3 Ninja Kids

For a kiddie flick, and this film is certainly not aimed at anyone upwards of adolescence, '3 Ninjas' isn't bad in the grand scheme of things. It is, undoubtedly, better than many of the martial arts films aimed at children that have been produced (check out tosh like 'Tiger Heart' and 'Double Dragon' for proof!).

The film centres on three young brothers-- thirteen-year-old Rocky, twelve-year-old Colt and eight-year-old Tum-tum-- who have been studying martial arts since they were toddlers, under the tutelage of their sensei grandfather. The boys' father, an FBI agent, doesn't approve but he is too pre-occupied with catching bad guys to stop them. Then the boys find themselves at the centre of a kidnapping plot by one of their father's perps Snyder, who incidentally was also trained in martial arts by their grandfather.

The film has many unrealistic scenes where the three wee moppets take down hordes of grown men with ease and cue the 'Home Alone' style tricks as the boys rig their house against three would-be teenage kidnappers who have the IQ of toast (one of whom was portrayed by Patrick Labyorteaux, who went on to play Bud in 'JAG'). However, to the film's credit, Snyder was depicted to be genuinely cruel and threatening and the three young actors, especially the elder two, who played the brothers were not as irritating as many child actors can be.

This is an enjoyable film for kids, especially those interested in martial arts (it did influence me to take up Tae-Kwon Do as a kid!), or those who watched it as a child themselves. Unfortunately, the two sequels '3 Ninjas Kick Back' and '3 Ninjas Knuckle Up' were much cheesier and less watchable and the fourth film '3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain', filmed much later in 1998 and featuring different kids in the role of the brothers, was just so atrocious that it's better to pretend it doesn't exist.

Victor Wong, Michael Treanor, Max Elliot Slade, and Chad Power star in this great family action film. Victor Wong stars as the grandfather who teaches his three grandchildren the art of being a ninja. Soon they're kidnapped by an old acquaintance of Grandpa's. This movie is also very funny and no doubt everyone in the family will laugh out loud. I recommend this film to anyone that likes action films mixed with humor.

Back in 3rd grade, I had just moved to a new town, so I was at the library in that town. I had just been done watching the live-action Ninja Turtles movies for the first time, so I also discovered a little VHS called "3 Ninjas". Of course, after seeing TMNT I, II, and III, I just HAD to watch this movie. And I did.

As a kid, I just ate this stuff up. I loved these movies to death. I thought they were the best things ever. I never understood why everybody hated it, but I got older, and I realize why many people hate this movie: It's too unrealistic. But who cares? Not every movie has to be just like real-life. Of course, the 3 Ninjas formula with kids beating the crap out of adults has grown since the release of this movie, but it has gotten way stupid, to the point where the bad guys are bumbling fools who don't fight back. But you don't see that in this movie. It has a pretty dark tone to it. Snyder, the villain isn't just some stupid fool like with things like this nowadays, he's a pretty menacing villain, so that's something that holds up.

Another thing that holds up is the action. I love the fight scenes, but it's too bad that a lot of the violence was cut to secure a 'PG' rating. But it's cool now, since the extended cut has surfaced and for some reason only played on movie channels like Showtime.

This movie also has some pretty awesome music. It's a shame that an OST for the film's score was never released.

Something I don't like about the hate for this movie is how everyone seems to just call this a rip-off of Home Alone and the first live-action TMNT movie just because of the quote from the Boston Globe on the cover of the VHS and DVD. Look, guys, the Boston Globe panned both Home Alone and TMNT, they're not trying to promote it as a rip-off or anything, so calm down.

That's my review. Don't look for Citizen Kane in this movie, and don't pass it off as something on the same level as Dora. Just look at it as entertaining fun.

And as for the sequels? Well, Knuckle Up and Kick Back were good. Knuckle Up is my favorite because it's action on overdrive, and it doesn't care what the MPAA thinks, because they got a PG-13 rating and took it. Kick Back brought back the same charm that the original had. But High Noon at Mega Mountain was crap. The plot was too silly, but it's fun to watch and laugh at.

I love this movie! Those three guys are not only great at martial arts but funny and charming actors as well. All the kids loved it when it came out and still quote lines from this 'classic.' Yes, there are borrowed ideas (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Home Alone...) but who doesn't? And stunt doubles for the Grandfather, but who do you think he is, Jackie Chan? Victor Wong makes a sincere grandfather/mentor. Hey, the adult reviewers may not have enjoyed or even understood this movie, but the 'kids' that I know, did. As for the Ninjas themselves, they acted naturally and credibly. A perfect family movie.

This, without a doubt, is the KING of "back-in-the-day" fun stuff. Its "The Goonies" for the 90's, and, well...sure kicks butt compared to "Home Alone." Did you cheer when he rolled down his own stairs in a sled? Not exactly. Of course who wouldn't cheer for three kids taking down a six-foot, two hundred-plus pounder henchman (who's really posing as a light-up dummy)? Even though slightly unintelligent...plot remains solid with sharp humor and on-your-feet fight scenes. Yet, its not exactly Bruce Lee...but did you ever see Bruce Lee kick butt at age 13? See the movie. It's definitely some high-kickin' fun.