Genre Filmmaking Unleashed

Read Time:6 Minute, 52 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Ninja Trilogy [Enter the Ninja | Revenge of the Ninja | Ninja III: The Domination] (4KUHD)
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Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller, Martial Arts, Fantasy
Year Released: 1981 / 1983 / 1984
Runtime: 1h 39m / 1h 30m / 1h 33m
Director(s): Menahem Golan / Sam Firstenberg / Sam Firstenberg
Writer(s): Dick Desmond, Menahem Golan / James R. Silke / James R. Silke
Cast: Shô Kosugi, Franco Nero, Lucinda Dickey, James Hong
Where to Watch: available now, here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: THE NINJA TRILOGY exists in a very specific pocket of 1980s cinema where sincerity, excess, and outright insanity collide without apology. Taken together, ENTER THE NINJA, REVENGE OF THE NINJA, and NINJA III: THE DOMINATION form a progression that feels less like a planned arc and more like a gradual surrender to escalation. What begins as a relatively grounded martial arts action picture evolves into something delirious, supernatural, and proudly unhinged. That evolution is the trilogy’s greatest strength.

ENTER THE NINJA is the most restrained of the three, and that restraint is exactly what gives it credibility. Franco Nero’s Cole operates as a familiar outsider figure, a conduit for audiences unfamiliar with ninja mythology. The film plays it straight, framing ninja combat as disciplined, ritualized, and lethal rather than flamboyant. Shô Kosugi’s Hasegawa arrives like a force of nature, and his presence immediately shifts the energy of the film. Kosugi doesn’t just act; he embodies physical control and menace in a way few martial artists of the era could match. The climactic confrontation isn’t flashy by modern standards, but it carries weight because the film treats its world seriously.

REVENGE OF THE NINJA is where the trilogy finds its identity. Sam Firstenberg pushes the action forward aggressively, stripping away any remaining pretense of subtlety. Kosugi takes center stage as Cho Osaki, and the film understands that his physicality is the main attraction. This is a revenge story powered entirely by momentum, moving from grief to violence with almost no pause. The action sequences are more elaborate, more frequent, and more confident. It’s also the film where the trilogy’s shift becomes apparent. This is ninja cinema leaning into its own mythology.

Then there’s NINJA III: THE DOMINATION, which abandons grounding altogether and emerges as one of the strangest studio-backed action films of the decade. Possession, aerobics, laser beams, and telepathic vengeance collide in a way that should not work — and yet, somehow, it does. Lucinda Dickey fully commits to the material, grounding the absurdity in performance rather than psychological realism. Kosugi’s role shifts from avenger to spiritual counterbalance, reinforcing the film’s logic: when chaos erupts, only a ninja can restore order. The film doesn’t wink at the audience. It doubles down, embracing its own lunacy with complete confidence.

What unifies the trilogy isn’t narrative continuity but tonal commitment. Each film understands exactly what it is trying to deliver within its moment. ENTER THE NINJA establishes credibility. REVENGE OF THE NINJA perfects the formula. NINJA III detonates it. Rather than feeling inconsistent, the trilogy plays like a real-time genre experiment, with each installment pushing further to see how far audiences will follow.

Shô Kosugi’s importance to this trilogy cannot be overstated. His presence gives the films cohesion even when logic collapses. He moves with a precision that feels genuinely dangerous, and the camera consistently frames his body as a weapon. He isn’t asked to emote or explain himself. His authority comes from action, not dialogue. That restraint anchors even the wildest moments.

Kino Lorber’s restoration work elevates the experience considerably. The 4K presentations give these films a clarity they were never meant to have, revealing textures, colors, and choreography that were previously muddied by inferior home video releases. Rather than exposing flaws, the restorations highlight the craftsmanship behind the stunt work and physical performances. These films may be outrageous, but they are not lazy.

THE NINJA TRILOGY feels less like nostalgia bait and more like a document of creative freedom. These are films made before corporate synergy flattened genre experimentation, when studios were willing to gamble on ideas that sounded ridiculous on paper. That willingness to go all in is what makes the trilogy endure.

Not every entry works equally, and not every idea lands cleanly. But as a complete experience, THE NINJA TRILOGY delivers something rare: a clear sense of progression, personality, and escalating ambition. It starts with discipline, peaks with precision, and ends in glorious chaos — exactly the trajectory a series like this should follow.

Product Extras:
DISC 1 (ENTER THE NINJA – 4KUHD):
Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
Audio Commentary by Action Film Historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
Optional English Subtitles

DISC 2 (ENTER THE NINJA – BLU-RAY):
Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
Audio Commentary by Action Film Historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
Theatrical Trailer
5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
Optional English Subtitles

DISC 3 (REVENGE OF THE NINJA – 4KUHD):
Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
Audio Commentary by Director Sam Firstenberg and Stunt Coordinator Steven Lambert
Audio Commentary by Action Film Historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
Optional English Subtitles

DISC 4 (REVENGE OF THE NINJA – BLU-RAY):
Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
Audio Commentary by Director Sam Firstenberg and Stunt Coordinator Steven Lambert
Audio Commentary by Action Film Historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
Intro by Sam Firstenberg
Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
Optional English Subtitles

DISC 5 (NINJA III: THE DOMINATION – 4KUHD):
Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
Audio Commentary by Director Sam Firstenberg and Stunt Coordinator Steve Lambert, Moderated by Robert Galluzo
Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interviews with Composer Misha Segal and Production Designer Elliot Ellentuck
5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
Optional English Subtitles

DISC 6 (NINJA III: THE DOMINATION – BLU-RAY):
Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
Audio Commentary by Director Sam Firstenberg and Stunt Coordinator Steve Lambert, Moderated by Robert Galluzo
Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interviews with Composer Misha Segal and Production Designer Elliot Ellentuck
Dancing With Death: Interview with Actress Lucinda Dickey (18:24)
Secord’s Struggle: Interview with Actor Jordan Bennett (10:25)
Birth of the Ninja: Interview with Producer and Stuntman Alan Amiel (11:47)
Theatrical Trailer
5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
Optional English Subtitles

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER]

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