American Ninja
“The deadliest art of the Orient is now in the hands of an American.”
Synopsis
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.
Part of the American Ninja Collection
Stream the entire interconnected saga and experience every installment in chronological storyline order.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Classic TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2026-01-12
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Michael Dudikoff
Pvt. Joe Armstrong
Steve James
Cpl. Curtis Jackson
Judie Aronson
Patricia Hickock
Guich Koock
Col. William T. Hickock
John Fujioka
Shinyuki
Don Stewart
Victor Ortega
John LaMotta
MSgt. Rinaldo
Tadashi Yamashita
Black Star Ninja
Phillip Brock
Pvt. Charley Madison
Tony Carreon
Older Colombian
Roi Vinzon
Younger Colombian
Richard Norton
MP
Henry Strzalkowski
Bit Part (uncredited)
Nick Nicholson
Duty Officer
Eric Hahn
Supply Sergeant
Jim Gaines
Trucker
Greg Rocero
Bodyguard
Berto Spoor
Bodyguard
Release History & Theatrical Window
August 30, 1985
Wide Cinema Exhibition
February 11, 2002
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$10.5M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
10.5x
+$9.5M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Sam Firstenberg
- Screenplay & Story
- Paul De Mielche, James R. Silke
- Original Score
- Michael Linn
- Original Title
- American Ninja
- Country of Origin
- United States of America, Netherlands
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 35m
- Production Budget
- $1M
- Worldwide Gross
- $10.5M
- Production Studios
- The Cannon Group, Golan-Globus Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Sam Firstenberg
Paul De Mielche, James R. Silke, Avi Kleinberger, Gideon Amir
Michael Linn
Hanania Baer
Andy Horvitch, Peter Lee-Thompson, Marcus Manton
Yoram Globus, Menahem Golan, Avi Kleinberger, Ken Metcalfe, Gideon Amir
Department Leadership Roster
Sam Firstenberg
Director
Paul De Mielche
Screenplay
James R. Silke
Screenplay
Yoram Globus
Producer
Menahem Golan
Producer
Michael Linn
Original Music Composer
Hanania Baer
Director of Photography
Andy Horvitch
Editor
Peter Lee-Thompson
Editor
Marcus Manton
Editor
Marcel Mindlin
Editor
Daniel Wetherbee
Editor
Avi Kleinberger
Producer
Ken Metcalfe
Producer
Gideon Amir
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for American Ninja.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring American Ninja.
Movies Watched
Mid Hunting List
A list of mids found by Mid Hunters
My Movies
Master List In Progress
***Acțiune***
Marcelo's International movies list
Watched
All movies watched by me
Similar Titles to American Ninja
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
5.7
6.7
7.6
6.1
6.6
5.5
7.0
8.4
7.9
5.8
6.1
6.2
7.1
4.2
6.8
5.3
6.6
5.7
7.3
More Like American Ninja
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About American Ninja
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is American Ninja 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 directed American Ninja?
American Ninja was directed by Sam Firstenberg.
Who stars in American Ninja?
The principal cast of American Ninja includes Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, Judie Aronson, Guich Koock, John Fujioka.
When was American Ninja released and how long is it?
American Ninja was released in 1985 with a total runtime of 1h 35m.
What was the box office and production budget of American Ninja?
American Ninja had a reported production budget of $1M and grossed $10.5M at the worldwide box office (10.5 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for American Ninja?
The original motion picture soundtrack for American Ninja was composed by Michael Linn.
What is the age rating and content advisory for American Ninja?
American Ninja holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: TP; GB: 18 (Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).