I don't know exactly why Michael Dudikoff didn't return for part 3, but apparently some conflict did emerge between him and Cannon, seeing how his agent (when contacted by a Hollywood gossip column) refused to get into it and simply said, "He's appearing in no more ninja movies!" (Oddly, Dudikoff did return for part 4.) Upon examining the finished product (and remembering the details from the previous movies), it seems that part 3 *was* originally written for Dudikoff's return. Sure, the movie showcases Bradley's character, but as you are watching the movie, you can mentally do some minor rewrites in your mind and see Dudikoff in the role. The fact that there are a number of scenes that do absolutely nothing to advance the plot, as well as a third-wheel character who proves to be absolutely unnecessary, just further the suspicion that the movie was hastily reconstructed upon Dudikoff's exit.
Whether or not the movie was rewritten or not, the end results are pretty poor. Once again, Steve James proves the better actor (and martial artist), though this time around he barely gets a chance to show both of those talents. Bradley proves to be even more underwhelming than Dudikoff, if you can imagine that. The low budget is starting to become pretty evident, and the whole enterprise is poorly directed. Not just with the fight scenes being remarkably unexciting, but even simple scenes of dialogue are at times done with incredible incompetence. The story itself is pretty garbled at times - that is, when it *bothers* to try telling a story. But what do you expect from notorious schlock producer Harry Alan Towers? It's hard to believe, but he has you fondly remembering the days of Golan and Globus!
