Parents' Guide to 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain

With all-new actors in the title roles and the production design of a cheap toy commercial, this fourth movie instalment in the franchise bears little resemblance to the fun previous movies. Instead of inventive choreography and witty scripts, 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain lumbers around a theme park while the boys track down the grotesque villain couple, Lothar (Jim Varney) and Medusa (Loni Anderson). Barely making good on its ninja namesake, the movie takes nearly 30 minutes to get to its first fight. Throughout, the editing meanders between sloppy and dull -- a montage that aims for wild enjoyment at a theme park lacks any sense of fun whatsoever.

Judging by the supporting cast of dozens of bored and unhappy child extras, the shoot was as enjoyable as the movie is to watch. Can Hulk Hogan save the day? He'd spent more than a decade as a kids' hero as a superstar wrestler. Outside the ring, it turns out acting isn't his strong point and his charisma is nowhere to be found. It's not that 3 Ninjas is a bad series -- in the right hands it found its perfect pitch of fun, funny, and thrilling action adventure for kids. 1995's 3 Ninjas: Knuckle Up is the series' peak. High Noon at Mega Mountain is the pits.