3 Ninjas
Encyclopedia
3 Ninjas is a 1992 American
martial arts
comedy film
directed by Jon Turteltaub
, starring Victor Wong
, Michael Treanor
, Max Elliott Slade
, and Chad Power
. It was the only 3 Ninjas film released by Touchstone Pictures
, while the others were released by TriStar Pictures
. The film is about three young brothers who learn martial arts
from their Japanese grandfather.
), Jeffrey (Max Elliott Slade
) and Michael Douglas (Chad Power
) visit the cabin of their Japan
ese grandfather Mori Shintaro (Victor Wong
) for the summer. Mori is highly skilled in the art of Ninjutsu
, and for years has trained the boys. This year, Mori presents the boys with new "ninja names": Samuel becomes "Rocky", Jeffrey becomes "Colt", and Michael becomes "Tum Tum".
Meanwhile, the boys’ father, Sam Douglas (Alan McRae), leads the FBI on a sting operation
against Hugo Snyder (Rand Kinglsey), to buy warheads. Snyder escapes because ninjas were in the rafters. When he returns to his hideout, he explains his relationship with Sam to his assistant Mr. Brown (Joel Swetow
) and bodyguard Rushmore (Professor Toru Tanaka). He has known Douglas for years, since his former master Mori Tanaka trained him.
On their last day at the cabin, Snyder arrives to test his old master by sending ninjas after him. Defying their grandfather's orders to stay in the house, the boys fight a few of the ninjas. After they are victorious, Snyder threatens Mori and his family’s lives if he does not get Douglas off his back; he also threatens to rip out his heart if he does not.
When the boys return home, their father is talking to his partner Jerry. Douglas hates martial arts, despite having married Mori's daughter Jessica (Margarita Franco) so he is not enthusiastic when the boys try to show him what they learned, and more irritated when they explain their Ninja names.
Snyder arranges to kidnap the boys and tells Brown to hire his surfer nephew Fester (Patrick Labyorteaux
) and his friends Hammer (D.J. Harder) and Marcus (Race Nelson). The next morning as the boys ride their bicycles to school, Fester and his crew fail to grab them. Emily becomes separated from the boys and has her bike stolen by bullies. She becomes mad at Rocky for showing off and walks the rest of the way to school.
At recess, Colt and Rocky challenge the bullies to a game of basketball. Giving the bullies a 9 point lead they effortlessly win Emily's bike back. Meanwhile, a frustrated Snyder tells Fester and his buddies to get the children before midnight, prompting Brown to aid as backup if needed.
The boys are at home with a babysitter when Fester, Marcus and Hammer show up. The kidnappers subdue the babysitter and lock her in a closet. The boys decide if they can take care of Fester and his gang themselves, then their ninja training would be worthwhile. Using booby traps, they weaken the intruders but the criminals take Emily (Kate Sargeant) hostage. Fester, alone with Emily, confronts Colt and Rocky, when Tum-Tum suddenly attacks and Emily subdues Fester. When they free the babysitter, Brown and Rushmore overpower and capture them.
Sam, Jessica, and Mori learn from a note Emily gives them that Snyder is responsible. Mori then offers to sneak in and rescue them. Mori slips into Snyder's hideout, while the boys trick their guard and escape. After several confrontations through the ship they come across Rushmore, whom they defeat with Mori’s help. Mori reunites with the boys, as Snyder confronts Mori. Mori gains the upper-hand when Snyder grabs a gun from one of his subordinates and Sam shoots Snyder in the arm.
As the group is receiving medical aid, the FBI takes Snyder and his men to jail. Sam apologizes to Mori, and tells Jerry to fill out the reports himself because he had a whole family of heroes he needed to take out for pizza
.
It should be noted that on September 2, 2011, the international version of the movie was shown on the channel Disney XD, complete with Rocky beating up the bully at the end.
, 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up
and 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain
.
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
martial arts
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Jon Turteltaub
Jon Turteltaub
Jonathan Charles "Jon" Turteltaub is an American film director and producer. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the USC School of Cinematic Arts...
, starring Victor Wong
Victor Wong
Victor Wong was a Chinese American character actor who appeared in supporting roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s.-Education:...
, Michael Treanor
Michael Treanor
Michael Treanor is an actor and martial artist who starred in 3 Ninjas and 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up. He is the third son of Richard and Peggy Treanor....
, Max Elliott Slade
Max Elliott Slade
Max Elliott Slade is an American actor who starred in 3 Ninjas, 3 Ninjas Kick Back, and 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up. He was featured as Jay Lovell in Apollo 13, young Mark Goddard in The Sweeper, and young Gil Buckman in Parenthood.Slade was born in Pasadena, California...
, and Chad Power
Chad Power
Chad Thomas Power is a black belt, who starred in 3 Ninjas and 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up....
. It was the only 3 Ninjas film released by Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
, while the others were released by TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. is an American film production/distribution studio and subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
. The film is about three young brothers who learn martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
from their Japanese grandfather.
Plot
Each year, Samuel (Michael TreanorMichael Treanor
Michael Treanor is an actor and martial artist who starred in 3 Ninjas and 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up. He is the third son of Richard and Peggy Treanor....
), Jeffrey (Max Elliott Slade
Max Elliott Slade
Max Elliott Slade is an American actor who starred in 3 Ninjas, 3 Ninjas Kick Back, and 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up. He was featured as Jay Lovell in Apollo 13, young Mark Goddard in The Sweeper, and young Gil Buckman in Parenthood.Slade was born in Pasadena, California...
) and Michael Douglas (Chad Power
Chad Power
Chad Thomas Power is a black belt, who starred in 3 Ninjas and 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up....
) visit the cabin of their Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese grandfather Mori Shintaro (Victor Wong
Victor Wong
Victor Wong was a Chinese American character actor who appeared in supporting roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s.-Education:...
) for the summer. Mori is highly skilled in the art of Ninjutsu
Ninjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
, and for years has trained the boys. This year, Mori presents the boys with new "ninja names": Samuel becomes "Rocky", Jeffrey becomes "Colt", and Michael becomes "Tum Tum".
Meanwhile, the boys’ father, Sam Douglas (Alan McRae), leads the FBI on a sting operation
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
against Hugo Snyder (Rand Kinglsey), to buy warheads. Snyder escapes because ninjas were in the rafters. When he returns to his hideout, he explains his relationship with Sam to his assistant Mr. Brown (Joel Swetow
Joel Swetow
- Select filmography :* Rent ... as Mr. Cohen* Star Trek: Enterprise** episode Terra Prime ... as Andorian Ambassador Thoris* Charmed... As the Avatar named Alpha* Alias** episode Second Double ... as Jens...
) and bodyguard Rushmore (Professor Toru Tanaka). He has known Douglas for years, since his former master Mori Tanaka trained him.
On their last day at the cabin, Snyder arrives to test his old master by sending ninjas after him. Defying their grandfather's orders to stay in the house, the boys fight a few of the ninjas. After they are victorious, Snyder threatens Mori and his family’s lives if he does not get Douglas off his back; he also threatens to rip out his heart if he does not.
When the boys return home, their father is talking to his partner Jerry. Douglas hates martial arts, despite having married Mori's daughter Jessica (Margarita Franco) so he is not enthusiastic when the boys try to show him what they learned, and more irritated when they explain their Ninja names.
Snyder arranges to kidnap the boys and tells Brown to hire his surfer nephew Fester (Patrick Labyorteaux
Patrick Labyorteaux
Patrick Labyorteaux is an American actor. He is best known for his roles of Andrew Garvey on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie as well as Bud Roberts on the hit CBS series JAG.-Life and career:...
) and his friends Hammer (D.J. Harder) and Marcus (Race Nelson). The next morning as the boys ride their bicycles to school, Fester and his crew fail to grab them. Emily becomes separated from the boys and has her bike stolen by bullies. She becomes mad at Rocky for showing off and walks the rest of the way to school.
At recess, Colt and Rocky challenge the bullies to a game of basketball. Giving the bullies a 9 point lead they effortlessly win Emily's bike back. Meanwhile, a frustrated Snyder tells Fester and his buddies to get the children before midnight, prompting Brown to aid as backup if needed.
The boys are at home with a babysitter when Fester, Marcus and Hammer show up. The kidnappers subdue the babysitter and lock her in a closet. The boys decide if they can take care of Fester and his gang themselves, then their ninja training would be worthwhile. Using booby traps, they weaken the intruders but the criminals take Emily (Kate Sargeant) hostage. Fester, alone with Emily, confronts Colt and Rocky, when Tum-Tum suddenly attacks and Emily subdues Fester. When they free the babysitter, Brown and Rushmore overpower and capture them.
Sam, Jessica, and Mori learn from a note Emily gives them that Snyder is responsible. Mori then offers to sneak in and rescue them. Mori slips into Snyder's hideout, while the boys trick their guard and escape. After several confrontations through the ship they come across Rushmore, whom they defeat with Mori’s help. Mori reunites with the boys, as Snyder confronts Mori. Mori gains the upper-hand when Snyder grabs a gun from one of his subordinates and Sam shoots Snyder in the arm.
As the group is receiving medical aid, the FBI takes Snyder and his men to jail. Sam apologizes to Mori, and tells Jerry to fill out the reports himself because he had a whole family of heroes he needed to take out for pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
.
International Version
The international cut of the film features a number of small parts of scenes that were cut from the movie for its American release, most likely to sure a PG rating. Amongst the cut scenes are [not all-inclusive]: Extra footage of Snyder's escape in which he confronts two FBI agents who he promptly defeats, A scene in which the robbers fire a gun in the convenience store and tie up the clerk behind the counter, a scene in which the robbers get the Douglas family address from Brown, additional footage of Grandpa trailing Snyder to his ship hideout, numerous small portions of the scene where the robbers invade the Douglas household, including Colt beating the robbers after getting them under a tarp in the room being renovated and a scene of one of the robbers asking his uncle (Brown) if he can be paid, extra sarcastic dialogue while the boys are locked up in Snyder's ship, an extended scene in which the boys are reunited with Grandpa, footage of Brown KOing himself on a pipe and subsequently complaining about his pain when being taken away by the Feds. Additionally, in the international version the boys LOSE the basketball challenge and their bikes, so a scene ends the international version of the film in which they fight the bullies to get them back.It should be noted that on September 2, 2011, the international version of the movie was shown on the channel Disney XD, complete with Rocky beating up the bully at the end.
Reception
Critics were mostly negative about the movie. It currently holds a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. however it did well at the box-office and received three sequels 3 Ninjas Kick Back3 Ninjas Kick Back
3 Ninjas Kick Back is a 1994 American sequel to the film 3 Ninjas. It received mostly negative reviews from critics. This is the only 3 Ninjas film with a video game adaptation...
, 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up
3 Ninjas Knuckle Up
3 Ninjas Knuckle Up is a 1995 American martial arts comedy film and a sequel to the films 3 Ninjas and 3 Ninjas Kick Back. The film was directed by Sang-ok Shin.-Plot synopsis:...
and 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain
3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain
3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain is a 1998 American martial arts film, and the fourth and last installment in the 3 Ninjas franchise....
.