Made throughout the 90s, the 3 Ninjas movies have been able to retain an enduring fan base despite their lukewarm critical reception. If you’re curious to give them a watch, though, you’ll need to know the correct sequence. Without further ado, here are all 3 Ninjas movies in chronological order.
1. 3 Ninjas (1992)
Titled ‘3 Ninjas’, this is the first movie in chronological order. Every summer, the three brothers (Rocky, Colt, and Tum Tum) visit their aging Japanese grandfather Mori. What makes the 3 Ninjas a thing is how Mori is quite the skilled ninja in the art of Ninjutsu and teaches the brothers in his various arts of ninja combat. The boys earn their ninja names based on their attributes as ninjas, too.
The boys’ father, an FBI agent, is trying to catch a criminal whom the boys witness getting into a fight with their grandfather. Eventually, the boys get kidnapped by the criminal (Hugo Snyder) and his hired goons in retaliation for the boys’ father trying to constantly arrest him. Thankfully, Mori, the ninja grandfather, tracks the boys down and the four of them fight their way to freedom using ninja techniques. Hugo Synder ends up defeated at Mori’s hands and the boy’s FBI father shows up to arrest Hugo and his criminal organization.
2. 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up (1995)
It’s another summer vacation and that means another comedic action adventure with the three brothers using ninja moves to save the day. Except this time, a sleazy business tycoon wants to dump toxic waste on an Indian burial ground. He does this by bribing local police to turn the other cheek. Thankfully, the brothers fight off Jack the tycoon, and his associates.
Later on, the boys defend a native American girl named Jo at a pizza parlor. Due to their techniques, their grandfather makes them fix up the pizza place in an attempt to teach them humility. It’s a lesson that the boys don’t fully understand until after they save Jo from being kidnapped by Jack. The kidnapping is a ploy to coerce Jo’s father into lying to the courts about Jack dumping waste inappropriately. Thankfully, the three brothers rescue Jo just in the nick of time, allowing her father to prove Jack’s wrongdoings without consequence.
3. 3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994)
3 Ninjas Kick Back is chronologically the third on this list despite having been released a year before 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up. It’s a shame that distribution issues got in the way, but thankfully the movie itself still captures that sense of campy action-comedy that the original is known for.
The boys are slowly maturing into young adolescents and dealing with the pressures that come with that. The story reflects by showing how the boys don’t have any interest in joining their grandfather to go to Japan to return an awarded dagger at his old tournament grounds Grand Master. The boys ultimately don’t get to play baseball right away, but don’t go with Mori, their grandfather, until they realize they have his dagger by accident.
After arriving in Japan, the boys make friends with a female fighting tournament and stay with her and her mother. Mori’s tournament rival from years ago, Koga, continually tries to steal the dagger from the boys through deception and force, but the three ninjas overcome each difficulty using the important lessons learned throughout the movie from Mori, Miyo, and her mother. The film ends with the boys making it back in time to play in the championship baseball game, where they use the lessons they learned in Japan to win the game with the help of Miyo.
4. 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998)
3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Moutain is the final movie on this list as the latest release and also the one with the longest name. In the final 3 Ninjas movie, the two oldest boys have aged a couple of years and are ready to move on from what their grandfather wants to keep teaching them. Tum-Tum is the only one interested in still learning and is disappointed – at least until the three boys and their new friend, Amanda, visit Mega Mountain.
Tum-Tum and Colt hang out together and watch a performance while Rocky spends time with his girlfriend. This is when a ‘master criminal’ named Mary Ann “Medusa” Rogers threatens the park and tries to get the owner to pay a large ransom for the park guest’s safety. The three boys, alongside Dave Dragon, overcome Medusa, and her subordinate played by Hulk Hogan. Later in the film, the boys have to fight in the dark, which they failed to do earlier in the movie, but thankfully learn from Mori’s teachings in that moment when they’re truly tested.
The FBI, SWAT, and police eventually capture Medusa after she tries to escape. Rocky and Colt tell their grandfather they will stay in training and Amanda joins them too. The film ends with Tum-Tum happily celebrating his birthday with everyone.
Ultimately, none of the movies rated well, and High Noon at Mega Mountain was reviewed as the worst by far. Though, some 90s enthusiasts still enjoy the nostalgia these movies portray.
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