3 Ninjas Knuckle Up
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''3 Ninjas Knuckle Up'' is a 1995 American
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
and a sequel to ''
3 Ninjas ''3 Ninjas'' is a series of action comedy family films about the adventures of three young brothers who are trained by their Japanese grandfather in the art of ''ninjutsu''. Victor Wong is the only cast member to appear in all four films. C ...
'' and ''
3 Ninjas Kick Back ''3 Ninjas Kick Back'' is a 1994 American martial arts film directed by Charles T. Kanganis. It is a sequel to the film ''3 Ninjas''. Despite being released as the second installment of the franchise, ''Kick Back'' is chronologically the third ...
''. The film was directed by
Shin Sang-ok Shin Sang-ok (; 1925 or 1926 – April 11, 2006), anglicized as Simon Sheen, was a South Korean filmmaker who directed 74 films in a career spanning over five decades. He is best known in South Korea for his efforts during the 1950s and 1960s, ...
, using the pseudonym "Simon Sheen". The film was shot in 1992, the same year the first film was released, but was not released in the United States until 1995.


Plot

14-year-old Rocky, 13-year-old Colt, and 8-year-old Tum Tum defend "Truth, Justice and the American Way", once more - this time, protecting a Native American village and the rest of society against a company that causes
toxic waste Toxic waste is any unwanted material in all forms that can cause harm (e.g. by being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin). Mostly generated by industry, consumer products like televisions, computers, and phones contain toxic chemi ...
. During a summer, the boys are staying with Grandpa Mori when they witness the Native Americans protesting against the waste industry and the fight soon breaks out while Mori and the boys are ordered to drive away by the authorities. The next day, the boys encounter the same group of men led by J.J. harassing a girl named Jo from the protest, at the
pizza parlor A pizzeria is a restaurant focusing on pizza. A pizzeria may offer take-away, where the customer orders their food either in advance or at the restaurant and then takes the prepared food with them in a pizza box. A pizzeria may deliver food to t ...
, after she demands they tell her about her father's whereabouts. After Jo is thrown to the floor in front of the horrified customers, Colt helps her up before he, Tum-Tum and Rocky step in to protect her by fighting the men with their martial arts techniques and are cheered on by the admiring Jo and the amazed customers. After fending off the men, they are praised by the customers and other kids as heroes, which gives them big heads. However, the boys are put to work by Mori and the owner of the pizza parlor to work off damages from their fight. Mori tries to teach them a lesson in humility, but the reference of a flower blooming goes over their heads. Jo comes to the boys later at the pizza parlor and explains that the men are under the employ of Jack Harding, an industrialist who is illegally dumping toxic contents into the Native American reserve. Without proof, they can do nothing. Jo's father Charlie had gone to investigate, but he has not returned. Colt, who is seemingly attracted to Jo, agrees that they will help and find her father. The boys follows the men to sneak into Jack's
waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitor ...
and overheard his conversation with the Mayor about corruption and find Charlie imprisoned. The boys manage to fight off the some of Jack's men and escape, which they report to Jo. That night, they mount an escape plan for her father, which is successful after they fight them and escape through the sewer with Colt and Rocky dodges Jack's men that sets up a trap with fires. They spend the night celebrating with the tribe and getting thanks for helping them. During the dance, Jack and his men attack them once again until the boys and Native Americans fight them off with the help of Mori, who is suspicious about his grandsons' activities. Charlie and his family prepares and appeals for a court date with significant evidence to put Jack out of business. Soon, Jack arranges to have Jo kidnapped by the Bikers and convince her father to falsify his evidence, which he has no other choice for her safety. The Douglas boys get the information to find where Jo is being held hostage, drive out to rescue her and return before the court case is dismissed and all of Charlie's hard work accounts for nothing at all. After fighting through a small band of armed bikers at the abandoned town, they find Jo and return her to the court house. The boys arrive and fight off Jack's men and the corrupt deputies as Jo arrives to the courtroom just before her father is about to turn the real evidence over to Jack. Charlie punches Jack, admits his mistake and hands the real evidence to the EPA representative who resolves the case and finally shuts down the company producing the
landfill A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was ...
. As the boys leave the court, Jo and her family look around for the 'heroes' of the day, but they are nowhere to be found. Returning to Mori's home, Rocky, Colt and Tum-Tum realize the point of Mori's earlier lesson: that a flower is content to bloom quietly, without clamoring for attention. Grandpa Mori and the boys somersault into the air in victory.


Cast


Reception

The film received mostly negative reviews. On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, ''3 Ninjas Knuckle Up'' holds 39 out of a 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. The film was nominated for Worst Sequel and The Sequel Nobody Was Clamoring For at the
1995 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards The 18th Stinkers Bad Movie Awards were released by the Hastings Bad Cinema Society in 1996 to honour the worst films the film industry had to offer in 1995. When asked about their picks for the five worst movies of the 1990s, founders Mike Lanca ...
, but lost to '' Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls'' and '' Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers'', respectively. Despite negativity, Michael Sauter of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' gave the film a "B−" grade.


References


External links

* {{Shin Sang-ok 3 Ninjas 1995 action comedy films 1995 children's films 1995 martial arts films American action comedy films 1990s English-language films 1990s martial arts comedy films Environmental films Films about brothers Films about Native Americans Films directed by Shin Sang-ok American martial arts comedy films Ninja films TriStar Pictures films American children's comedy films 1990s American films English-language action comedy films