In the ‘80s, martials arts really started to become popular in North America, which was reflected in films like The Karate Kid and Big Trouble in Little China. In the ‘90s, that interest in martial arts morphed specifically into ninjas. Something about the word ninja just seemed really cool, apparently! While there have certainly been a lot of different ninja and martial arts related films for adults, in the ‘90s there were a few films aimed specifically at children featuring ninja hijinks. Today, we’re going to take a look at the top three of those ’90s ninja movies, some of which morphed into franchises that are still going strong to this day.
3. 3 Ninjas (1992)
Did you know there are actually four 3 Ninjas movies? It’s true, though let’s be honest, after the first one, the quality really (really really) goes downhill. The original film centers around three brothers whose Japanese grandfather teaches them how to fight, and gives them each a “ninja name.” Yeah, you remember — Rocky, Colt, and Tum Tum. The boys end up having to use their new skills to take down some bad guys, which includes a sequence in their home reminiscent of Home Alone where they outwit some potential kidnappers. The sequels feature a rotating cast of actors and worse and worse stories, and honestly they’re not worth talking about! Still, the first one is a classic, and if you ever hear someone chanting “Rocky loves Emily,” you’ll know you have a fellow 3 Ninjas fan in your midst.
2. Surf Ninjas (1993)
Some of you may think that putting Surf Ninjas above 3 Ninjas is controversial, but this movie, while corny, also has a camp factor that makes it hold up a bit better than 3 Ninjas. Also, you’ve got a combo of three ‘90s obsessions — ninjas, surfing, and video games. This film stars Ernie Reyes Jr. and Nicolas Cowan as two surfer brothers who live in LA that discover they’re secretly princes of a country called Patusan, and have special ninja powers that start to emerge (the younger brother uses his Sega Game Gear to control real life events during some fights — yes, it’s true). Rob Schneider also stars as their funny sidekick friend who goes along for the ride, and Leslie Nielsen plays the villain that the boys must defeat. Is it silly? Sure. But if you grew up in the ‘90s and haven’t seen this, please do.
1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) / Teenage Mutant Ninjas Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze (1991) / Teenage Mutant Ninjas Turtles III (1993)
Come on, now, of course the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are going to be number one here — everyone loved them as much as they loved pizza. They’re the only ones on this list that have their own franchise still going strong today, and featured not only this ‘90s trilogy of live-action movies, but a cartoon series that began in the ’80s, and, of course, the comic series that started it all in 1984. The first film features the turtles teaming up with reporter April O’Neil and vigilante Casey Jones to rescue their master Splinter from the evil Shredder. It’s arguably the best out of the three, but the other two have their merits as well. In the second film, Shredder returns and this time he’s learned about the ooze that turned the turtles into what they are today, creating even more havoc. And in the third film, the turtles travel back in time to feudal Japan thanks to a mysterious scepter. You undoubtedly had a favorite turtle growing up, and probably thought you could easily handle a nunchuck like Michelangelo (my personal favorite turtle).
Have you seen all of these ’90s ninja movies and their sequels? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
- None of the original 3 Ninjas are still acting anymore. Colt (Max Elliott Slade) has a degree in anthropology and is in a band, Rocky (Michael Treanor) supposedly works in financial services, and Tum Tum (Chad Power) is a football coach in his hometown.
- New Line Cinema, who produced Surf Ninjas, established a relationship with Sega, and they made a deal to create a video game based on the film while the film was being made. The video game was actually released a few weeks prior to the film itself.
- One of the most memorable parts of TMNT II: Secret of the Ooze is the song “Ninja Rap” by Vanilla Ice, which is featured in a whole musical bit in the middle of the film, where Vanilla Ice makes an appearance himself.
- Victor Wong, who played the grandfather of the three ninjas, is the only actor to appear in all four of the 3 Ninjas films. The fourth film was his last film before his death in 2001.
- The ninja turtles were created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in London. Jim Henson said that the turtles were the most advanced creatures he had ever worked with — they were first made out of fiberglass, and then remolded out of clay, and were produced as molds to cast the whole body in foam rubber latex.
- None of the original 3 Ninjas are still acting anymore. Colt (Max Elliott Slade) has a degree in anthropology and is in a band, Rocky (Michael Treanor) supposedly works in financial services, and Tum Tum (Chad Power) is a football coach in his hometown.
- New Line Cinema, who produced Surf Ninjas, established a relationship with Sega, and they made a deal to create a video game based on the film while the film was being made. The video game was actually released a few weeks prior to the film itself.
- One of the most memorable parts of TMNT II: Secret of the Ooze is the song “Ninja Rap” by Vanilla Ice, which is featured in a whole musical bit in the middle of the film, where Vanilla Ice makes an appearance himself.
- Victor Wong, who played the grandfather of the three ninjas, is the only actor to appear in all four of the 3 Ninjas films. The fourth film was his last film before his death in 2001.
- The ninja turtles were created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in London. Jim Henson said that the turtles were the most advanced creatures he had ever worked with — they were first made out of fiberglass, and then remolded out of clay, and were produced as molds to cast the whole body in foam rubber latex.
2 thoughts on “The 3 Best ’90s Ninja Movies/Franchises for Kids – Ranked”
Kinda cool that the kid that played Keno in TMNT was also the kid in surf ninjas!! So he’s holding 2 of the 3 spots!
Oh yes, Ernie Reyes Jr. was in both! Great factoid! Thanks for commenting.