Search - Ninja III: The Domination [Blu-ray/DVD Combo] on Blu-ray

Craig S. (InnerMacro) from WAUSAU, WI
Reviewed on 10/29/2023...

The third entry in the ‘Ninja’ film series, although none of them have much to do with the others than the manner in which they glorify the powers of the ninja. In this film, we start with an ‘evil’ ninja who, for reasons that are never explained, decides to murder a golfer(?) and his wife while out on the links. His murderous rampage does not stop there – he goes on to kill the two security guards who find the bodies, and then decides to continue his spree for 15+ minutes taking on the entire LA police department. At several points, I kept assuming he would leave the scene, his primary target assassinated. But no! Clearly the plot called for this ninja to continue raging until finally at death’s door. This is where we come to the justification for his ‘spirit domination’ of a young, part-time aerobics instructor and phone company line worker, played by Lucinda Dickey (later of Breakin and Breakin 2 Electric Boogaloo fame). We later learn that ‘only a ninja can destroy a ninja’, leaving us mystified as to why the domination is necessary in the first place, but Sho Kosugi (a good ninja?) is recruited to set things right, nonetheless.
Weirdly, while possessed by the ninja with a death wish, the woman seems hell-bent on seeking revenge against . . . wait for it . . . the cops that killed the evil ninja of course!! What? I don’t understand – there were plenty of opportunities where the evil ninja easily could have fled the scene, but he stood his ground and kept killing people like he was trying to end a game of Grand Theft Auto, until he was swarmed by officers shooting boxes of ammo into him. And they still didn’t kill him anyway! I mean not really, since he comes back later in the movie in his own body again, apparently no worse for the wear.
The boyfriend cop in this movie is a creep. Kosugi actually does some mildly cool stunts in the last 15 of the movie, but overall this film is only good for ripping on the special effects – especially the ones in the woman’s apartment. Lucinda Dickey does well with her role, but the over-the-top focus on 1980s women’s fads overshadows anything resembling seriousness. As with the previous films, don’t bother to watch this unless you enjoy making fun of it. The rating given is based on the assumption that the viewer wants to embrace the cheesiness of the 1980s ninja craze.

0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.