American Fighter 4 - Die Vernichtung

After the abysmal American Ninja 3, it seemed all hope was lost for fans of low-budget martial arts movies starring white guys. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, this film would see the return of the one and ONLY American Ninja: Michael Dudikoff. Unfortunately, he doesn't return until about halfway through it. Still, it's Dudikoff's last hurrah as Joe Armstrong so it's worth seeing for that alone. Steve James is absent, which is unfortunate. The movie doesn't have the same feel as the first two. But that was generally true of most Cannon films of the time. The heyday of Golan/Globus was gone and Cannon by 1990 was just another cheap production company. Is this movie worth checking out for anybody who isn't an American Ninja or Dudikoff completist? Probably not.

Michael Dudikoff, although not doing much acting, has more on screen presence in this movie. He's clearly evolved over this series as an actor, and has a leading man charisma to him in this movie.

Unfortunately the series didn't evolve with him, but devolved.

Seen one, seen em all characterizes this fourth installment of the American Ninja series. Producers might lose interest after the first few production, and they're only making it on inertia. Even a big franchise like the JAWS went the same route, so maybe we can't blame the producers too much.

The story is choppy, and doesn't flow smoothly. Trying to find a meaning in a movie like this is a futile effort, but I wished they kept producing the movie in a nicer looking locations as they did in part 2 of this series.

When you are living in poor eastern Europe town, you see things in different colours)) When I was kid, two things defined my interest for this Movie:

• Two American Ninjas in one film at the same time! Take 2!
• Ninjas of all colours! Take 5!
• New bad Ninja boss! Take 3! Now it's 10/10

It is really sad to see grown aged men giving American Ninja 4 low ratings and trash critics. Wake up, critic, you are no longer a kid. You can't see Magic no more. This movie is part of me. It's bad, who cares. It was.

After a fairly disappointing third movie, without Michael Dudikoff, the fourth movie brings together Michael Dudikoff (playing Joe from parts one and two) and Daving Bradley (playing Sean from part three). And you think that would blow the roof off of the series, but it was hardly so.

When Sean is sent in to liberate a team of captured Delta Team soldiers and fail, former ranger Joe is sent in to bring everyone home.

And that was basically the storyline summarized in a single sentence. It is a no-brainer all the way through, but it is up to par with the previous three movies. I must admit that it is the first time I have seen or heard about an Arab terrorist group keeping ninjas in their ranks, but sure, why not? You would also think by the fourth movie that the villain might have better trained ninja henchmen about, but you are sadly mistaken. They were still equally worthless.

Michael Dudikoff doesn't even show up before into the last half of the movie. But still he is the main attraction for this fourth "American Ninja" movie.

By this fourth movie it is starting to really show that there is a growing fatigue in the franchise, which started to show already in the third movie. So I am a little bit hesitant about watching part five.

All in all, "American Ninja 4: The Annihilation" doesn't really revive the franchise after the disappointing third movie. But if you enjoy the first two movies then you will also find some enjoyment, at least, in part four.

New installment in which the tough American Ninja encounters ample reasons and opportunity to use his deadly skills . Michael Dudikoff returns for the fourth "American Ninja" : ¨American Ninja: Annihilation¨ by Cedric Sundstrom with David Bradley, James Booth , Ken Gampu . This explains why star David Bradley plays Joe, a different character than the Sean Davidson character he played in American Ninja 3 : Blood Hunt . In American Ninja 4: The Annihilation(1990) there're lots of karate combats , fighting and plenty of suspense and thrills . CIA agent Sean Davidson (David Bradley) and his sidekick Carl (Dwayne Alexandre) are sent into the stronghold of heinous British ex-soldier Mulgrew (James Booth) to rescue some Delta Force commandoes who have been captured , mistreated and tortured . Then Sean , Carl and a beautiful Peace Corps worker called Sarah (Robin Stille) who uses her morgue as a hiding place , join forces to rescue them but they run into some problems . They attempt to free captured Delta Force soldiers , held for ransom in the fortress of a villainous colonel and his evil Arab dictator ally who plan to send a missile into New York . As the nasty rulers have imposed a dictatorship at a country and supported by bands of implacable ninjas . Sean Davidson and his pal , Brackston , a linguist, are assigned the task of infiltrating the fortress of the cruel former British soldier Mulgrew , featuring an army of training Ninjas who obey the sheik's every command . But then , things go wrong and vet Joe Armstrong (Michael Dudikoff) who is working as a teacher as well as enjoying a pacific life , is called and he reluctantly goes into action . The two-fisted American Ninja must face a deadly terrorist contender . Now his most deadly enemy ... is time. Evil with no cure. A warrior with no fear.

Lots of action , thrills , shoot-outs and non-sense fighting and plenty of silly intrigue . This time the 'The American Ninja' , Michael Dudikoff , teams up to David Bradley to do battle against a sadistic terrorist and his band of Ninjas and along the way showing their impressive karate skills . As Joe Armstrong lured out of retirement joins Sean Davison against an army of violent Ninjas and his ruthless chiefs : a nasty soldier and a a villain Arab who are planning a fiendish global terrorist attack , threatening the world peace with horrifying disasters ; as our brave protagonists must save the kidnapped people and to stop Mulgrew's plan to explode a nuclear device in New York City . Of course , the main amusement results to be the breathtaking fights between the valiant heroes against the super-Nijas dressed in black, hooded , a blade on the back and using Shinkaisen, a metallized star they throw . It's a gripping story of one man's revenge and a dangerous rescue , including graphic violent scenes . The film displays a Norris' style but Chuck does it much better . This violent art-martial film is the fourth entry about our heroes , the brave Joe Armstrong , Sean Davidson along with his proficient sidekick , and here the late Steve James who early died of pancreatic cancer is replaced , all of them undertake a difficult mission . And enjoyable secondaries as James Booth boasting his badness with hammy panache , Ken Gempu , Ron Smerczak and Robin Stille who sadly died and very early by committing suicide . At the beginning this movie was not originally intended to be part of the American Ninja series ; however , producers Ovidio G. Assonitis , Avi Lerner and Christopher Pearce changing of mind . Stars two expert fighters : David Bradley and David Bradley , as they'll wipe out a passel of violent Ninjas , as the relenting pair running afoul while facing off evil criminals . David Bradley who is beefy as ever plays a two-fisted karate man utilizing efficiently his deadly skills , as well as the always good-looking and attractive Michael Dudikoff . Entertaining , though pedestrian -at times- screenplay by actor/writer James Booth , based on characters created by Avi Kleinberger and Gideon Amir . Atmospheric musical score composed by synthesizer in similar style to previous entries and functional cinematography by Yossi Wein who would countinue to shot a lot of B-action films . The film was regularly directed by Cedric Sundstrom , he's a low-grade expert about art-martial and Ninjas sub-genre and in Delta Force rip-offs . ¨American Ninja¨ has various entries starred by Michael Dudikoff substituted by David Bradley and Steve James and mostly directed by Firstemberg and Cedric Sundstrom . Cedric worked in the theatre as an actor and stage manager. He got to work as an assistant director on international films made in South Africa. He has worked in England, America, Italy and lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. His brother, Neal Sundstrom, is also a director . Cedric has shot some action and thrillers films , such as : The Revenger , Treasure Hunters , The Shadowed Mind , The Mountain , The foster gang , Captive Rage and American Warrior III .

The American Ninja series is formed by the following ones : the first two "American Ninja" series entries produced in middling/low budget by Yoran Globus and Menahem Golan, Cannon Productions , ¨American Ninja I¨ (1985) by Sam Firstemberg with Michael Dudikoff , Steve James . ¨American Ninja¨2 (1987) by Sam Firstemberg with Dudikoff , Steve James , Larry Poindexter , Gary Conway , Jeff Celentano . ¨American Ninja 3 : Blood Hunt¨(1989) , here Michael Dudikoff turned down the lead role in this film for various reasons , among them being the fact that he didn't want to get burned out on martial-arts movies , being replaced by David Bradley , along with Steve James , but David Bradley's character was originally offered to Kurt McKinney, who turned it down for fear of being typecast as a martial-arts actor. And American Ninja 5 (2003) by Bob Bralvel David Bradley , Lee Reyes , Pat Morita , Anne Dupont , James Lew , Clement von Franckenstein , this film was not originally intended to be part of the American Ninja series . As Cannon Pictures made it under the title American Dragons but the title was changed to American Ninja V before release.