American Ninja 2: The Confrontation

When I first saw American Ninja 2, I thought it was amazing and maybe even better than the first film. But today I watched them both since long time and was surprised that the sequel wasn't as great as I remembered.

The plot is even thinner, and the tone is lighter and has more comedic moments. But the amount of crazy ninja action is doubled. There are ninjas indoors, ninjas outdoors, ninjas on the beach, ninjas on the road, and ninjas on a battle arena. As a plain and simple "cheesy ninja movie" it is very entertaining.

If American Ninja was the Lethal Weapon of ninja movies, then The Confrontation is the Beverly Hills Cop of ninja movies. This is the second and last time to feature both Michael Dudikoff and Steve James at the same time. (They would return in more sequels but not together.) And also the only other American Ninja film directed by Sam Firstenberg. So you could say it's the most genuine sequel because it had all the right people involved. Check it out if you want...ninjas.

American Ninja 2: The Confrontation is more of the same as in the first film. The smooth pimps Armstrong and Jackson to do more ass whuppin in this ok sequel. This time around the fight scenes are better and so is the plot. All in all a decent film.

American Ninja 2: Ninjas in Paradise--I can't quite endorse it as much as the original. It's still a solid bit of fun though. The American Ninja films are notorious for movie mistakes, but this one takes the cake. Michael Dudikoff is onscreen aside Steve James as they meet the C.O. of the base, then cut to behind as they leave the room and it's a completely different dude. It's not Dudikoff at all!! It's the most blatantly obvious goof I've ever seen. But it also made me laugh out loud so they score points there. Other mistakes include rubber swords, dead guys that get up and continue fighting, and guys that are supposedly stabbed in the stomach but are really just holding the sword to their side. No matter how dumb the director may be, Michael Dudikoff and Steve James still kick ass and that's what the first two movies are all about. American Ninja 2, or Episode II as I like to call it, is about Joe Armstrong's encounter with genetically enhanced clones. Hum...sound familiar? Ninjas basically are Jedis, right? I could be wrong, but then again maybe George Lucas owes a bit of credibility to the genius behind American Ninja 2: The Confrontation. Dudikoff isn't in the third film so you can skip it; after all, he IS the American Ninja.

Steve James originally didn't want to appear in this first sequel, since it was to be shot in South Africa (which was still under apartheid). He later admitted that he had a lot of fun making the movie, which is evident onscreen. Like the first movie, James steals the show from Dudikoff, both in his martial arts skills and with a bouncy performance that makes him a treat to watch. The best that can be said about Dudikoff's performance is that he seems to be a lot more comfortable in front of the camera than he was the first time around. He's still very unemotional, has almost no dialogue, and it's still clear he knows little to nothing about martial arts, seeing how he does pretty simple moves (when not being doubled.)

Despite the movie being weighed down by Dudikoff's presence, it's still a fun movie, certainly better than the first movie. The locations are eye-catching, giving the movie a nice backdrop. The pace is quicker, giving us little chance to be bored between the action sequences. And there's certainly plenty of action, with dozens of ninjas popping up everywhere at any time. Yes, there is a cheesiness to the entire enterprise, from George Clinton's synthesizer score to the ludicrous scheme of the villain... but hey, it's a *fun* kind of cheese, one that makes you smile instead of grit your teeth. Sometimes a little silliness is what the doctor ordered, and it's also a nostalgic blast for those into '80s actioners.

American Ninja 2: The Confrontation is the best movie in the whole series and one of the best action movies I have ever seen. It has everything and what's more important: it has NINJAS! Tons of ninjas. In fact, there are so many ninjas in this movie that people got used to them. Ninjas wander around freely, shopping in supermarkets, hiding on roofs, driving cars, taking the sun on secluded beaches. This movie taught me one important lesson: ninjas are one of us and we should respect them. After seeing this great movie I say hello to ninjas on the street and I'm not afraid anymore to look under my bed in case a ninja is hiding there. We shouldn't be afraid of ninjas, ninjas are our friends! But back to the movie. It has three elements that make it so great: it has Michael Dudikoff, an exotic location, and a truck load of ninjas. The plot is simple, Dudikoff (himself being an invincible ninja) kicks some ninja ass then kicks some more and finally destroys the villain's master plan (sell clone-ninjas to other villains). But what makes this movie great is the unbelievable amount of action: ninja fights on a beach, bar fights, car chases, explosions, more explosions, sword fights. And if you think that ninjas perform only two basic functions: spying and killing, you're wrong. Because ninjas in American ninja 2 evolved, now they are also: bodyguards, sentinels, inept killers, car drivers, butlers, guards, human statues, decorations, extras, stunts, martial artists, masters of disguise and masters in ridiculing themselves. But why would a villain hire them instead of a conventional army? Because ninjas look cool and have three main characteristics that common soldiers don't have: they are FAST (the quickness with which their ass gets kicked is just amazing), they are SILENT (maybe they're silent, but that doesn't help them when they wander around in their black suits in broad daylight!) and they are DEADLY (I don't think they managed to kill anyone in the movie let alone even scratching Dudikoff). And the potential buyers are all a brilliant assortment of stereotyped villains: from the street pimp and the drug lord to the south-American dictator and the Arabian prince. And the main base of the villain is even more stereotyped, it has everything a villain dreams of: a representative logo (a lion with a shuriken in his head), a lab (with scientists and all), an arena (where ninjas can perform) and an office (from where the villain can dominate the world). And the most amazing thing is that if you are dressed like a ninja you can easily enter this heavily guarded complex and wander around freely. Ninjas walk the halls, buy coffees, take the elevators, go on cigarette breaks. They are just like us, but dressed like ninjas! Black ones, blue ones, red ones, it doesn't matter. The more the merrier. I learned the lesson and I'm sure you'll all learn it too after seeing this movie: ninjas are one of us. And remember, ninjas are EVERYWHERE!