Leofwine_draca Funnily enough, the first American NINJA movie I've watched is the fifth instalment and last of the series. I have no idea what it has to do with the other movies in this franchise, although judging by other user comments on here, it's not a lot.This is a straightforward, family friendly martial arts adventure film with added ninja action. I notice that it's a widely panned movie, but I find that somewhat odd given that there's nothing particularly wrong with it. Sure, it's cheap, and there are some laughable moments in it, but that's par for the course for this particular genre of film.I tend to enjoy action B-pictures from the 1990s because they have a certain fluidity of approach, combined with a refreshing simplicity that makes them easy to watch. American NINJA 5 is no exception. The viewer can simply sit back and watch as the protagonist and his annoying child sidekick go around and fight off various ninja attacks, gradually working their way up to the final boss.The action choreography is acceptable rather than striking, but there's a wealth of random ninja attacks to enjoy. David Bradley, who previously appeared in the last two films in the series, is an adequate leading man, pretty wooden in the acting stakes but good in his fights. There's a supporting role from Pat Morita, and a cheesy bad guy turn from the ever-entertaining Clement von Franckenstein (GABRIEL KNIGHT 2: THE BEAST WITHIN). You could do worse.

callanvass This movie has no connections with any of the previous four American Ninja movies. David Bradley plays a new character here. As bad as this sequel is, it's not even the worst sequel in the series. That dubious honor goes to American Ninja IV. Everything is just shoddily thrown together here, but what do you expect with something that is done by the now obsolete production company, Cannon? Everything just screams cheap here, from the tacky villains, the setting, it's all truly terrible. James Lew (The main henchman for the big villain Clement Von Franckenstein ) looked like a Power Ranger villain, with his ridiculous red & black silk cape, and a pendant hanging around his neck, and retractable spikes coming out of his hand like Wolverine. It was extremely cartoonish. He also conjures up ninjas out of nowhere to fight David Bradley. Sound familiar? The fight scenes themselves are rather bland. David Bradley is obviously a skilled martial artist, but there is nothing out of the ordinary, move wise with him. He's also an extremely wooden actor, despite a little bit of natural charisma. He's more in the Chuck Norris School of acting in my opinion. Adding a kid in this movie, was a terrible choice. Lee Reyes (Hiro the kid) was a complete and utter nuisance. He is given far too much screen time, and never shuts up. He seems to be skilled in martial arts, and knows how to cry on cue. That's about the only compliments I can give him. Anne DuPont (Lisa) couldn't act her way out of a paper bag as the love interest. Stars like Norman Burton & Pat Morita look embarrassed to be here. Morita's role is a glorified cameo, and it's weird to see him speak almost perfect English. The film shoddily tries to add emotional impact by revealing family issues at the end to fuel the good guys, but it failed miserably. Final Thoughts: This is a bad movie. I cannot recommend this to anybody, but at least it's not as bad as American Ninja IV. This movie is obscure for a reason, despite a DVD release. Don't waste any money on it!3/10

ravesandmovies I bought this movie for me and my daughter to watch and what can i say, this movie was funny, action packed, and full of really clever zingers which had me laughing non stop. American Ninja V is an instant classic that I had hoped would go down in history as one of the great action-comedies. The expertly choreographed fight scenes keep your heart pumping and your mind at all times completely at a loss for who is fighting who and why. This unique style is both ground breaking and a pleasure to watch. The dialogue is very witty and surprisingly full of rich subtext. For example, when the male and female leads are escaping from an army of ninjas, the female comically remarks, "Ladies first!" (Ba-Zing!). This seemingly one-dimensional and inane one liner actually reveals the film's deeper message of female empowerment and social equality. Another example of this emotionally layered narrative is the small Asian child's swift transformation into a fat white man during the stellar chase sequences. I recommend American Ninja V to everyone I meet. It is one of the classics that redefined the way I watch films.

marcusoja This is probably one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The plot isn't more ridiculous than many other b-action movies, what makes this movie worse than all others are the pitiful acting from actors whom never should have been allowed to enter a set. These actors actually make soap opera actors seem like academy award winners. As if this wasn't enough you have to see the worst "karate" scens ever shot. The only thing they ever hit is air. All this is captured on what seems to be a hand camera.Whatever you do DON'T watch this movie... try doing something more fun and less painfull during these 1.5 hours, like ripping of your pubic hair with a pair of tweezers.(1 / 10)