3 Ninjas is a movie that expertly combines all of the essential components for a blockbuster hit: slapstick humor, "witty" one-liners, overly accentuated stereotyped characters, and, most of all, ninjas. What puts this movie over the top is the fact that the ninjas in question are not the bad ass, gonna flip out and kill you, type of ninjas, but the young, pre-pubescent, child variety. Here's the deal: Samuel, Jeffrey and Michael Douglas (or "Rocky," "Colt," and "Tum Tum," respectively) are the grandsons of Mori Tanaka, a master martial artist, who has taken it upon himself to teach them the ways of the ninja. However, the trouble starts when one Hugo Snyder, who happens to be an old friend of Tanaka shows up one day with a predictably evil proposition. After being refused, Snyder decides to kidnap the three ninja brothers to persuade their father, an FBI agent, to cut him some slack. Instant classic.
This movie came out in 1992, when I was about eight, so I was pretty psyched about it. After seeing it in the theaters, and watching it countless times on video I could practically recreate the whole film. As you might have guessed (or remember), this movie wasn't met with critical acclaim, but was one of those films that got brushed under the rug. That fact, however, couldn't stop this runaway freight train of a franchise, as there were three sequels (3 Ninjas Kick Back, 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up, and 3 Ninjas: High Noon At Mega Mountain), and a video game for the SNES (3 Ninjas Kick Back) (Thanks Servo5678) as well a version for the SEGA Gensis and SEGA CD systems (Thanks althorrat) . Despite all of that, this is still a great film for kids, and the perfect primer for other great ninja themed shows, like Beverly Hills Ninja, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Ninja Scroll. If nothing else, this movie is good for reliving your childhood.
Cast:
Victor Wong - Grandpa Mori Tanaka
Michael Treanor - Samuel 'Rocky' Douglas Jr.
Max Elliott Slade - Jeffrey 'Colt' Douglas
Chad Power - Michael 'Tum Tum' Douglas
Rand Kingsley - Hugo Snyder
Alan McRae - Samuel Douglas Sr., FBI
Margarita Franco - Jessica Douglas
Kate Sargeant - Emily
Joel Swetow - Brown
Professor Toru Tanaka - Rushmore
Patrick Labyorteaux - Fester
Race Nelson - Marcus
D.J. Harder - Hammer
Sources:
www.imdb.com
More viewings than I care to make public.
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