IMDb RATING
3.9/10
5.4K
YOUR RATING
The two American Ninjas, Joe Armstrong and Sean Davidson, team up to do battle against a terrorist and his band of Ninjas.The two American Ninjas, Joe Armstrong and Sean Davidson, team up to do battle against a terrorist and his band of Ninjas.The two American Ninjas, Joe Armstrong and Sean Davidson, team up to do battle against a terrorist and his band of Ninjas.
Frantz Dobrowsky
- O'Reilly
- (as Franz Dobrowsky)
Anthony Fridjhon
- Freddie
- (as Anthony Fridjohn)
- …
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDavid Bradley claims that he had lobbied the producers to have his and Michael Dudikoff's characters work in tandem throughout the film, but his efforts were frustrated when Dudikoff agreed to appear only on the condition that his character would save the day on his own, and clearly be shown to be the superior fighter.
- GoofsWhen the ninja jumps on the front of the car, Joe punches his hand through the windshield, but if you watch carefully, you'll see that the glass breaks seconds before his fist makes contact. It evens falls inward instead of going outward.
- Quotes
Joe Armstrong: Sean... you can find me at the school.
- Alternate versionsWhile the TV-version contains several cuts to reduce violence, the 18-rated Video-Release is uncut.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Movie Nights: American Ninja 3 (2011)
- SoundtracksFight Fire with Fire
Written by Nic. tenBroek & Jenny Meltzer
Featured review
Should Have Stopped at Two
Michael Dudikoff and his blank stare return to the "American Ninja" franchise, and he's the film's selling point, though even with him this fourth installment of the series that really should have stopped after the first two is hard to sit through.
We do desperately need Dudikoff's Joe though, because our other ninja is Sean, played by David Bradley, who looks too weird and wears too much eye makeup for me to ever fully get behind. Plus he's not a very effective ninja. He spends what feels like half of the film's running time chained to a post in someone's basement. Jackson, who served as Joe's sidekick in the first two movies and then Sean's in the third, would never have settled for that. He would have ripped the post out of the ground, and then ripped off his own sleeves before pulling two giant machetes out of his underwear and kicking some ninja ass.
Speaking of Jackson, this is the first film in the franchise that doesn't have Steve James in it, and when he's absent, you realize how much he made the series in the first place.
I did enjoy the Mad Max band of ruffians who appear mid-way through this movie living in some kind of dystopian society. I'm not really sure where they are supposed to be or why they're all living like characters out of "Ready Player One," but I could roll with it.
It's not like the "American Ninja" movies were ever movie masterpieces to begin with, but the third and fourth installments make you realize how relatively good the first two are.
Grade: C-
We do desperately need Dudikoff's Joe though, because our other ninja is Sean, played by David Bradley, who looks too weird and wears too much eye makeup for me to ever fully get behind. Plus he's not a very effective ninja. He spends what feels like half of the film's running time chained to a post in someone's basement. Jackson, who served as Joe's sidekick in the first two movies and then Sean's in the third, would never have settled for that. He would have ripped the post out of the ground, and then ripped off his own sleeves before pulling two giant machetes out of his underwear and kicking some ninja ass.
Speaking of Jackson, this is the first film in the franchise that doesn't have Steve James in it, and when he's absent, you realize how much he made the series in the first place.
I did enjoy the Mad Max band of ruffians who appear mid-way through this movie living in some kind of dystopian society. I'm not really sure where they are supposed to be or why they're all living like characters out of "Ready Player One," but I could roll with it.
It's not like the "American Ninja" movies were ever movie masterpieces to begin with, but the third and fourth installments make you realize how relatively good the first two are.
Grade: C-
helpful•10
- evanston_dad
- Dec 4, 2023
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $358,047
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $277,462
- Mar 10, 1991
- Gross worldwide
- $358,047
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was American Ninja 4: The Annihilation (1990) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer