one of Dudikoff's best
Added 3/23/2009
Michael Dudikoff and Steve James reunite for the second time in this 1986 semi-sequel to Chuck Norris' 'Invasion U.S.A.' This time, Dudikoff takes over the Matt Hunter role, as he must protect his friends and his family from a group of right wing fringe Survivaists/White supremacists. This is one of Dudikoff's best roles, it's also perhaps the darkest action movie he's starred in next to 'Midnight Ride.' There are several scenes that will drop your jaw for the pure brutality and everything is played to the grittiest effects, with little humor. The main bad guy is awesome in this, he spends the majority of his time waxing poetically about Hilter while dressed like Hue Hefner in his bathrobe, petting a kitty. I half-expected bubbles to come out of his pipe.
Avenging Force is helmed by Sam Firstenberg, and he brings the same mixture of humor and over-the-top action to the table here as he did to 'American Ninja.' It's nowhere near as over-the-top as 'invasion U.S.A.', but it's still filled with its moments of hilarity- people get shot and bodies go flying in weird contortions right out a Hong Kong flick, the baddies are dressed like they're going to the leather bar or celebrating Mardis Gras (it does take place in Louisiana).
Steve James I think was underused here. He's still cool as ever, and Dudikoff's bud, but he doesn't really get to show off as in the American Ninja movies. One great scene is where he's shot by machine guns and gets an arrow in the back and just walks away like nothing ever happened. I think Dudikoff has never been more convincing as a bonafide tough guy than here. He plays this mostly straight, and you can buy into it- whereas something like 'Moving Target' or 'Cyber Jack' would see him as an everyman goofball. He's still Dudikoff, and he still rules. And why there was no sequel to this, we'll never know. It practically sets one up to be made. I felt like I was watching a cliffhanger ending to a two part movie, but the second never came out. Highly recommended.
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Awesome Awesome Ending
Added 8/2/2003
This is michael dudikoff's finest movie slightly infront of american ninja 1 just because of the final scene. i remember staying up to see this movie on cable in like 1993 when i was seven and loving every second of it. the end fight scene is one of the coolest battle scenes ever. a manhunt with awesome results. make sure you watch it at night. and remind yourself that it was made ages ago.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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A Very Good Movie!
Added 7/10/2000
A movie that I really got into. Dudikoff is forced out of retirement to protect his friend whi is running for public office in Louisiana. The action really picks up when his sister is kidnapped. This forces our hero Dudikoff to track through the swamps of Louisiana. He shows that he well up to the job of combatting the forces of evil. This film has plenty of good action. Dudikoff plays an excellent hero and Ryan is an outstanding bad guy. The movie wraps up in a palatial estate in Louisiana. A very good movie. It certainly bears watching.
7 out of 7 people found this helpful.
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Michael Duddikoff
Added 6/15/2000
What a wicked film. Saw it when I was a kid - loved it then, love it now. He's great great, Steve James is great, it's all great. Anybody know where I can get another copy ? Mine's wearing thin now ! No, seriously it is.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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b movie with good action and script
Added 3/19/2000
great movie with alot of action its a movie overlooked by alot for b actors yes it has b movie acting but the script is there and the action is there so if your looking for action, this movie is a way to look, if you dont mind ok acting
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Childhood Memories
Added 1/12/2009
Loved this Movie Growing up , and still one of my Favorites.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Cheap and Cheerful Ninja Fun!
Added 10/12/2008
Even better than the original. This one provides some true fun as Dudikoff and James go undercover to Probe the mystery why marines are being kidnapped turns out it involves ninjas. American Ninja II is a best bet for a late night action movie festival. Dudikoff and James last movie together (before Steve James sadly died in 1996). American Ninja II is a must see for fans of the genre thanks to some humor and excellent action scenes. Steve James really steals the show as the sidekick who can handle dialog as well as action scenes. The film feels low rent but you can do a lot worse when it comes to this genre. American Ninja II is a likable action romp that rises above it's low budget and entertains.
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 action flicks.
12 out of 12 people found this helpful.
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Hai Karate...
Added 6/21/2005
What can I say about American Ninja 2 that hasn't been said before? `camp', `awful', `I haven't seen a girl naked' were the reviews when it went straight to video.
This winner of the coveted 'Campest Movie Award 1987' is a modern celluloid classic that ranks up there with the Godzilla films for depth, plot and mad ninja skillz, its obvious when viewing that Stevie Wonder was in charge of the camerawork with direction from David Hasselhoff, special effects are clearly done by Budget On A Shoestring Inc.
Watch in awe as a non descript ninja gets a beating, choke as you drive an oil tanker through the gaping holes in the script, look away in disgust as a burly Marine gets his USMC issued dress tunic ripped and torn off him in an homo-erotic struggle inside a drinking establishment, cry with joy when the heroes finally defeat the enemy and high 5 each other at the same time complementing each other physiques with a friendly bit of banter such as `you been working out?'. A bit like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon but with beer bosoms.
It makes you want to complete your degree in Movie Buffology.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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