Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

Ninja III: The Domination (1984)-* * *1\2

Directed by: Sam Firstenberg

Starring: Lucinda Dickey, Sho Kosugi, Jordon Bennett, and James Hong

Christie (Dickey) is just going about her day as a worker for Metro Telephone when a dying ninja bestows upon her a magical sword. Suddenly, Christie starts acting very weird and ninja-y, which concerns her new boyfriend, police officer and body hair enthusiast Billy Secord (Bennett). As it turns out, the spirit of the ninja has inhabited Christie’s body, and is now attempting to get revenge on the group of cops that murdered him. Now officially a were-ninja, Christie is taken by Billy to a ninja exorcist, or “Nexorcist” as they are known in the biz, Miyashima (Hong). When the ninja’s old rival, Yamada (Kosugi) shows up, things get really complicated. Will the lovely Christie ever be the same again? Or will her closet be forever filled with black outfits and her purse filled with throwing stars?

Yes, the above description is entirely accurate and is a real movie. Needless to say, we loved it and you gotta see it! This is a Cannon production directed by Cannon mainstay Sam Firstenberg, who that same year would also direct Lucinda Dickey in Breakin’ 2 (1984). And in 1983, he directed Revenge of the Ninja (1983). Interestingly, though this movie is called Ninja 3, technically this is the third in a trilogy: Enter the Ninja (1981), Revenge of the Ninja, and this - even though none of these movies were ever called, simply, “Ninja”. Regardless, Ninja III is interesting, entertaining, and certainly never boring.

The movie is filled with 80’s genius: great outfits, makeup and hair, Christie has an arcade game called Bouncer in her apartment, and in her spare time does aerobics on shag carpeting. Musicians Harpaz and Segal are credited not with just a score, but a “synth score”! It’s all just awesome. And adding to all the ninja action, stunts and inventiveness, the filmmakers added some horror elements inspired by the Nightmare on Elm Street Series, the Exorcist series and even Ghostbusters. They were obviously unafraid to bend the rules of the ninja movie and crossed genres. The result is a completely fresh take on the ninja boom movie which is a joy to watch. 

Right from the get-go, when the ninja finds some ninja gear in a glowing box in a cave near a golf course, you know something great is about to happen. And once the “golf cops” show up - watch out! And we didn’t even really talk about the great Sho Kosugi - but he’s present and accounted for, and does his usual great job.

Filled with cool moments, there’s so much to love about Ninja III. And you’ll never look at V8 juice quite the same way again. In a good way.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)

Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)-* * *

Directed by: Sam Firstenberg

Starring: Lucinda Dickey, Adolfo 'Shabba-Doo' Quinones, Michael 'Boogaloo Shrimp' Chambers, Peter MacLean, and Ice-T











Kelly, Turbo and Ozone are back in Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, the only breakdancing-based sequel in movie history. This time around, a community center named Miracles is at stake. A nefarious land developer, Douglas (MacLean), wants to bulldoze the beloved property to make room for a shopping center. The kids can save it, but they must raise the proper amount of money. And there’s only one way to do that: dance, dance, dance! Do you know of another way?

All the same colorful costumes and funky tunes return this time around as well, as does Ice-T, wearing one of the best outfits of his career in the first scene he appears in. We also find out that Kelly comes from a wealthy family, and, when she gets the opportunity to star on the stage in Paris, or help out Miracles, what will she decide?

 For this Breakin’ film, the directorial reins were handed over to Sam Firstenberg, the Cannon mainstay and director of many action films, including Revenge of the Ninja (1983) and American Ninja (1985). Under his watch, this film becomes more of a traditional musical, with clearly-defined “numbers” wherein setpieces are set aside for that purpose, then the action of the film goes back to normal. Luckily, this leads to insane and very funny scenarios, not the least of which are the killer opening scene and the hospital scene. Coming off Turbo’s “broom dance” in the first film, we here have him doing a very impressive, pre-Lionel Richie dance on the ceiling. Is it now to be inferred by the viewer that Turbo has magic powers? He’s certainly more of a human cartoon than ever before, enhanced by his Woody Woodpecker-like mischief, which he is definitely aware of, and it even gets him into trouble during the infamous “I stole your lunch” sequence.

 Ozone is still dealing with his anger issues, although the viewers’ hearts will be warmed with the increased screen time of cute little kid Hot Dog. This movie is more fantastical than the first Breakin’ (1984) film, and the decision to step away from realism shows that the filmmakers wanted to change things up and not do the same thing twice. It has a more clearly defined plot than the original installment, and any fan of upbeat, fun, silly entertainment should love it.

For fans of musicals and 80’s nostalgia alike, this is a sequel that is definitely worthy and makes a great back-to-back double feature with the original Breakin'.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Breakin' (1984)

Breakin' (1984)-* * *

Directed by: Joel Silberg

Starring: Lucina Dickey, Adolfo 'Shabba-Doo' Quinones, Michael 'Boogaloo Shrimp' Chambers, Ben Lokey, Christopher McDonald, Ice-T, and Jean-Claude Van Damme












Those of you who read this site regularly know that, aside from the usual action fare, we will review a classic 80’s dance movie from time to time. Well, they don’t get any more classic than Breakin’, a gem of a movie that is well known for good reason.

Kelly Bennett (Dickey) is a waitress who is an aspiring dancer. Strictly by chance, she witnesses the street dancing of Ozone (Quinones) and his buddy Turbo (Chambers) and her life is changed forever. She befriends the two, and just in the nick of time. A dance crew comprised of two men and one woman, the Electro Rock crew, has challenged them to a dance-off. But Ozone and Turbo must teach Kelly, now dubbed Special K, the ways of Breakin’.

Now shed of her formal dance training, she goes to her agent James (McDonald) for his support. He is reluctant at first, but once he sees TKO, as they are now called (“Turbo, Kelly and Ozone”, get it?), he is won over. Plus a potential love rivalry between James, Ozone, and Kelly’s former dance instructor Franco (Lokey) is making Kelly’s life even more complicated, as is Ozone’s hot temper and his loyalty to “the streets”. Will TKO pop and lock their way to fame?

Breakin’ is nothing more than infectious, irresistible fun. It’s filled with charm and 80’s nostalgia, thanks to the music and clothing. There’s plenty of creativity on display in the dance moves and the outfits. Plus it’s positive. It really celebrates friendship and the can-do spirit. It comes from a time when battles were fought on the dance floor with moves, not on the streets with weapons. They truly don’t make ‘em like this anymore. That’s why people gravitate to movies like this today. Because they are not making any more of them.

Interestingly, because this is a Cannon film, a young Van Damme can be seen in a crowd scene clapping along to the beat and smiling away. Naturally, he’s wearing a black wrestling singlet for no reason. He’s not listed in the credits, but it’s clearly him. Ice-T makes an appearance as the “Rap Talker” at the club Radiotron. His role would be highlighted a bit more in the follow-up film. Plus, this brings into focus that this movie isn’t that far of a departure from the action films we normally watch. A Cannon movie featuring Van Damme, Christopher McDonald and Ice-T is pretty much par for the course for us. But instead of fight scenes, there are dance scenes, and the training sequences are to learn dance moves, not fighting moves. Two sides of a coin I tell ya.

To compare this to some other movies we have on the site, Ben Lokey as Franco is very Roy Kieffer-like as the dance instructor, recalling Dance or Die (1987), the whole clash of “high” and “low” cultures aspect is also explored in Knights of the City (1985), and, while the soundtrack is good and vitally important, we felt the soundtrack to Body Rock (1984) was better because it had more memorable songs.

Director Joel Silberg went on to direct Rappin’ (1985) as well as Lambada (1990), so we know where his head is at. He did not go on to direct the Breakin’ sequel however. But after Breakin’ ends, there is a big on-screen announcement: “Coming Soon: Electric Boogaloo: The Dance Sensation of Tomorrow”. So they knew then that there would be a sequel. There’s just too much energy to be contained in one movie.

It’s colorful, fun, funny, and even heartwarming. What’s not to like? Anyone who hasn’t already seen Breakin’ definitely should.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett