3 Ninjas Knuckle Up

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Shin Sang-ok
Written by	Alex S. Kim
Produced by	Martha Chang James Kang
Starring	Victor Wong Charles Napier Michael Treanor Max Elliott Slade Chad Power Vincent Schiavelli
Cinematography	Eugene Shluglet
Edited by	Pam Choules
Music by	Gary Stevan Scott
Production company	Sheen Productions
Distributed by	TriStar Pictures
Release dates	January 1, 1993 (1993-01-01) (South Korea) March 10, 1995 (1995-03-10) (US)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$407,618 (U.S.) (sub-total)

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up is a 1993 American martial arts comedy film taking place in between 3 Ninjas and 3 Ninjas Kick Back. The film was directed by Shin Sang-ok, using the pseudonym "Simon Sheen". The film was shot in 1992, the same year the first film was released, but was not released until 1995.

Plot

13-year-old Rocky, 12-year-old Colt, 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 Toxic Waste Company.

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, Colt and Tum-Tum encounters a same group of men led by J.J. harassing and assaulting a girl named Jo from the protest at the pizza parlor after she demands them about her father's whereabouts. Colt, Tum-Tum and Rocky step in to protect her by fighting them and getting cheered on by the admiring customers. After fending off the men with their martial arts techniques, they are praised 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 named Charlie had gone to investigate, but he had not returned. Colt, who is seemingly attracted to Jo, agrees that they will help and find her father. The boys follow and sneaks into Jack's waste management, overheard his conversation with the Mayor about corruption and founds Charlie imprisoned. The boys managed to fight of the some of Jack's men and escape as they report Jo. That night, they mount an escape plan for her father, which is successful. 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 suspicious about his grandsons.

Charlie and his family prepares and appeals for a court date with significant evidence to put Jack out of business for good. 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.

Rocky and his brothers 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 found Jo and return her to the court house. The boys arrive and fight off Jack's men and the Sheriffs as Jo arrives to the courtroom just before her father 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 signifies the case and shuts down the company producing the waste.

As the boys leave the court, Jo and her family looks around for the 'heroes' of the day, but they are nowhere to be found. Returning to Mori's home, Rocky, Colt and Tum-Tum realizes the point of Mori's earlier lesson: that a flower is content to bloom quietly, without clamoring for attention. The film ends with Grandpa Mori and the boys somersaulting into the air in victory.

Cast

• Victor Wong as Grandpa Mori Tanaka
• Michael Treanor as Samuel 'Rocky' Douglas Jr.
• Max Elliott Slade as Jeffrey 'Colt' Douglas
• Chad Power as Michael 'Tum-Tum' Douglas
• Crystle Lightning as Jo
• Charles Napier as Jack Harding
• Patrick Kilpatrick as J.J.
• Donal Logue as Jimmy
• Scott MacDonald as Eddy
• Don Shanks as Charlie
• Sheldon Peters Wolfchild as Lee
• Nick Ramus as Chief Roundcreek
• Vincent Schiavelli as The Mayor
• Selina Jayne as Jo's Mother
• Don Stark as The Sheriff
• Dennis Holahan as Dean Thompson
• Michael Hungerford as Truck Driver
• Cathy Perry as Reporter
• Wayne Collins Jr. as Kid #1
• Janie Melissa Gunderson as Kid #2
• Danuel Pipoly as Kid #3
• Amanda Nicole Power as Kid #4
• Adam Treanor as Kid at Pizza Parlor
• Erin Treanor as Pizza Parlor Girl
• Gary Epper as Biker #1
• Eric Mansker as Biker #2
• Ted Pitsis as Town Man
• Stuart Proud Eagle Grant as Indian #1
• Jeff Cadiente as Indian #2
• David Cadiente as Indian On Truck
• Al Goto as Indian On Truck
• Pat Van Ingen as Indian Grandmother
• Brett Jones as Thug at Indian Rally and Pizza Parlor and Indian Ceremony and Court House and Waste Plant Worker
• Richard Cetrone as Thug at Pizza Parlor and Court House
• John Alden as Waste Plant Guard
• Hunter Brown as Waste Plant Worker and Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Keith Campbell as Waste Plant Worker
• Dane Farwell as Waste Plant Worker
• Melvin Jones as Waste Plant Worker
• Gene LeBell as Waste Plant Worker
• Gary Littlejohn as Waste Plant Worker
• Dwayne McGee as Waste Plant Worker and Thug at Indian Ceremony and Court House
• Denney Pierce as Waste Plant Worker and Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Steve Vandeman as Waste Plant Worker
• William Washington as Waste Plant Worker
• Dan Bradley as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Eugene Collier as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Monty Cox as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Michael Haynes as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Al Jones as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Clint Lilley as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Bill MacIntosh as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Don Pulford as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Mario Roberts as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Thomas Rosales Jr. as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Jan Michael Shultz as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Brian Smrz as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Erik Stabenau as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Tim Werner as Thug at Indian Ceremony
• Michael Ragsdale as Big Hairy Biker
• Phil Adams as Biker
• Brian Avery as Biker
• Rick Avery as Biker
• Brad Billington as Biker
• Jeff Bornstein as Biker
• John Branagan as Biker
• Kurt Bryant as Biker
• Bobby Burns as Biker
• Michael Cassidy as Biker
• Doc D. Charbonneau as Biker
• Phil Culotta as Biker
• Mark A. Cuttin as Biker
• Brian Davis as Biker
• Richard Epper as Biker
• Jack Gill as Biker
• Jim Holley as Biker
• Keii Johnston as Biker
• Clint Jones as Biker
• Tod Keller as Biker
• Randy Lamb as Biker
• Fritz Lieber as Biker
• Buck McDancer as Biker
• Cole S. McKay as Biker
• Eric M. Miller as Biker
• Brad Orrison as Biker
• Mark Orrison as Biker
• Robert Pfeiffer as Biker
• Chuck Picerni Jr. as Biker
• Rex Pierson as Biker
• Pat Romano as Biker
• Paul Sherrod as Biker
• Tierre Turner as Biker
• Merritt Yohnka as Biker
• Bill Erickson as Court House Officer
• Andy Gill as Court House Officer
• Ray Lykins as Court House Officer
• Robby Robinson as Court House Officer
• Spiro Razatos as Thug at Court House

Reception

The film received mostly negative reviews.

On Metacritic, 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, but lost to Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers, respectively.

Despite negativity, Michael Sauter of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B−" grade.

External links

• 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up at IMDb
• 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up at AllMovie