceable at best; Michael Dudikoff carries the film on physical presence rather than performance chops. Cinematography is competent but unremarkable, typical of Cannon Films productions of the period. Novelty earns a slight boost for its earnest blending of American military action with authentic-ish ninjutsu choreography in a Philippines setting, giving it a distinctive flavor amid the ninja film glut, though it's hardly groundbreaking. The ending resolves predictably with a large-scale ninja compound assault that delivers action goods but no surprises.