The death of Hulk Hogan at the age of 71 on July 24 is likely to cause many an ’80’s and ’90’s baby to take a bittersweet walk down memory lane. One big cultural touchstone for the Blockbuster generation will likely be 1998’s notoriously awful “3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain,” which sits at 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critically drubbed, it was barely released in theaters — but took on a second life through home media releases, cable repeats and internet reviews. It also provided Hogan with his final hurrah in Hollywood, which stopped wanting any part of him after this bomb.
Hogan portrays Dave Dragon, star of “Dave Dragon and the Star Force 5,” a martial arts show worshipped by the titular ninjas — Colt (Michael J. O’Laskey II), Rocky (Mathew Botuchis) and Tum Tum (Victor Wong). They’re so obsessed with Dave that when they hear he’s going to make an appearance at the Mega Mountain amusement park, they head down to meet him. But they soon learn that he and the park have been seized by the wicked Medusa (Loni Anderson) and Lothar Zogg (Jim Varney). The boys have to finish leveling up their training — and attain the help of Dave in the process — to defeat the twosome.
“Things are sad when Hulk Hogan gives the most touching performance in the film,” remarked Anita Gates, film critic for The New York Times. The six other reviews listed by Rotten Tomatoes are equally unkind, with Variety’s Joe Leydon calling the movie “absurdly contrived and brazenly illogical.” But since its release, “3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain” has seen something of a reappreciation.
3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain has gotten a second look
While “3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain” wasn’t given plaudits during its initial release, it’s taken on a certain sort of nostalgic sheen among members of its target audience. Bolstered by years of reruns on networks like HBO Family and plenty of VHS and DVD replays, the movie now stands as a bastion of peak ’90’s nostalgia, packed with rat tails, karate, and neon. Nostalgia podcasts like “The Mighty 90s” praise it for that reason, and vintage wrestling websites like WrestleCrap impugn it on similar terms.
If you’re looking to relive your childhood memories in honor of Hulk Hogan’s memory, “3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain” is now available to stream for free with ads on Tubi. It may not be the best Hulk Hogan film, on Rotten Tomatoes or elsewhere, but it does manage to pack in a whole lot of fun. What better way to celebrate the life of “The Hulkster” than to get in a few laughs?