Ninja III: The Domination

Starring: Sho Kosugi, Lucinda Dickey, Jordan Bennett
Written by: James R. Silke
Director: Sam Firstenberg
Year: 1984

Rating: * 1/2   Stars       +       (Fan Bonus 1/2  )  Total: * *

This third installment in the "ninja franchise" has no continuity to either Enter the Ninja or Revenge of the Ninja. This film attempts to blend the mystique of ninjas with the Exorcist, peppered with an Mtv flavor.

The movie opens on a golf course where a VIP is playing a round of golf with business partners and enough body guards to make the President jealous. In the shadows is a ninja, assigned the task of assassinating this man. He is successful, but now must escape. After killing an army of bodyguards, and half the L.A. Police department, including taking out a police chopper, he is finally overwhelmed and gunned down by law enforcement packing automatic riffles and shotguns. Yet he isn't dead, he simply hides. Wounded and dying, he crawls to a telephone technician working on a downed line. The tech is the lead character and resident hottie, Christie (Lucinda Dickey). Through ninja magic, he hypnotizes her and forces his soul into her body.

After questioning, Christie leaves the police department and begins experiencing strange phenomena. The ninja spirit takes over from time to time on a mission of revenge. One by one she hunts down the police officers who finally killed him, yet she has no memory of the events.  One of those officers, is obscured in the sunlight, but is revealed later to be Christie's love interest, Billy. The police officer, Billy Secord (Jordan Bennett) seeks out ninja master Yamada (Sho Kosugi) who confronts the possessed Christie in an attempt to subdue her and dispel the spirit. He does, but the Spirit manifests in its old body, becoming a ninja zombie.

While completely enthralling to the 10-13 year old crowd, revisiting this film results in slouching in the chair from embarrassment.  While Sho Kosugi wanted to make a film that showcased the superstitions and mythologies associated with ninjas, the sub par acting, poor direction, and over the top sequences make this film all sizzle, and no steak. It also moved the ninja from historical figure to improbable super-hero.

This film was the last of this franchise, although Sho Kosugi would go on to make other ninja themed films, with moderate success. 

SEE THE TRAILER: Ninja III: The Domination