3 Ninjas Kick Back MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -1

Following up the original 3 NINJAS movie in 1992, this sequel also features three pre-teen brothers nicknamed Tum-Tum, Colt and Rocky (Evan Bonifant, Max Slade, Sean Fox). The boys' grandfather (Victor Wong) has trained them to be expert ninja karate fighters, although this hasn't made their parents real happy. Their grandfather goes to Japan to take a special dagger to the winner of a large karate fighting contest. When an old, wealthy rival of granddad decides he wants the dagger, granddad is in big trouble. But the three boys hop a plane to Tokyo to protect him. They fight many a karate battle with the evil men pursuing grandpa. The boys also have some fun seeing Japan, particularly Rocky, who meets an attractive Chinese girl who's also a karate expert. 3 NINJAS KICK BACK contains non-stop action and karate fighting and some humor, which will appeal to the under 13 crowd.

Most of the karate fighting develops when the boys or grandpa defend themselves from their evil ninja opponents. However, the fighting is excessive and amounts to an exploitation of violence to entertain. It becomes unusually severe when men are kicked in the face and groin, beaten and poked with sticks and battered with bare fists. A man is dragged on the ground behind a truck, three men tied upside down by their feet and a mobil telephone stuffed in the mouth of a fighter. This is of particular concern since young people sometimes imitate the action they see in ninja movies. On the positive side, the boys and their parents have a loving relationship, and the boys risk their lives to save their granddad. Granddad insists that ninja fighting instills good character traits. Happily, there's no sexual content in the film and only one obscenity is spoken. However, young Tum-Tum proclaims he's going to "kick butt" or "murderize" his opponents. 3 NINJAS KICK BACK is excessive in more ways than one and doesn't present good role models for the younger generation.

Preview Reviewer: John Evans
Distributor: TriStar Pictures, 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232