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3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain

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3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySean McNamara
Written bySean McNamara
Jeff Phillips
Produced byArthur Leeds
Sang-ok Shin
StarringHulk Hogan
Loni Anderson
Jim Varney
Mathew Botuchis
Michael O'Laskey II
James Paul Roeske II
Victor Wong
Alan McRae
CinematographyBlake T. Evans
Edited byAnnamaria Szanto
Music byJohn Coda
Distributed byTriStar Pictures
Release date
April 10, 1998
Running time
93 min. (94 min. in video release version)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$ 375,805 (U.S.) (sub-total)

3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain is a 1998 American martial arts film, and the fourth and last installment in the 3 Ninjas franchise.

High Noon at Mega Mountain starred only three of the original actors and was directed by Sean McNamara. None of the child actors from the previous films returned for this installment. The film grossed US$ $375,805 domestically,[1] making it the least profitable of the franchise by far. It was filmed in Denver, Colorado at Elitch Gardens Amusement Park.

Plot

The film opens as normal while Rocky (Mathew Botuchis), Colt (Michael O'Laskey), Tum Tum (James Paul Roeske) are at the home of their Grandfather Mori (Victor Wong) for the summer to perform their ninja training. After being put to an obstacle course test and failing, Tum Tum overhears Rocky and Colt talking about no longer returning since they are older and have more adult things to do, depressing him. After they return home from their vacation, they meet Amanda (Chelsey Earlywine) when their heads are almost buzzed off when her out-of-control radio-controlled helicopter also broke one of their windows. After making amends, she is invited to Tum Tum's birthday party the following day at Mega Mountain (a theme park much like the Six Flags franchise) which she accepts. Tum Tum is also very depressed when his favourite action hero Dave Dragon (Hulk Hogan) is set to retire and end his television series due to poor ratings, and even concerns his mother when she offers him food, to which he replies that he says "No thanks Mum, I'm not hungry".

The following day, the boys and Amanda are dropped off at Mega Mountain, and Rocky disappoints the group by opting to spend the day with his girlfriend Jennifer (Lindsay Felton) rather than spend it with Tum Tum and his wanting to see Dave Dragon who is performing live for his final performance. Colt and Tum Tum both admit the admiration toward him and remember how cool he had been previously. During these goings-on, a master criminal named Mary Ann "Medusa" Rogers (Loni Anderson), her right-hand man Lothar Zogg (Jim Varney), her Jamaican sidekick C.J. (Dwayne Carrington), her three idiot nephews Carl (Kirk Baily), Buelow (Travis McKenna), and Zed (Brendan O'Brien), and a small group of mercenaries infiltrate the park, take over its operations, and attempt to take out Dave after his performance (interrupted by Tum Tum and Colt who seek him out for an autograph). Medusa threatens the park's owner Harry Jacobson (Pat Mahoney) to pay her enough money or she will cause accidents on the rides. This causes the police and the FBI led by the boys' father Sam (Alan McRae) to be called in.

After fending off the thugs and rejoining Rocky who had spotted them while away from Jennifer, they wake up Dave and become suspicious as a great deal of the park is closed off and several rides begin to go crazy. Amanda utilizes a hand-held computer and is able to hack out some of the programs. However, Medusa quickly has her access locked out, and suspends a roller coaster train full of people at the top of a loop, threatening Harry with their deaths if he does not pay her a large sum of money. Dave tries to infiltrate their operations, and is captured while Colt, Rocky, Tum Tum, and Amanda continue to evade Medusa's henchmen and her nephews. She manages to have her nephews kidnap Jennifer and use her as bait to keep the kids from interfering by tying her to the roller coaster tracks and threatening to release the train, causing it to run over her. Rocky battles with Lothar when attempting to free her, and causes him to literally bounce out of the park and into the hands of the authorities. Medusa releases the train to race pass by Rocky and Jennifer. She tells him that he saved her and kisses him. Harry then begins to give Medusa the $10 million bag by bag. But as the final bag drops Amanda uses her helicopter to cut it open. Medusa discovers this and grabs her.

Rocky meets up with his brothers and they run into Dave. After they inform him about Amanda's capture they all unite to save her. Meanwhile Medusa tells her about her plans for her. She plans to use her as a hostage to escape. Then she will be her personal slave to work off the lost money. Medusa estimates that in 50 years they will be even. The boys are able to defeat many ninjas before they catch up to her. She compliments their skills but then decides to even the odds by shooting the lights out. This gives her ninjas the upper hand because they have night vision goggles. While they are taken care of she gives Amanda a little "surprise." Instead of being Medusa's slave, she will be blown to bits by a bomb that she leaves behind.

The boys manage to overcome their inability to see in the dark (the problem with their obstacle course at the beginning) and save Amanda, but her laptop breaks down and she cannot disarm the bomb she's attached to. Thinking quickly, they attach it to an oxygen tank on rollers and attempt to break its valve to send it away. But despite the boys' skills as ninjas, they lack the physical strength to break the valve. Luckily, Dave arrives and breaks the valve instead. The oxygen tanks send off like a torpedo directly toward Medusa's escape route. The explosion draws the authorities' attention, and they quickly capture her still clutching her bag of money. She pouts and seats herself with it, surrendering to the FBI.

Once Medusa and her minions are in jail, the boys also give credit to Dave for helping to save the park when interviewed by the media. Later, they assure Mori that they are not going to give up their summers with him for anything, enjoying learning to be ninjas, and even recruit Amanda to join them next time, an offer she accepts graciously.

Cast

Development

Filming began in 1996. Hulk Hogan, wrestling in World Championship Wrestling at the time, wore a wig for the film which resulted in him having a different hairstyle than his traditional bald look. As a result, he is seen in Halloween Havoc 1996 with a similar hairstyle as he had in the film. Elitch Gardens, the park at which was filmed, underwent a complete remodel, with all the signs for the park and rides being changed and renamed for the film. However, there are a few times when the real signs are seen in the background.

Reception

The movie had universally negative reviews and is generally considered to be the worst of the four 3 Ninjas films.[2]

References

  1. ^ 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998)
  2. ^ "MOVIE REVIEW : '3 Ninjas: High Noon' a Lively Action Adventure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
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