Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

Directed by: Sam Firstenberg

Starring: Sho Kosugi, Lucinda Dickey, Jordan Bennett

This is just a big ol’ bundle of great. Apparently it’s the third movie in the “Ninja” series (??), and it’s got some… very interesting ideas about what ninjas are and how they work. I mean, it’s still better than Naruto, but that’s about it.

A telephone repairwoman/aerobics instructor comes across a dying ninja who somehow transfers his soul or something into her, which compels her to dress up like a ninja and take revenge on the policemen who killed the ninja. You see, you can’t actually kill a ninja unless you ARE a ninja, so a ninja with an eyepatch (Kosugi) comes to save her from the ninja spirit curse thing. Also, the spirit ninja can throw fireballs and control people’s minds.

I love the whole “only a ninja can kill a ninja” idea which is just something somebody says, and nobody ever questions it. Why would only a ninja be able to kill a ninja? Are they like Japanese Highlanders or something? Actually, now that I think about it, I think Highlanders can be killed by anyone, so long as their head gets cut off. So… ninjas are harder to kill than immortals, I guess? I’m confused.