Saturday, February 24, 2024

It's Time To Remake American Ninja


 During the early 90's amidst the wave of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 3 Ninjas, Surf Ninjas, and Power Rangers. I came across a series of B-movie action films centered on ninjas titled American Ninja. The series contained five films, but only four are really canon. With Michael Dudikoff and Sean Bradley being the respective star ninjas in films. The films contained cheesy dialogue, wooden acting, some spotty fight scenes, and ninjas dressed in attire other than black. Which as a kid really enticed me for some reason. The movies have been available on Tubi and Prime a lot within the past couple of years, flip flopping availability between the two services. 

I often turn them on before I go to bed when I just need something on the TV until I fall asleep. Watching them for what they are, I appreciate the films even more, and know a new generation is appreciating them as well.

All those factors combined with Amazon now owning MGM which has the rights to those films, and Amazon deciding to a remake of Road House releasing next month. I figured more than enough time has passed to grace fans with a remake of American Ninja. The films are martial art's action-oriented that do not require a lot of plot and I would assume not a lot of budget if they keep it simple. A young actor with martial arts training to help build it into a potential franchise. The movies are popular in the B-movie world, but there wouldn't be much blowback from fans disappointed a "classic" is being touched. It's perfect material for the straight to streaming world we live in now. 


The third film Blood Hunt just hit it's 35th anniversary, which should be a tall tale sign it's time to expand the way of the ninja for a new generation. I'm also ready for ninjas to gain popularity in film and TV again. I'm not asking for much here as a paying prime subscriber, just give us an updated version of a old favorite. Hopefully Amazon digs through the crates and find's the B-movie goldmine it's sitting on.


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