“Ninja III: The Domination” encapsulates everything you loved about the eighties. There are ninjas, Sho Kosugi, Aerobics instructors, Lucinda Dickey with puffed hair and an Aerobics uniform playing an arcade in her house, a synth pop soundtrack, and yes, a callback to “The Exorcist.” To reflect upon the fitness-centric decade, Dickey’s character even seduces a man by pouring V8 juice down her body. Teaming a revenge film with a possession film, “Ninja III” is every bit the silly genre mashing I remember from when I was a kid. While I have fond memories of Lucinda Dickey being called upon by her floating sword back then, “Ninja III” watches surprisingly well today. It’s silly as all hell, but in the end it’s a fun eighties trip that you can’t help but smile through from beginning to end. And who didn’t love Ninjas back then?
When an assassination attempts goes awry for an evil black ninja, causing him to be gunned down by local officers, the ninja instills his sacred sword upon poor phone worker Christie. Little does Christie know that the ninja has given her more than a cool collectible to take home with her. Before long, she’s kicking the asses of a group of male attackers outside her gym, and experiencing mysterious black outs. Little does she know the spirit of the black ninja has taken her body, and is now seeking out the police officers that killed him, systematically assassinating them. Meanwhile Christie is romancing a local cop, while trying to figure out why she awakens with bruises the next morning as she becomes the undead avenger over night.
For reasons never quite explained, the ninja’s old nemesis Yamada has received word he’s died, and now comes to the US to ensure he’s really been killed. Inexplicably, he begins to connect the dots with the assassinated police officers, and immediately decides to seek out Christie and end her chaos once and for all. “Ninja III” garners many a comical moments within its silly premise, including the ninja’s knack for crushing balls in his hand, and dressing in a conspicuous uniform. I was never sure what exactly made the ninja a super human. Was it the sword only? Were the stars also sacred? If someone stole a star from the crime scene would they too become an undead ninja? How did Yamada figure out Christie was being possessed? And why was Christie chosen? If you’re a super powered ninja, why take over the body of a petite aerobics instructor?
Was the ninja super powered or did the weapons empower him? “Ninja III” never quite knows what it wants to be, with shades of action, chopsocky, and horror littered about. There’s a hilarious possession scene where we learn more about the ninja’s intentions, as well as a moment where Christie is being enticed by the floating sword obviously suspended by wires. Lucinda Dickey gives a solid performance as the likable Christie, who spends most of the movie battling with the evil spirit, while submitting to the urges both sexual and violent. Sho Kosugi has fun as Yamada, who has almost no dialogue, but has a blast beating down rent-a-cops left and right. “Ninja III: The Domination” is still every bit as funny and entertaining as it was the since the eighties, and it’s a damn good collaboration of eighties pop chic and the ninja craze that took over America. It’s a childhood favorite, and left me giggling the whole way through.
The Two Disc Special Edition from Scream Factory comes with an audio commentary with Director Sam Firstenberg and Stunt Coordinator Steve Lambert whom discuss the action sequences and experience working with Lucinda Dickey. There’s also a Still Gallery for fans of the movie to ogle.
“Did you have your V8 today?”