Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Ninja III: The Domination Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 21, 2018

Still trusting the power of ninja mania during the 1980s, Cannon Films wasn’t about to let a good idea die peacefully. Instead of rehashing work found in “Enter the Ninja” and “Revenge of the Ninja,” Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan push the series into a far stranger direction (with help from screenwriter James R. Silke) for 1984’s “Ninja III: The Domination,” which is, true to its title, a martial arts picture, but one that’s incredibly mindful of trends, trying to be the most ‘80s movie of the 1980s by combining aerobics, video games, and demonic possession into a feature about a war between ninjas. “Ninja III” is nuts but, strangely, it’s also lovingly made by director Sam Firstenberg, who doesn’t take the helming assignment lightly. While faced with utter ridiculousness and a limited Cannon budget, Firstenberg tries to pack in as much violence and movement as possible, wisely choosing to hypnotize viewers with exploitation instead of winning them over with craft.

Christie (Lucinda Dickey) is a telephone line repair employee and part-time aerobics instructor who makes a deadly connection to the dying Black Ninja (David Chung) during her rounds. The villainous martial arts master transfers his evil into Christie, allowing him to continue his deadly wrath through the young woman’s body, taking her over when the moment calls for a full possession. Christie doesn’t understand what’s going on, turning to cop Billy (Jordan Bennett) for help as her deadly attacks increase. However, “only a ninja can kill a ninja,” with Yamada (Sho Kosugi) arriving in town to find and destroy the Black Ninja, finding Christie caught in the crossfire.

“Ninja III” doesn’t have many connections to the previous two movies. The series is primarily committed to delivering ninja-based action, not constructing a grand dramatic arc that carries over three pictures, giving the second sequel something of a fresh start to do whatever it wants to. Silke gently scrapes out the Eastern influences that came before, relocating the action to Phoenix, Arizona, with Christie a cheery, fitness-minded young woman who makes the critical mistake of showing concern for the Black Ninja’s well-being while on the job, unaware that the mystical force just spent the greater part of his morning rampaging through a nearby golf course, killing everyone in sight with an arsenal of weapons and pure physical might (it’s a rather glorious way to open the film). The killer injects his spirit into a Christie via a glowing sword, complicating her carefree life when she’s turned into a murderer at will, with particular focus on the cops that shot up the Black Ninja.

“Ninja III” details Christie’s battle with possession, which involves a sudden sexual relationship with Billy, consummated with lubrication provided by V8 juice (ick). She endures disorientation, newfound power (beating potential rapists to a pulp in broad daylight in front of a cheering crowd), and agrees to an exorcism, meeting with a Chinese healer (James Hong) to rip the Black Ninja out of her soul. “Ninja III” pays close enough attention to the extremes of the story, but details are lacking. This dramatic shortcoming inspires Firstenberg to keep busy by arranging actions sequences to distract from the absurdity of it all, and his eye for mayhem is impressive. Bodies flip and leap all over the frame, and stunts are plentiful, a few looking quite dangerous. The helmer understands the value of a hair-raising moment, trying to set up a circus for little coin, keeping the feature as non-stop as possible as ninjas battle across grass, mountains, and inside a remote temple. It’s not high art, but the production is generally aware of itself, delaying camp by remaining unstoppable. Of course, camp ultimately wins.

Ninja III: The Domination Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Ninja III" made its original Blu-ray appearance with a 2013 release which, apparently, did spectacular for Shout Factory. The company goes back to the well for this new release, which tries to add something of value to the disc by including a "4K scan from the original film elements" to boost the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. The results are rather stunning for any movie, but especially for "Ninja III," which employs plenty of color to help define the supernatural craziness going on in the story. Hues are bright and defined, bringing out period shades with confidence, delivering healthy reds (including blood) and blues. Greenery is excellent, capturing the Arizona outdoors with crisp skies and vegetation. Skintones are spot-on. Detail is sharp when cinematography permits, surveying wounds and intense close-ups (Billy's extraordinary body hair is also a vivid focal point), while urban and rural expanse carries with dimension. Delineation is appealing, never losing frame information. Grain is fine and filmic. Source has no significant areas of damage.

Ninja III: The Domination Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix delivers a crisp listening event that preserves the blend of action sound effects and dramatic interpretation. There's no muddiness here, securing the moment with defined dialogue exchanges that only fuzz out a bit during frantic activity. Scoring is big, offering a deep synth presence and frontal authority to aid the mood of the feature. Battle sequences retain their intensity, focusing on body blows and whooshing weapons, adding to the mayhem without confusing it.

Ninja III: The Domination Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary features director Sam Firstenberg and stunt coordinator Steve Lambert.

• Isolated Score Selections are provided, mixed with audio interviews with composer Misha Segal and production designer Elliot Ellentruck.

• Interview (18:24, HD) with Lucinda Dickey is a cheery conversation about her "Ninja III: The Domination" experience. Briefly tracing her career to this point, Dickey describes her interest in acting after participating as a dancer in "Grease 2," trying to land any role to prove herself. Winning the part from Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan, Dickey was instantly sent to Phoenix to start shooting, claiming she didn't see a script until a week into production. The actress shares her memories of Firstenberg and her training for the part of Christie, which not only required some martial arts work, but a telephone line repair education. With her background as a dancer, Dickey was drawn to the action choreography, taking the part seriously, accidently making contact during fights and intimidating the other women involved in a hot tub sequence. Dickey also details the reshot ending, which pulled her away from "Breakin'" for a day to react to nothing in a bad wig. The performer seems okay with the film's legacy, but shows a little wistfulness over what might've been, finding the dismal box office performance of "Ninja III" ending her five-picture deal with Cannon Films, with "Breakin' 3" canceled and Dickey's roles in "King Solomon's Mines" and its sequel given to Sharon Stone.

• Interview (10:25, HD) with Jordan Bennett tracks the actor's interest in performing, starting his career as a comedian in the Catskills, even managing to irritate Milton Berle. Bennett discusses his casting and his presence on set, working hard to push his ideas on Firstenberg, claiming credit for the V8 scene. The actor describes his character work, offered a few ride-alongs to help get into the cop mindset, witnessing plenty of weirdness in Phoenix. Talk of stunt work is offered, along with afterhours horseplay, including the theft of the telephone line repair van for joyrides. Bennett shares his memories of working with Dickey, James Hong, and especially Sho Kosugi, who was tasked to perform a sword stunt millimeters from the actor's head, thoroughly frightening Bennett.

• Interview (11:47, HD) with assistant fight choreographer Alan Amiel explores his participation in the "Ninja" Trilogy, including the claim that he came up with the premise for "Enter the Ninja," but wasn't permitted to star in the feature due to accent issues (instead he portrayed the "Maroon Ninja"). Amiel talks about the production of "Ninja III," sharing fondness for Firstenberg and highlights Kosugi's concerns about the authenticity of the script, with the martial marts master working hard to keep as much ninja realism in the film, uncomfortable with the supernatural elements Cannon wanted. Amiel also describes his efforts to train Dickey during the shoot, eventually doubling her in a few shots, though he remains impressed with her work. While the stunt man isn't particularly thrilled with "Ninja III," he appears happy the movie has found cult success.

• "Trailers from Hell" (1:57, HD) briefly discusses "Ninja III" with Josh Olson.

• Still Photo Gallery(3:07) collects publicity snaps and a few examples of international poster art.

• Behind the Scenes Gallery (4:10) showcases life on the "Ninja III" set, emphasizing the crew experience.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:37, HD) is included.

Ninja III: The Domination Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Of the three "Ninja" pictures, the second sequel is the brightest, loudest, and most pro-V8 of the bunch. It's pure entertainment, and shouldn't be considered a great film by any traditional standards. It's ideal Bad Movie Night fodder, but made with as much enthusiasm as this type of low-budget effort allows. Firstenberg sweats hard to bring the feature to a boil, and he has some wonderfully looney ideas. Execution as a whole isn't strong, but the strangeness that supports this endeavor is quite enchanting, making it easy to laugh at and with the wonders of "Ninja III: The Domination."