3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain
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| 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Written by | Sean McNamara Jeff Phillips |
| Produced by | Arthur Leeds Sang-ok Shin |
| Starring | Hulk Hogan Loni Anderson Brian Carl Jim Varney Mathew Botuchis Michael O'Laskey II James Paul Roeske II Victor Wong Alan McRae Frank Welker director = Sean McNamara |
| Cinematography | Blake T. Evans |
| Edited by | Annamaria Szanto |
| Music by | John Coda |
| Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
Release date | April 10, 1998 |
Running time | 93 min. (94 min. in video release version) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
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. Was filmed in Denver, Colorado at Elitches Amusement Park.
Plot
The film opens as normal while the boys Rocky (Mathew Botuchis), Colt (Michael O'Laskey), and 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, he overhears the eldest Rocky and Colt talking about no longer returning since they are older and have more adult things to do, depressing Mori. After they return home from their vacation, they meet Amanda (Chelsey Earlywine) when their heads are almost buzzed off by her out-of-control radio-controlled helicopter. 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 favorite action hero Dave Dragon (Hulk Hogan) is set to retire and end his television series, and even concerns his mother when she offers him food, to which he's "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) 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 Dave Dragon and remember how cool he had been previously. During these goings on, a yet vicious woman 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 Dragon after his performance (interrupted by Tum-Tum and Colt who seek him out for an autograph). Medusa threatens the Mega Mountain's 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 his girlfriend, they wake up Dragon and become suspicious as a great deal of the park is closed off and several rides begin to go crazy. Amanda utilizes a handheld computer and is able to hack out some of the programs, however Medusa quickly has her access locked out, and suspends a roller coaster full of people at the top of a loop, threatening to the owner of Mega Mountain with their deaths if he does not pay her a large sum of money. Dragon 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 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 cars, causing the people 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. Amanda uses her RC helicopter to destroy the bags of money being dropped, but misses one when she is taken by a vengeful Medusa, who obtains the final bag and attempts to flee.
The trio manage to overcome their inability to see in the dark (the problem with their obstacle course at the beginning) and save Amanda, but her computer breaks down and she can't disarm the bomb she was attached to. Thinking quickly, they attach the bomb to an oxygen tank on rollers and attempt to break the tank's valve to send it away. With Dave's help they are able to break it, and send it like a torpedo directly toward Medusa's escape route.
The explosion draws the authorities' attention, and they quickly capture Medusa still clutching to her bag of money, she pouts and seats herself with it, surrendering to the FBI. Later, the boys 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...which she accepts graciously.
Cast
- Hulk Hogan as Dave Dragon
- Loni Anderson as Mary Ann "Medusa" Rogers
- Jim Varney as Lothar Zogg
- Mathew Botuchis as Rocky Douglas
- Alexander Gourley as Colt Douglas
- J.P. Roeske II as Tum-Tum Douglas
- Victor Wong as Grandpa Mori
- Lindsay Felton as Jennifer
- Kirk Baily as Carl
- Brendan O'Brien as Zed
- Travis McKenna as Buelow
- Pat Mahoney as Harry Jacobson
- Mike Cornelius as Random Kid in yellow shirt. Appears around minute 100 of the movie
Development
Filming began in 1996. Hulk Hogan, wrestling in World Championship Wrestling at the time, wore a wig for the film which resulted in Hogan 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 where filming was located, underwent a complete remodel, with all the signs for the park and for the rides being changed and renamed for the film. However, there are a few times when the real signs for the rides and park are seen in the background.
Reception
There is some criticism surrounding the continuity of certain characters and events throughout the film. In the final scenes for example, a yo-yo is wrapped around one of the character's legs, which is not present seconds later when he falls from a roller coaster.
