3 Ninjas: High Noon At Mega Mountain MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +2 Content: -1

This latest outing in the adventures of Rocky, Colt and Tum-Tum (Matthew Botuchis, Michael J. O'Laskey II, J.P. Roeske II) find them at an amusement park on Tum-Tum's birthday. Dave Dragon(Hulk Hogan), martial arts fighter and Tum-Tum's favorite TV star is making a personal appearance at the park. But Medusa (Loni Anderson), a prison escapee, and her assistant Lothar (Jim Varney) take the park goers hostage with a ninja terrorist team and demand a $10 million ransom from the owner. Trained by their grandfather as ninja warriors, it's up to the three brothers and Dave Dragon to rescue the hostages and defeat the terrorists. While this may be the best of the series, the plot and action is strictly for the younger crowd. The pre-teens will cheer for the heroes, but older teens will likely go elsewhere.

The brother's grandfather teaches the boys that pride will get them into trouble and remaining humble is the best way to think. But they forget in a crisis until Tum-Tum reminds them. Dave Dragon also encourages trust, honor, truthfulness, and teamwork. But the action is strictly violence exploited to entertain. Dave's stunt show features martial arts kicks and hits and throwing people. When the kids begin to take on the terrorists, there are frequent punches and kicks. The ninja terrorists also attack the boys with swords. The boys resort to a kick to the crotch several times and the terrorists fall on fences, metal bolts and stair rails as well as the ground. A police team is shocked as they start to scale an electrified fence and police cars are shot up, but no one is killed.

In the absence of flatulence jokes, three men are shown vomiting after an amusement ride and a boy's wet pants are shown after he's scared. Foul language is limited to several uses of the term "butt" and a slang word for urination. The aggressive martial arts action, particularly done by the brothers, tends to encourage imitative action by younger boys. The frequent violence, even though moderate, and the crude scenes give 3 NINJAS a black mark on their black belt.

Preview Reviewer: Paul Bicking
Distributor: Tri Star Pictures, 10202 W. Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232