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Trailer

American Ninja

1985Movie1 h 35 minR

33
BadGoodWatch score
IMDb5.5Metacritic206.3Rotten Tomatoes–47%

A thrilling, fast-paced action movie.

Good for friends night · teens · binge-friendly

Skip it if you want something quiet and calm

Where to watch

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Not for big ideas, tears or scares.

Movies with

Story

The deadliest art of the Orient is now in the hands of an American.

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.

Feels like

  • 80s Action Classic
  • Martial Arts Spectacle
  • High Adrenaline
  • Iconic Hero
  • Straightforward Plot
  • Explosive Fights
  • Nostalgic Camp
  • Cult Following
  • Fast-Paced Thrills

Cast

15 of 15

Crew

Directed by
Sam Firstenberg
Written by
James R. Silke, Gideon Amir, Avi Kleinberger
Produced by
Yoram Globus, Ken Metcalfe, Menahem Golan
Music by
Michael Linn

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

August 30, 1985 · 1 h 35 min · R

Released
August 30, 1985
Runtime
1 h 35 min
Age rating
R
Content
Violence
Genres
Action, Adventure
Original language
English
Made in
United States, Netherlands
Budget
$1 million
Box office
$10 million
Available in
24 countries

Tropes

Technicolor Ninjas, Red Is Heroic, American Title +9

  • Technicolor Ninjas
  • Red Is Heroic
  • American Title
  • Stock Ninja Weaponry
  • Bloodless Carnage
  • Railing Kill
  • Sparing the Final Mook
  • Badass Preacher
  • Arc Welding
  • Rank Scales with Asskicking
  • Lighter and Softer
  • Expy

12 of 32 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

6 questions, like "Where can I stream American Ninja?"

Questions about American Ninja

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream American Ninja?

fuboTVMGM+PhiloThe RokuFandango at Home FreePlexTubi TV

In the United States, American Ninja streams on fuboTV, MGM+, and Philo, and it is free with ads on The Roku, Fandango at Home Free, Plex, and Tubi TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 20 other countries.

Is American Ninja worth watching?

33
BadGoodWatch score

Reviews are weak, with a GoodWatch score of 33 (IMDb 5.5, Rotten Tomatoes 0%, and Metacritic 20). Audiences rate it higher (55 out of 100) than critics (20).

Will I feel good after watching American Ninja?

BleakHopeful

Yes, it's an uplifting movie: the title analysis rates it 6 of 10 for hopefulness and 1 for wholesome.

Was American Ninja a box office hit?

Budget$1 million
Box office$10 million

Yes, a big one: it cost about $1 million to make and earned $10 million worldwide, 10.5 times its budget.

What tropes does American Ninja use?

Technicolor NinjasRed Is HeroicAmerican TitleStock Ninja WeaponryBloodless CarnageRailing KillSparing the Final MookBadass PreacherArc WeldingRank Scales with AsskickingLighter and SofterExpyand 20 more

TV Tropes lists 32 tropes for it, including Technicolor Ninjas, Red Is Heroic, and American Title.