3 Ninja Kids

Original title: 3 Ninjas

1992
PG
1h 24m

IMDb RATING

5.3/10

24K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer0:31

Slapstick Action Comedy Family Sport

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.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.3/10

24K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

4,298

195

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Trivia
When 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.

Goofs
When Snyder is escaping in his helicopter, Sam Douglas fires nine shots at him from a six-cylinder revolver.

Quotes
Colt: I'm Colt because I'm fast, he's Rocky because he's solid and he's Tum-Tum because he'll eat anything.
Tum Tum: I won't eat dog poop.

Alternate versions
For 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.
The video cuts were:
[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.

Connections
Featured in Troldspejlet: Episode #8.5 (1993)

Soundtracks
Kid Power
Written by Richard Marvin (as Rick Marvin) & Will Roc (as William Griffin)
Performed by Will Roc

User reviews82

Review

Featured review

7/10

Great Fun

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".