Each year, three brothers visit their grandfather for the summer. He is highly skilled in ninjutsu, and for years he has trained the boys in his techniques.Each year, three brothers visit their grandfather for the summer. He is highly skilled in ninjutsu, and for years he has trained the boys in his techniques.Each year, three brothers visit their grandfather for the summer. He is highly skilled in ninjutsu, and for years he has trained the boys in his techniques.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Professor Toru Tanaka
- Rushmore
- (as Toru Tanaka)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Disney acquired the distribution rights to this film the studio felt it was too violent so the filmmakers responded by adding cartoon sound effects to lessen the violence. The American version of the film also cut numerous parts of scenes, most likely to secure a PG rating.
- GoofsWhen Snyder is escaping in his helicopter, Sam Douglas fires nine shots at him from a six-cylinder revolver.
- Alternate versionsFor the UK theatrical release, 34 secs were cut from the film to secure a 'PG' rating. The 1993 video version required 1:44 cut to retain the 'PG' rating (including the cinema cuts). The cinema cuts were:
- [Reel 2 / 3 mins] After boy swings from tree at man by car, cut shot of small ninja in tree holding metal stars, and subsequent sight of stars in ground. Resume on sight of old man getting up from ground.
- [Reel 5 / 7½ mins] Remove prominent sight of boys wielding chain sticks in fight with 3 ninjas:
- 1) After boy pulls tube off wall remove all sight of boys improvising chain sticks and brandishing them, resuming on comic episode where ninja inadvertently hits his partner with chain sticks.
- 2) After ninja then rushes towards camera remove high angle long shot of the boys brandishing chain sticks.
- 3) After ninja crashes into fence remove complete sequence of boy in blue shirt and white cap fighting with chain sticks against ninja.
- [At start] In opening titles, remove the dotting of the letter 'i' twice with metal throwing stars.
- [2 mins] After old man is pulled up hill, remove sequence of boy twirling chainsticks while old man throws apples at him and later sight of boy throwing stars at dart board.
- [3 mins] After old man falls to ground, remove sight of boy in tree throwing stars.
- [18 mins] After old man's line ".... between victory and defeat," remove demonstration pinpointing vulnerable parts of the body (throat, groin, etc), resuming on old man telling them to practise for an hour.
- [47 mins] After boy is tossed onto bed, remove sight of him kicking head of man in red cap.
- [48 mins] After man in red cap is pulled through bannisters, remove all further sight of boy climbing up and tying him to bannister rail.
- [62½ mins] Remove all sight of ninjas using chainsticks as follows:
- (1) After ninja wields sword, remove both sights of 3 ninjas with one of them twirling chainsticks.
- (2) After ninjas reel back after being struck by drum, remove sequence of making and displaying chainsticks, resuming on small boy in orange jacket laughing.
- (3) After ninja rushes towards camera, remove high angle shot of boys brandishing and using chainsticks and following shot of boy in blue shirt using them, resuming on ninja with raised sword threatening boy.
- (4) After this shot, remove part of following shot in which boy hits ninja with chainsticks and kicks him on head, resuming as he faces second ninja.
- (5) After ninja crashes into wire netting, remove two shots of boy in blue fighting with chainsticks.
- [65 mins] Reduce fight between two ninjas and boy in white trousers by cutting away after he kicks them to ground and removing later punches to head, resuming on boy in orange.
- [66½ mins] After ninja falls from wall, remove front of shot with punch to head by boy in green.
- [68 mins] When small boy in orange punches large oriental in throat, trim end of punch so it looks as if he only punches him in jaw, and then, after boy in khaki kicks large oriental on head for first time and lights appear on doll, remove kicks to crotch and head, resuming on second large close-up of doll's face.
- [74 mins] After shot of boy in green/blue jacket, remove sight of old man kicking man in red, resuming on long shot before punch to chin.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Troldspejlet: Episode #8.5 (1993)
- SoundtracksKid Power
Written by Richard Marvin (as Rick Marvin) & Will Roc (as William Griffin)
Performed by Will Roc
Featured review
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.
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.
- slimer8489
- Apr 19, 2015
- Permalink
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- 3 ninjas
- Filming locations
- 580 Myrtle Ct, Oak Park, California, USA(House, Original structure lost due to fire)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $6,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $29,000,301
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,888,920
- Aug 9, 1992
- Gross worldwide
- $29,000,301
- Runtime1 hour 24 minutes
- Sound mix
- Ultra Stereo(original release)
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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