American Ninja (1985): cast, story & where to watch
1985 · Film · ★ 6
Released in 1985, American Ninja is an action film directed by Sam Firstenberg, running about 95 minutes. “The deadliest art of the Orient is now in the hands of an American.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. 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.
Who’s in it. American Ninja stars Michael Dudikoff as Pvt. Joe Armstrong, Steve James as Cpl. Curtis Jackson, Judie Aronson as Patricia Hickock and Guich Koock as Col. William T. Hickock, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, American Ninja has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $10.5M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo and MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch American Ninja page.
If you liked it. Fans of American Ninja tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch American Ninja (1985)?
- In US, American Ninja is available to stream on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel and Philo, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is American Ninja worth watching?
- American Ninja holds an audience score of 6.0 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy action. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in American Ninja?
- American Ninja stars Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, Judie Aronson, Guich Koock and John Fujioka.
- When was American Ninja released?
- American Ninja was released in 1985, with a runtime of about 95 minutes.