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American Ninja (1985)

Directed by Sam Firstenberg · Cinematography by Hanania Baer

R95 min159 frames

ActionAdventure

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

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Stills, screencaps & shots from American Ninja

16 of 159 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.

American Ninja (1985) movie still: medium — A man rides a red motorcycle alongside a large olive drab army truck. The man reaches out his hand to…American Ninja (1985) movie still: fullbody — A military motor pool contains olive trucks and a red sport motorcycle. Two men in military uniforms…American Ninja (1985) movie still: medium — A military compound features a chain-link fence and structures under an overcast sky. A soldier in…American Ninja (1985) movie still: wide — A military base with white single-story buildings and a central grassy courtyard area. Numerous soldiers…American Ninja (1985) movie still: closeup — A dense green jungle environment features a soldier positioned partially behind a tree trunk. The…American Ninja (1985) movie still: fullbody — A person stands on a high bamboo structure against a clear sky. The subject balances on the wooden…American Ninja (1985) movie still: medium — A paved path leads through lush greenery on a bright sunny day. A man in a suit mounts a red and white…American Ninja (1985) movie still: medium — The interior cabin of an olive drab military truck is shown from outside. A man in a military uniform…American Ninja (1985) movie still: medium — A dense patch of tropical jungle filled with thick green leaves and tangled branches. Multiple figures…American Ninja (1985) movie still: establishing — A stark prison cell interior features plain white walls and a dark grey baseboard. Shadows from…American Ninja (1985) movie still: fullbody — A man and a woman walk through shallow lake water toward the sandy bank. They are wet from the water…American Ninja (1985) movie still: wide — A grassy lookout point features a white metal railing overlooking distant green hills. A group of five…American Ninja (1985) movie still: medium — An outdoor patio area features blooming bougainvillea plants and white patio furniture. A shirtless man…American Ninja (1985) movie still: medium — A military barracks room features green metal lockers, bunk beds, and posters on walls. Two men in…American Ninja (1985) movie still: wide — A shallow pond filled with lily pads sits under a clear blue sky. Two ninjas confront each other with…American Ninja (1985) movie still: medium — An outdoor area features industrial buildings with plain beige walls and a trailer visible. Two men…
American Ninja (1985) — © The Cannon Group, Golan-Globus Productions

American Ninja — official trailer

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.

American Ninja is a 1985 American martial arts action film produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus's Cannon Films. Directed by Sam Firstenberg, who specialized in this genre in the 1980s, the film stars Michael Dudikoff in the title role and is the first installment in the American Ninja franchise, followed by American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987). It had a generally negative reception from critics, and it was a financial success at the box office and on home video.

Second paragraph from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where can you watch American Ninja?

US availability for American Ninja (1985). Data by JustWatch, listings on TMDB. Availability changes — check the provider for current listings.

Who stars in American Ninja?

Who made American Ninja?

What does the cinematography of American Ninja look like?

Sampled across 159 frames, the coverage of American Ninja leans on medium shots (56% of the sample) and wide compositions (17%). Cinematographer Hanania Baer keeps 70% of it in soft, naturalistic light. This is largely a daylight film — 71% of the frames play in daylight. Anamorphic glass shapes the frame. Focus stays shallow in 62% of the frames, isolating subjects from their surroundings. The production design places the film in the 1980s.

What is the color palette of American Ninja?

The dominant colors across the sampled frames of American Ninja (1985) are #31312c, #d5d2ca, #53544c, #8d8e73, #11110f, #4b4f38 — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.

  • #31312c
  • #d5d2ca
  • #53544c
  • #8d8e73
  • #11110f
  • #4b4f38

See the full American Ninja colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.

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Techniques in this film

More films by Sam Firstenberg

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