3 Ninjas (1992) User Reviews (79)

Not bad for kiddies

[cosmic_quest · 6/10 · 19 October 2007]

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.

Good for what it is

[Polonius85 · 5/10 · 9 May 2011]

I remember I loved this movie as 7 year old karate kid wannabe back in 92. While not as timeless as other movies in this genre such as Home Alone, it's a good, safe (for content) movie for kids to enjoy. It's no Oscar winner, but it wasn't trying to be (obviously). Yes, the dialog is stupid, the plot is amateurish, and if you're over the age of 11, you'll be unamused by most of the humor. Everyone knows that three kids outnumbered 10 to 1 by professional criminals with extensive martial arts training AND who have guns wouldn't stand a chance, but this is a kids' fantasy movie. Every little boy dreams of fighting bad guys and kicking their butts; 3 Ninjas just plays it out on screen. I find it funny that so many find THAT aspect of the movie to be its "downfall." If you're planning on having a sleepover party for you 6-10 year old son, this is a good movie for him and his friends.

Feel-Good Childhood Movie

[slimer8489 · 6/10 · 20 April 2015]

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.

It doesn't stink, for a kid film

[static_in_the_sky · 21 August 2003]

Somebody posted complaining about how three kids cannot beat up 30 or 40 bad men. Well if you were a kid, you'd adore this film. I first saw this film when I was I believe five years old. I grew up watching the movies along with the rest of the series: 3 NINJAS KICK BACK and 3 NINJAS KNUCKLE UP. I'm not trying to sound cheesy or anything. I rather watch the series than watching Teenage Ninja Turtles. I think every generation of young kids would have liked 3 Ninjas if they are really interest in Martial Arts. Sure, the film will probably fade away from our interests as we grow up. But in my own opinion and my experiences, I think 3 Ninjas was one of the excellent film of early 1990s that young viewers would enjoy. Now I'm a teenager and I laugh at the thoughts of how obessed I was with 3 Ninjas but that doesn't mean I shouldn't destroy it existence.

OK, I know this was lame, but come on! What were you expecting? It's a kid's movie.

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 5/10 · 19 June 2006]

Whenever I rent, I get a movie for my cousin who is about to turn 6 years old, so I figured he needed a little action flick of his own that was appropriate for kids. I picked up 3 Ninjas and watched it with him, yes there are some major problems with this movie. The grandfather is Japanese and the three boys are completely white. If this was an adult movie, I would definitely be questioning the actual threat of a mob boss who hires goons who say nothing but "Dude!" and are clearly stoned. It has it's very cheesy and unrealistic moments about the dad and his job.

But as a kid's movie I thought it was a pretty good idea because it had humor that would fit their liking. It has good morals and a happy ending. I'm judging this movie as a kid's flick because otherwise I would do nothing but bash, so to IMDb users think about the genre this film is.

5/10

For ages 8 and under

[pkzeewiz · 2/10 · 5 January 2010]

I remember when this came out a lot of kids were nuts about it. I guess I was a bit too old to get all excited and I was a fan of real martial arts films and always found this a bit cheesy.

In the early 90's we were swamped with programs such as this making kids feel like they could fight and be a power ranger or an equal to these kids on 3 Ninjas. I think eventually parents and film makers alike got sick of it because all we had in reality was abunch of kids going around punching and hitting everyone.

Many kids movies have some big point they're trying to make and its nice for your kids to watch and get the message, this one doesn't have any message at all...it just exploits a million difference things in less than 90 minutes.

The movie has no great visual qualities but would one expect it to? The acting is pretty bad. Victor Wong is a cool actor but it was embarrassing to see him here.. The short, fat, gimped eyed old fart as a powerful ninja that was just hilarious. The kids over acted way too much and the youngest ninja Tum Tum was maybe the worst kid actor I have ever seen.

The movie has a plot that anyone knows before they even read the review. 3 ninjas...yea you know they're gonna fight a bunch of bad guys and win obviously... Need I say more. Sorry if I spoiled it for anyone.

With all that said KIDS WILL LOVE IT. This movie is aimed at kids and only children could enjoy it. If you don't mind your kid seeing movies about kids fighting this is a good movie to let them see. If you don't mind allowing your children to see complete garbage that has nothing to do with real martial arts, real acting or reality period then you have found a movie for your kids... I say kids because I think even the girls will like it... I recall all the girls having a crush on Rocky.

2 out of 10 stars because I think you can make a movie for kids and still make it enjoyable for adults..this movie failed big time at that.. It is beyond cheesy and nothing original or unique and I would not allow a child of mine to watch it... Kung Fu the TV series is on DVD and there's tons of great Shaw Brothers films out there...Why not show your children things that will really entertain them and not make them dumb along the way, perhaps even teach them some moves and not just how to kick a man between the legs as grandpa did on 3 Ninjas...no no no...never kick a man between the legs ...never .. thats so unninja like.

Horrible...please NO!

[MikeK-7 · 1/10 · 17 June 1999]

Oh my god! This movie insults the intelligence of everybody. I mean really, who thinks three kids can fight 30 to 40 ninjas and win. Not to mention the brainless humor thrown in. This film is baaaaaaaaaaaaaad. The movie is an omen, the only thing it's good for is a time killer or unintentional laughs.

The best of the '3 Ninjas'movies!

[Lady_Targaryen · 7/10 · 29 November 2005]

This is the best of the ''3 Ninjas'' movies, and this is the one which I always watched in my childhood.(the other 2 sequences never took very much my attention,specially because the actors who played Rocky and Tum Tum were not the same). I always remember how cool I found the ninja thing, the characters(specially Colt) and also the mask and the 'ninja names' that Samuel(Rocky),Jeffrey(Colt) and Michael(Tum Tum) received from their grandfather.Of course there are impossible things, like an adult ninja losing a fight or being weaker than the kids, but this is a entertaining movie spite all of 'non real'facts. Victor Wong(who I always confuse with Pat Morita)is great being the Grandpa Mori Tanaka as well.

Pure Crap

[curtism · 1/10 · 7 July 2002]

Serious HOME ALONE/KARATE KID knock off with enough bad character stereotypes to have the writer sued and then shot. You could see blatant stunt man usage in almost every scene. Oh, and the acting sucks too. Although I must say that the line: "Sorry, dude, I have to take a major dump big time" made me laugh my ass off.

Childhood memories

[raptakis-60433 · 7/10 · 1 May 2022]

I used to watch this movie over and over when. I was younger. Yes as a adult now I laugh at how bad this movie is, but that's the point. It's not meant to be taken serious. It's a movie for kids from the 90's that pokes fun at it self at times. It's a good movie to kick back and enjoy to relive some of your childhood if you watched it growing up.

Worst Movie Of All Time

[sotired-2 · 1/10 · 23 January 1999]

I saw this movie on t.v. this afternoon and I can't see how anyone can sit through this piece of trash. It's not funny at all and it takes your I.Q. down a few notches. I know this movie is for kids, but that doesn't mean the writers should take their intelligence for granted. I bet that writers were sitting around a large wooden table and figured that a) The word "poop" equals big laugh. b) A four foot tall kid can dunk on a ten foot tall basketball net. c) Kids should always fight kidnappers armed with guns because the kidnappers will fall for anything and d) 3 months of karate training is all you need to beat up so-called "ninjas" with swords. One good thing I can say about this movie is it contains the weakest suburban "gang" in the world that couldn't scare anybody. Maybe the guys at MST3K could use this movie for a good laugh. Don't bother with this lame-ass excuse for a movie.

An excellent movie for kids; the bad reviews are just bad reviewers!

[JodyBruchon · 10/10 · 6 April 2020]

As of this review, the rating on this movie is in the 5/10 range. When I look at what the negative reviews are saying, it becomes clear that the bad reviews come from reviewers who are treating this movie like it's supposed to be a serious adult comedy, but it's NOT that kind of movie. It's clearly meant to be a light-hearted movie that is aimed at being fun for younger kids. It's not made for adults; it's absurd and childish and fun, designed to be watchable for 10-year-olds while still being appropriate enough for a 5-year-old to watch and enjoy too.

The movie is definitely absurd in a lot of ways, and several things won't quite add up. Don't take it seriously at all and you'll probably enjoy it. Your kids surely will.

Great Fun

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 2 January 2017]

Each year, three brothers, Samuel, Jeffrey and Michael Douglas visit their grandfather, Mori Tanaka, for the summer. Mori is highly skilled in ninjutsu, and for years he has trained the boys in his techniques. After an organized crime ring proves to be too much for the F.B.I., it's time for the three ninja brothers! Apparently, people don't care for this movie. The IMDb rating is rather low. I loved it as a kid (I recall seeing it in the theater), and figured I would give it another chance at age 35. I fully expected it to disappoint, but it was actually as good or better than I remembered.

Sure, some of it is "dumb", but I think that happens to be the point. This is a kids movie or a movie for those who are not completely dead inside. The three surfers (stoners?) are incredible, and really capture the era of Keanu Reeves and/or "Wayne's World".

Funny Movie

[jaybabb · 5/10 · 23 January 2003]

Ok folks, I'm going to be as objective as I can be. This is just one of those movies-you either like it or you don't. This is not high art, though it tries to be. It's not Bruce Lee either, but then what was he doing at 13 years of age? And yes-all of Victor Wong's Martial arts were doubled by others.

Still, this movie has some fine moments-like the Ninja version of Home alone. 3 Guys are hired by Snyder to kidnap the boys-but these guys have no idea what they are getting themselves into(Snyder knows-but neglects to tell them what the boys can do!)These boys are Ninjas-and they know how to kick butt! These guys get more than what they bargain for! LO! They get bruised, scores and food poisoning. One of them gets tied by a rope made of ties(this goes a bit far I admit.)

Then the boys are Kidnapped by Snyder's own men and are taken to a ship. This is Snyder's hideout. Inside, they are training Ninjas. The boys Do battle with these guys-and the boys win. But by now Snyder and his men are desperate-they turn Guns on them. Just then, Granpa shows up and reminds the boys of the dummy lesson they learned before he takes them home. They use these skills to knock down the big guy who weighs at least 250 pounds-maybe more. Snyder does battle with Grandpa-watch this movie to find out who wins.

I have two Minor Complaints of this film:

A. The Character "Tum Tum" is pathetic. The idea of a child eating Candy all the time and having something hanging from his mouth through out the film is sickening. If you are eating dinner during this movie, you wish you weren't. If this was real life, the kid would be wearing dentures before he turns 30-thank God it's only a movie. They should have given this kid a better character and naming him differently, or taken him out altogether.

B. The Scene where these kids are on their way to school on their bikes, they ride over just about anything they can-showing off and showing disrespect for the neighbors. I thought kids learn respect for others through martial arts?

My favorite Character is Rocky. He has the best moves in this movie.

Bottom Line? You can either like or hate this movie. For me at least, I come in between. It's an OK movie-but I know that, with a better script combined with the talents of these kids-it could be a whole lot better.

On a Scale of 10-I give it a 5.

incredible and brilliant in every conceivable way

[benjamin_learmonth · 19 May 2003]

A great many people claim that Citizen Kane is one of the greatest films, and whilst there is some truth to the fact that Orson's masterpiece was, in terms of style, innovative - 3 Ninjas is truly a superior film on every level.

3 Ninjas combines Chaucerian comedic metaphors, injects some Wordworthian bathos, mixes in some satire worthy of Swift, and comes out with a film so incredible that this reviewer cannot describe it with a sufficient number of superlatives!

A dramatic stripping away of racial and social mores in the modern day United States, 3 Ninjas is extraordinary in its realistic treatment of a multi-ethnic family - because, after all, every Japanese person knows karate!

I'm amazed that so many of the actors involved in this fine production have not gone on to star in any other films, and was surprised to note that the film was absent from the Academy Awards shortlist. Perhaps a remake can be arranged if we all join hands, find a Japanese friend to teach us the mystical ways of the East, and pray that that chap from Happy Days is still alive.

Every boy's dream -- to become a ninja!

[jstnosbrn · 5/10 · 28 March 2005]

I grew up with this movie. I used to watch it with my two brothers and would immediately start fighting afterwards. Few movies make you get out of your seat and practice martial arts. I have heard bad things about this movie from nearly everyone. Most people shrug this movie off because its lame children's action and even more lame dialogue. But thats the best part about this movie. To get the full appreciation for this film, you must watch it with a 10 year old. Watch how excited the kid gets when the 3 ninjas get into their mischief and fight the bad guys. I will guarantee that if anyone, regardless of age, watches this movie, they will be entertained, if not deeply moved by the Victor Wong's (Grandpa) intense moral lessons he teaches to his grandsons.

Wish I could give less than a 1

[cj_rm · 1/10 · 24 April 2011]

It's too bad I can't rate this at a .5 because I would. Movies like this and surf ninjas are playing a huge role in continuing to make our children dumber. The acting is just gruesomely terrible, the story line is just as bad and if I had a chance to play in a movie like this, I would think about how much I would be regretting it for the rest of my life. Even back when this movie first came out and I was in the second grade, I knew this movie was stupid then. This movie is so sad, if you love your children and have a hope of them turning out to be something some day, don't let them see this, it will only damage their minds rather than inspire them.

A miserable ripoff of The Karate Kid.

[punch87 · 1/10 · 9 December 2020]

The worst thing is you can almost bet that an executive at Touchstone has already put the wheels in motion for a sequel to bloat an industry that is already chock-full of uninspiring films such as this one.

A movie for the kiddies

[Lady-Coyote · 7/10 · 13 January 2005]

I saw this movie for the first time when I was eight, and at the time extremely interested in anything having to do with martial arts and acrobatics. I simply loved the movie! It had the right amount of comedy and the right amount of action. It has similarities to Home Alone, so if you're a fan of those, I'll recommend this one strongly. Keep in mind that this is a movie for children, and unless you have a certain fascination for one of the actors, it won't be as amusing to see this as an adult. Most kids like seeing movies about kids who can take out or outsmart adults, but to the rest of us, it doesn't seem very realistic.

If you can see it as purely entertainment, then you might have some fun. The kicks and punches are great to watch for martial arts folks, and to those who've seen a bit of that: the three kids' styles are very different ;)

There are two other movies in the same style that are worth having a look at: "3 Ninja Kids Kicks Back" and "3 Ninja Kids Knuckle Up" The last one, however (with different, and might I add, much younger actors), was a great disappointment from beginning to end.

My vote for this one will be based upon the fact that this IS a kids flick and not meant to have adults sitting there in anticipation in front of the screen. I'll give it a seven.

Inoffensive fluffmade from bits and pieces of superior movies.

[IonicBreezeMachine · 4/10 · 15 September 2020]

3 Ninjas follows three brothers who train to be Ninjas with their Japanese grandfather played by Victor Wong, The boys' training doesn't sit well with their father, a no nonsense FBI agent who's in pursuit of arms dealer Snyder who is also a ninja an a dishonored pupil of the Boy's Grandfather. After the FBI's latest raid on his cache he takes it upon himself to kidnap the boys so he can force their father to back off and their grandfather to train his ninja henchmen.

Produced in 1992, 3 Ninjas is often called a rushed mashup of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Home Alone, and the movie does very little to disprove that assertion, though the TMNT connection maybe somewhat more tenuous. The movie plays like a mashup of one of Cannon Films' ninja movies from the 80s(American Ninja, Enter the Ninja, etc.) and kid shenanigans popularized by home alone. The titular 3 Ninjas are played reasonably well by the three child actors, but there's so little to them personality wise that they're all pretty much interchangeable, with the exception of the youngest one; he eats........ a lot......that's it.

The movie is a mixture of action and comedy and does both poorly. The humor is predominantly based around pratfalls and there's very little in the way of variation for them. The sequences are also awkwardly staged be they comedic or action oriented because a) it can't let anything "too serious" happen to its child characters and b) the size difference between the kids and their would be kidnappers means the henchmen have to stumble around awkwardly to adjust for the height difference which makes any of the scenes of ninja fights in this movie both a bore and uninteresting. The movie also has an obnoxiously zippy and whimsical soundtrack that plays throughout the majority of the movie and feels like it's trying to make the movie seem more energized than it is.

3 Ninjas is a pointless and vapid source of entertainment made watchable only by the fact that director Jon Turteltaub knows how to cut away from scenes and make the would be humor not limp about on screen. Other than the relatively sure handed direction and serviceable acting the movie is a waste of time. If you have children interested in Martial Arts or kid shenanigans there's better alternatives.

Perfect Movie for the Family

[dsschmidt-27121 · 6/10 · 19 November 2020]

Recently watching this for the first time in 25 years. A great movie for the family that has a nice blend of cheesy comedy, some drama and a typical early 90's story line. Must watch for kids between the ages of 5 and 10.

Adult viewing has changed my opinion

[padawanmovies · 5/10 · 24 June 2022]

As a young girl I was a huge fan of Next Karate Kid, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and these 3 Ninjas movies. As an adult I notice how bad the fight scenes looked and how unbelievable it was for these kids to fight adults. My biggest issue is y they didn't get an Asian mom or make the granddad an adoptive parent. There's no other explanation for a Latina woman to play a partial Asian.

Great movie!

[gdkarma2 · 9/10 · 7 July 2000]

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.

Review Quote

[emac687 · 7/10 · 15 July 2005]

Sargeant Lapsodil of the New Cornberry Tribune said, "Surf Ninjas is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meets 3 Ninjas meets Pro Wrestling".

Ben Chad of the First Names As a Last Name Magazine raved, "Surf Ninjas is a cross between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and 3...damn, that guy already said that...hmm...uh...a cross between...Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds and Bad Santa and Richard Simmon's Workout tapes. That's it, I'm fired....what the hell? Where did all this mist come from? My God, it's carnivorous...Noooooooooooooooooo....."

I need more lines to qualify even though this whole thing is ridiculous

I suggest you go buy yourself a sandwich and laugh about cabbage patch kids

Ruined my childhood

[nickguevara · 1/10 · 21 February 2022]

I vaguely remember this film. However I remember being in karate classes and seeing this film at some point and losing all faith in the hobby. This was super cheap with weak-ass hits and subpar production. All that ever replays in my head about this film is how the littlest of the bunch would say the weakest "hi-yah" after every strike he delivered and how it would ring in my ears and ruin my day. This movie made Karate cringe to me.