The Karate Kid, Part III Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
First it was teacher to student. Then it was father to son. Now, it's man to man.
After Daniel and Miyagi defeats the Cobra Kais, and after Miyagi humiliates their master, Kreese. All of his students desert him and he hasn't had any new ones. Kreese decides to close the dojo, he then goes to to his friend, Terry, who is also the dojo's owner, to turn the keys, and announces that he is leaving town. Terry decides to send him on a vacation and before he leaves, he tells Kreese that he is going to get Daniel and Miyagi. Part of his plan is to recruit a deadly karate fighter, Mike Barnes to fight Daniel in the tournament, he then pretends to be a friend of Kreese, who wants to "apologize" for Kreese disgraceful behavior. When Daniel's invited to participate in the Karate tournament that he won last year, Miyagi believes that it's not a priority. So Terry offers to train Daniel but in reality, he is putting Daniel through a gruelling training regimen as part of his plan. And Daniel's constantly being hounded by Barnes. Eventually all of the training that Terry puts Daniel through and Barnes' hounding, causes a rift between Daniel and Miyagi.
| Ralph Macchio | Daniel LaRusso |
| Pat Morita | Mr. Kesuke Miyagi |
| Robyn Lively | Jessica Andrews |
| Thomas Ian Griffith | Terry Silver |
| Martin Kove | John Kreese |
| Sean Kanan | Mike Barnes |
| Jonathan Avildsen | Snake |
| Randee Heller | Lucille |
| Christopher Paul Ford | Dennis |
| Pat E. Johnson | Referee |
| Rick Hurst | Announcer |
| Frances Bay | Mrs. Milo |
| Joseph V. Perry | Uncle Louie |
| Jan Triska | Milos |
| Diana Webster | Margaret |
| John G. Avildsen |
4.20 out of 10 (8801 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Karate Kid back for a third time, in a movie about revenge, independence and inner strength!
posted on 29 Apr 2009Karate Kid III proves that the ‘Karate Kid' series has finally died a most painful death, with the most popular of story running out of legs. The first two movies were wonderful, yet the third movie loses what appeal the other two had captured. What is even more distressing is what the story contains, ideas that have just been rehashed. KK3 shows why so many sequels are unsuccessful.Kreese, the ex-marine and Karate teacher, who was humbled with a few punches and kicks, has never forgotten the bitter taste of defeat at the hands of Miyagi and Daniel. Bankrupt after the first tournament defeat, he's back with a particularly nasty friend and a new fighter. He is aching to lure Miyagi and Daniel into the fight of their lives. When Daniel decides not to compete in the challenge, he becomes the target of numerous attacks by the villainous fighter, who will stop at nothing to win Daniel's title back. But when the relentless abuse becomes blackmail, Daniel goes against the sound advice of Miyagi and enters the competition, alienating his mentor.What I find most frustrating about KK3 is its story. In the first we learn about a loner kid, who has shifted to L.A, who meets a Japanese janitor, who knows the ancient practices of Karate. In that film we get the chance to feel for both Miyagi and Daniel. In the second, we learn more about the history of Miyagi, and the background as to why he came to America. Yet the third film has a story that I would say is boring. It is all about revenge, but to do it, they recreate what was done in the first film and bring it back into the third. All of the Karate Kid screenplays were written by Robert Mark Kamen, who I believe ran out of fresh ideas for this movies script, and tried to cash in on what made the first movie so popular.The popular characters of this series, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), return from their most extraordinary trip to Miyagi's native land of Okinawa. Daniel's home and Miyagi's workshop are being demolished, with the pair told that is ‘progress'. So with all this doom and gloom, Daniel has the bright idea of helping Mr. Miyagi start a bonsai store for his retirement. Through these actions, Daniel gets to meet a new girl named Jessica (Robyn Lively), who works in a pottery store across the street. This part of the story, while it was different, did not have the same affection, as say the relationships Daniel had with Ali or Kumiko.Yet the other new characters in KK3 are not what I would call that ‘great'. After being humiliated by Miyagi and Daniel, Kreese (Martin Kove), has given up his life as a Karate teacher. When he goes to return the keys to his Dojo, the owner is long-time army friend Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). He has slicked back hair, a sneaky grin, and deals professionally in dumping toxic waste. Karate is just a hobby to this man, and is the perfect person to get revenge on ‘the slope Miyagi and the punk kid' for Kreese. To get this revenge he asks for the services of ‘Karate's bad boy', Mike Barnes, (Sean Kanan from The bold and the Beautiful), who is a mean, nasty and hateful character. He is out to make Daniel's life a misery, forcing him to sign up and fight in the next ‘All valley karate tournament'.When Miyagi does not agree to train Daniel in the tournament, he says his reason being ‘if karate used to defend honour, defend life, karate means something. If karate used to defend plastic metal trophy, karate no mean nothing." So Daniel decides to get some training from Mr. Silver, who puts his revenge plan in action, making Daniel ‘do things that he doesn't wanna do'. Through this we get to see one new part to the story, which is Daniel, the star student of Miyagi, being unfaithful to his friend and wise teacher, treating him without honour or respect. Look there is plenty of rehashed elements in this film, with what I have discussed being just a few of them. The fighting scenes in this film are a little more violent than the previous films. Yet the highlight of the film has to be when Miyagi helps Daniel from being beaten up by the bad guys, in the process thrashing all of them one by one. After, he agrees to train Daniel, so he can be rid of this petty fighting once and for all.I am sure that director, John G. Avildsen, had the right intensions when he went about making this movie. However, I am afraid that the story had run out of good ideas, and so they wanted to show Daniel getting picked on just that little bit more. Daniel sure has had an ordinary life. Thankfully he has had Miyagi as a ‘father figure', saving his butt many times. What is good about all of these movies is Miyagi's view about karate that it is to be used for good, not evil, with the concluding scenes of this movie showing how true Miyagi's words really are. I want to leave you with one final thought. Ralph Macchio was 28 when he agreed to come back and be 19 year old Daniel LaRusso in KK3. My question to you is, ‘was Ralph just a bit too old to look 19?' I believe he was. CMRS gives ‘Karate Kid III': 2.5 (Ok - Good film)
weakest of the original trilogy
posted on 15 Dec 2008this movie is hands down,the worst of the original 3.the writing is seriously lacking in this one.the story is weak an not compelling.the protagonist is weaker than the previous 2,by a mile.this whole movie is anticlimactic.very little happens over the course of the film.Basically,Kreese,from the original movie wants revenge on Daniel and Mr Myagi for events that happened during the beginning of the 2nd movie. there is very little wisdom or philosophy dispensed by Myagi in this 1.the ending is weak and anti-climatic,to say the least.if you do decide to watch Karate Kid 3,you should watch the previous 2 first,otherwise you might not quite understand what is happening.it is unfortunate that they had to end the trilogy on such a low note.maybe they just couldn't come up with anything better.in which case,they should't have bothered.The movie is watchable,even entertaining at times,but does not live up to The Karate Kid name. 6/10
Best of the series and best movie in general!!!!
posted on 12 Nov 2008This movie is great. Ralph Macchio brings it and so does Pat Morita. John Kreese comes back to kick some butt and this time he has the help of "as bad as he wants to be" Terry Silver.Thomas Ian Griffith gives one of the greatest performances ever captured on film.This movie also contains other classic villains such a Snake (You know it!) and Karate's bad-boy Mike Barnes the tournament terror.A lot of jerks try to say this movie isn't any good but they obviously have no taste.This is better than Jaws even.I would tell anyone to buy this movie because you will want to watch it over and over again.A true American classic.
Ralph Chunkio, but a great movie.
posted on 01 Oct 2008OK, it's obviously been at least two years between karate kid 2 and 3, so why on earth does the director feel the need to make it look like Daniel is coming back from Okinawa, when it's clear for everyone to see the difference, he's aged, he's got more flip, and yes, the actor has got fatter. Have you seen his chubby cheeks? All of this aside, the movie is very good i feel. Thomas Ian Griffith's performance is classic, threatening, but very funny. The conflict between teacher and student becomes a tad boring though,plus the little sweet love story between Danial and the tree girl is insulting, we have seen this in the first two movies, forget it,move on.This is way better than the second, and has some better moments than the 1st. It's the most comical if you like that sinister style.
Could have been a lot better
posted on 28 Sep 2008Since the first two Karate Kid films, made me think that the third part was going to be great. The movie is great in some areas, but overall the film falls into medoritcy. This film picks up after Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san return from Okinawa. We learn that Daniel is single again (he seems to have the worst luck with the ladies) since his girlfriend from the last film got a job in Tokyo. We also learn that Daniel's apartment from the first film, is now being turned into something else. Daniel wants to compete in the tournament again from the first movie, but Mr. Miyagi tells him no. Daniel turn to Terry Silver, a war buddy of Kreese, who teaches him to be more aggressive and violent in his martial arts training.While this plot seems to be good, there are somethings that this movie doesn't get right. First off is Ralph Macchio who when doing this film, was like almost 30 and he still looks like he is 16. Second, most of the returning character do not seem to live up to their previous roles. Mr. Miyagi is less phlioshopical and more comical, which makes me less likable in my opinion. Daniel now seems to make more mistakes now then when the first movie was made. Daniel does give us the impression that he is young person and always tries to make things work, even if they are not the best choice. For example when Daniel tries to get the real Basani tree, he knows how much it means to My. Miyagi, but thinks only the money and goes for it.Kresse also has changed from the first movie. Now that all of his students have left him, he is more depressed, and doesn't give off the evil type as much in this film as he did in the first. Thomas Ian Griffith does a wonderful job of Terry Silver. We know Terry is more on the darker side of martial arts as is Kresse, but Terry gives the impression at first than he can seem nice, and then just bait you for the trap. Sean Kanan easily becomes Mike Barnes, as the bad boy of the film.Overall, this film could be much better if the characters stayed the same way as they did in the first film. I watched this film once, and I think that's probably all I can handle of it. If you have already since the first two films, then watch this sound you can finish the Daniel arc, and watch the next film in this series.
Fairly horrible sequel!
posted on 05 Aug 2008So Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso are back a third time. The original is still one of the best, "Little guy takes out Bullies" stories ever realized on film. It was definitely a classic. Ralph Macchio managed to pull off the part fairly flawlessly, despite being older than he was supposed to be. The Karate Kid part 2 is in some ways just as good, some ways better. But, it was another good movie that is worth seeing again.Now, 35 year old (!) Ralph Macchio comes back as the Karate Kid again, and now they are back from Okinawa. The film opens with John Kreese, the defeated Cobra Kai sensai from the first film. He is disgraced, broke, and still steaming at both Daniel and especially Mr. Miyagi. He runs into an "Old Vietnam war buddy" named Terry Silver, played by Thomas Ian Griffin who happens to be a year younger than Ralph Macchio in real life! Silver is a rich businessman and like Reese has a deep rooted mean streak plus likes to see frail looking teens suffer. Together they vow to bring the Cobra Kai dojo back and better than ever, and (as the main plot of the movie) get revenge on both Daniel and Miyagi. I like the plot premise, and I always wondered what happened to Kreese. Martin Kove still does a great job here.We learn a lot of things about Daniel in this film. He has been eating too much without exercising (looks easily 30-40 pounds heavier than in the first 2 films), he likes to have conversations with Bonsai trees, and he apparently forgot all that training and lessons from the past. We also learn, (again) that a simple glance to Mr. Miyagi can make Daniel defeat a far superior opponent. I need a Mr. Miyagi when life gets rough! Robyn Lively is Jessica Andrews, the new love interest and her acting is just plain terrible! I remember when I was younger I found her very easy to look at, but even then I thought they had no chemistry. Later I found out later he is not even near her age either. I have recently seen her in a couple of shows and she has improved and still hot...maybe she just knew this was a bad film and wanted to complete it asap? The true standout in this film is Thomas Ian Griffin as Terry Silver. He plays the role perfectly, when he is making Daniel hurt himself and he hides around a corner and celebrates you really get a grasp of how well he played the part. Martin Kove and Sean Kanan both do a great job as well, but he is the real standout. He also seems the most skilled of the 3 villains but is easily dispatched by Miyagi.I think this was a poorly written sequel that has the purpose of making a quick buck off the Karate Kid franchise. It's sad really, because the first two were awesome films that I remember as part of my childhood. It's better than the spin off but that is not saying much.
The Karate Kid triogloy could not be complete without it.
posted on 21 Jun 2008I mean sure Dainel still gets beat up quite a number of times, but Ralph Macchio put so much heart into that role just as he did in his role as Johnny Cade in the timeless classic The Outsiders. So give the guy his props for taking this predictable plot line and turnining it into a masterpiece. That will be cherished throughout time. From generation to geration. This is a real American film which we can not only enjoy ,but we can also learn from. So we will not make the same mistakes Daniel did. We can teach are kids the un forgettable morals that we learn fromm this great film. The Karate Kid just wouldn't be complete without it.
"Now, Miyagi teach you"
posted on 31 May 2008This returns to the concept of the under-dog.Daniel wants to defend his championship but Mr.Miyagi has other ideas while Kreese brings in a friend to help him gain revenge. This is unlike the previous movies it sees the deterioration of the friendship between Miyagi and Daniel.Daniel is swayed from the 'right' way and begins to lose control of his anger and realises his wrong....The Miyagi fight scenes are always exciting; especially when he takes on Silver and beats the **** out of him....One thing that was a little annoying and lets face it a let down, they got rid of the Kumiko from the second movie; and it seems to me Daniel is a player...An entertaining movie nonetheless.
I had forgotten just how bad it really was!
posted on 08 Mar 2008And yes, I have seen much worse in terms of films. But considering what a classic the original was... to arrive at this point is pretty sobering for a kid who was truly inspired by a great film in 1984. And part 2 was pretty good also, but mostly for the exotic location and convincing villain. But this 1989 disaster is saddening for two basic reasons. First of all, it has a ridiculous plot. And worst of all, it was obviously made for $$$ purposes only. All the inspiration was gone by this point, and this is painfully obvious in nearly every lame scene.First off, the film is oblivious to the concept of the passage of time. Five years had passed since the original film, yet the film would have us believe that it picks up the moment Daniel and Mr. Miyagi step off the plane from Okinawa. By 1989, Ralph Macchio was almost 30 years old, and he had gained significant weight since part 2 was released in 1986. And above all else, it just isn't natural that all of the things we've seen since the original could happen to one person in the span of only a year. The film doesn't even try to hide the changes in clothing and hairstyles. I was actually surprised I didn't see a bolo tie on any of the band members at that dance. Virtually every soft rock musician wore them back in the late 1980s. Anyway, the film is full of cheese, but there are some reminders of how good the series had been. And even some nice new things, too.There are some good things in this film. Frankly, I think actor Thomas Ian Griffith walks away with this picture. He overplays his Terry Silver character to immense proportions, and he looks like he's having fun. The man never became the star he probably should have. Wouldn't he have made a better action star than the wooden Seagal? I think so. Anyway, it's fun to see him put Daniel through all the pain while training him for his title defense. Pat Morita is great as always with his humor and wisdom. He was the one constant in this series, and he was always on his game. The film also scores points for exploring a big rift that forms between Miyagi and Daniel. There are some scenes where the old man looks absolutely crushed that Daniel won't listen to him any more.But there are more problems here, folks...... lots more. Simply put, the plot is so laughable that anyone over perhaps age 8 could have written the original treatment of the script. The thought of a millionaire toxic waste dumper tormenting a teenager to somehow win back the honor of the evil karate master from part one. Just laughable! How about the new tournament rule allowing the returning champ to only fight in the final match?? Huh?? That would be like allowing the Kansas Jayhawks to only play in the last game of March Madness this year while their opponent would have had to win 5 games in the tournament just to get to the game. Ludicrous! The dialog is so over-the-top, so amateurish that I cannot imagine how these actors got some of the words out of their mouths. Acting from many of the supporting characters is unconvincing to say the least. Robin Lively has no chemistry with Machio, but I guess they were just supposed to be friends. It wouldn't surprise me if they decided to just make them "friends" on the set when they realized how much older he is than her in real life. The actor playing Mike Barnes had some good moves, but no thespian talent to speak of. Oh well, the remake with Jackie Chan and Will Smith's kid is bound to be worse, though! 4 of 10 stars.The Hound.
Where was the movie?
posted on 29 Jan 2008This started out good. Then all of a sudden the girl he met is gone, he wins the tournament, and the movie is over.I was upset when I saw the credits rolling; I'd hoped that the movie would progress more. He gets a kiss from the girl after he flips out and makes her angry, and then she leaves for Christmas never to be heard from again. They started a new business, but you never see the grand opening. He starts training again for the fight and all of a sudden the fight is there, and it only lasts all of five minutes, and he wins with one simple move after getting beat on for the whole fight.It's kind of like they spent a lot of time writing the script, got bored, and just ended it as quickly as they could.
confussed
posted on 21 Nov 2007I still remember watching this from the first time and I've always wondered a few things - What happened to Johnny and the other bad guys ? Why didn't they show up at this tournament and see how things turned out ? After all , Johnny lost and he should of came back to see how good this guy was. How was their instructor able to stay in business for nine months without any students ? Who was Daniel going to sell the tree to ? How come Mike acted like he did during the last match ? Actually I thought Johnny was going to help Daniel somewhere since the Cobras tried to cheat on him and probably knew Mr.Kreese was going to do it again. This would of been interesting - let Johnny stand up for Daniel since he now knows what's right and wrong and take on Mike. Too much cussing was in it also. Johnny could of done the same but at least he kept it smooth and acted his age. His clothes were perfect also.
Astonishingly bad!
posted on 07 Oct 2007Alright, so we've got a multi-billionaire who can leave his business practices and grand jury indictments at will in order to exact revenge on an undeserving kid... Right.The original Karate Kid had heart and brains. The sequel was basically a rehash, but with a few wise words of wisdom and an exciting climax. This one is, well, words cannot describe how awful it really is.I like looking back on this and thinking how funny it is that Ralph Macchio was not only a spell older than the nemesis, Mike Barnes, but was actually a year older than Terry Silver, the evil toxic waste dude who trained him!I think I'll download Vegas Video and redub this, ala Steve Oedekerk style - it's deserving of that fate!
Expired material
posted on 03 Feb 2007I made this comment on the message board, but i will also add it here. I love the Karate Kid, but this film doesn't work. Everything from the script to the performances is irrational. It basically exists to cash in on the previous movie success, if you make a sequel to name as popular as the Karate Kid, anyone will see it if they like the series regardless if the material has worn thin (it will work once or twice). Basically, one sequel to many resulting in a film that has upset many loyal fans of the series looking for rationality and heart over formulaic and over the top production. I'm giving it a 2, just because id hate to give a Karate Kid movie a 1 since I love the idea behind the series.
Part III? They should have stopped at "II"
posted on 07 Jan 2007But then again, forgive me. I showered praise on "The Karate Kid" (1984) because I thought it was the first American-made film to portray martial arts in a non-stereotypical, serious fashion devoid of old chop-soki theatrics. "The Karate Kid, Part II" (1986) was not as good even though it followed up directly after the first film and kept me watching despite its contrivances. Now we're at 1989's part III, and those repeated spin-kicks to the head are finally starting to wear us down.Director John G. Avildsen has never strayed far from his "underdog" story roots and it's a formula that has been ever-present in nearly flick the man has ever touched. It's a theme that has been apparent in both the "Rocky" movies and these "Karate Kid" movies and it's quickly tiring itself out and its welcoming as a formula. The sequels just keep repeating the same storyline: the hero gets his butt kicked, undergoes training, and finally finds the strength and skills to return the favor to the bad guys.In "The Karate Kid," of course Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio, noticeably older and - pudgier?) had a pretty good excuse to be a wimp. He was the new kid on the block, a socially green transplant from New Jersey to California, he had set his eyes on a cute girl, ran afoul of her ex-boyfriend, he kicked Daniel's butt, Daniel meets Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), learns Karate, wins the cute girl's affections, and kicks the bad guys' butts at the big tournament.Most importantly in that earlier movie, we liked Daniel. Here, he's obnoxious, pathetic, and pig-headed. He even risks his life at one point to retrieve a bonsai tree from a steep cliff to aid Miyagi's blossoming business, which had been opened with LaRusso's college money. It's also a shame that his new crush (played by Robyn Lively) doesn't see it either. Plot-wise, Daniel gets it in his head that he needs to defend his title and eagerly awaits Miyagi's signature on an entry form. Somehow or another not long after, Miyagi's wisdom manages to convince the chap it's not worth it.Meanwhile, Kreese (Martin Kove, reprising his villain role from the first movie) has pretty much lost his entire business because of his defeat at the tournament. He's not had a student in some time and the bills are piling up. In desperation, he turns to his old Vietnam buddy Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), a slick businessman with a number of shady ties to illegal toxic waste dumping.The two scheme together to get the ultimate revenge on Daniel and Mr. Miyagi by forcing them to enter the tournament to defend their title. To do this, Silver contacts Karate bad-boy Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan), whose reputation as a "bad boy" is a hazy shade of green to the fact that he's a violent psycho with a black belt in a sport that emphasizes discipline and self-control above everything else other than your self-defense training. It is Barnes's duty to coerce Daniel by any means necessary into signing his entry form so that he'll have no choice but to fight in the tournament.I really wanted to like this movie but I had to wonder, "Gee, not only does it seem like Avildsen's running out of ideas, but does he hate Daniel so much that he sends a Karate-trained nut-job like Mike Barnes after him?" I do get the picture that in the "Karate Kid" movies, our hero does have a penchant for attracting violent psychos.I guess in the end it's all good fun, even if it's strained. I'd like to heed Miyagi's advice from the first film though, "Wax on, wax off." Being, "wax" this movie off your list and just stick to part I and, if you can, part II.4/10
Good Movie, a little boring in the middle
posted on 05 Dec 2006OK, this movie is good, however, there are few things that could have been changed to make it better. I believe there was way too much emphasis on the bonsai tree. All of the mountain climbing tree planting etc....was just plain boring to me. The fighting scenes on the other hand were excellent. As usual Mr. Miyagi did a wonderful job of acting. Ralph Macchio, however, was less than watchable, he is pudgy and whiny and seems a lot less skilled. He beat Johnny in part one, He beat the the oriental guy in part two, and he has all these wonderful skills that miyagi has taught him, yet he can't beat Barnes "Bad Boy"????? Come on!!!!! In both scenes where Miyagi fought Barnes, he easily defeated him....and I mean easily! Yet, Daniel can't even hold a leg to Barnes! I just don't get it! Miyagi wiped the floor with both John Krese and Terry Silver, he had absolutely no problem with either of them,(I never could understand why Miyagi didn't fight Sato in part II, that would have been excellent! but that is a whole other story) and he is the trainer of Daniel.....yet Daniel is still such a wimp! In my opinion, just because he beat Barnes in the tournament doesn't mean he will ever be able to beat him in a street fight, because with that kata move he did to Barnes in the tournament, Barnes could have gotten up and beaten him down in a street fight with no officiating. I would recommend seeing this movie if you are a Karate Kid fan, even though it isn't as good as the other ones, just for pure curiosity sake.
Diabolical film, but a good laugh
posted on 18 Sep 2006I've read a lot of the comments others have left about Karate Kid 3, and although the majority of them have a point, please bear in mind it's the third in the series of the Karate Kid movies for heaven's sake! Why are you people seriously analysing the realism of it? The whole concept from day one has been ridiculous. OK, so it IS possible for some wee wiener to somehow win a karate competition in a month or two of waxing cars, and painting fences, against guys who have been doing karate for probably their whole lives. But come on, the whole Mr Miyagi thing clapping his hands and rubbing Daniel's leg? Who is he, Jesus? So, when you bear in mind the whole series are stupid, why heavily criticise the film? You've obviously sat through one and two, so should know by now that the film is going to be poo, but it will be enjoyable. An ideal film to watch when you've had a few beers, or fancy laughing at the cheesy bad guy characters they've thrown in. How can anyone seriously say they don't like the film when Terry Silver delivers such classic likes as "I love it when he pounds him!"? I would recommend watching this movie, but watch it with a pinch of salt. Just enjoy the roller-coaster ride of hammy acting, and seriously un-menacing bad guys they have. I mean, Kreece was a cheesy slime-ball in Cagney and Lacey for God's sake. Are you really going to feel intimidated by him?
Just Terrible
posted on 26 Jun 2006I was going through my DVD collection and came across the Karate Kid Trilogy. It was right after Pat Morita died and I began looking over the DVD case and I remembered I had never watched the Karate Kid Part III.I was a huge fan of the original Karate Kid, and part II was a worthy sequel. I was bored that night and figured I'd give part III a try, even though I knew it would probably not be very good as most "part IIIs" of any movie typically pretty bad.I can honestly say, The Karate Kid Part III, is the worst movie I have ever seen - its a shameless rip off of the original. I wont go through a plot summary since that has already been done by several other reviewers here. But some of the low points are worth mentioning.1) Acting is terrible. Ralph Macchio either forgot how to act, or simply mailed it in, which is likely the case as who could get excited over this script? It was simply ridiculous to have a 28 year old man play a 17 year old teenager. Pat Morita's role was tired and predictable, and just worn out. Martin Kove, aka John Kreese, looked like a puppet with that goofy "evil smile" he had plastered on his face the whole movie.2) The plot was recycled from the first Karate Kid. You know the storyline: Daniel gets beat up by a superior Karate student trained by the evil John Kreese and sidekick Terry Silver. Mr Miyagi saves the day yet again with his unorthodox teachings, all culminating in a dramatic tournament at the end where Daniel surprises his opponent with some Karate move that looks more like a dance scene. Crowd goes nuts, evil John Kreese foiled yet again, My Miyagi smiling proudly, blah, blah, blah.3) The last fight scene. The only reason I did not turn this "movie" off half way through was because I figured at least we'd have a great fight scene at the tournament. Some type of payoff for having to suffer through this catastrophe. The fight scene was an unmitigated joke. The whole fight is Daniel getting his face beat in. Then, the very last scene when his evil adversary is going to win the title, Daniel does this gimmicky dance move and punches the guy in the stomach. Oh Boy!First, an 80 year old man could have defended such a lame move. And second, all the movie gave you was Daniel getting lucky at the end. I mean, the whole movie he is pulverized, and the very last scene he gets a lucky sucker punch in, wins the tournament and all is well.You have been warned. Stay away from this mindless garbage.
Below-average, downhill sequel that could have been a whole lot different
posted on 17 Jun 2006Incredibly disappointing sequel picking up right where Part II left off, Daniel and Mr. Miyagi returning from Okinawa. Well, it appears that the karate master from the original, Kreese, is still being a baby about how he lost in the tournament, so he gets his rich friend Terry to hire someone to beat Daniel in the tournament. When Miyagi declines to help Daniel, Daniel seeks help from Terry. When he finally discovers that Terry is teaching him the wrong thing, Daniel must fight the way Miyagi taught him in the tournament. I expected a lot more from this movie than what I got. What I got was a sequel that was nowhere near the first two, and with a script filled with hatred. I was so mad when I saw Daniel filled with anger inside his system. I guess he wasn't paying any attention to Mr. Miyagi when he said "Karate comes doesn't come from here (points to his fists) but it comes from here (points to his heart)". That was one of the most important lines ever said in a movie. Overall, the movie is extremely disappointing and not recommended from me.2 out of 5.
Why So Scared??
posted on 15 May 2006I consider this entry the weakest of the first three KK movies. It had it's moments, but it lost me with one irritating detail. Why was Daniel so darn scared to fight the new bully? Heck, he just fought for his LIFE in Okinawa! You'd think he would just be laughing in the face of the zipper-headed 'wonder boy' of karate....Also, Daniel sure whined a lot during this entry...
For my money the best of the series...
posted on 22 Jul 2009This time Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) goes up against Karate's bad boy Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) to defend his title and prove that karate is not to be used aggressively and repair what damage he did to Mr. Myiagi(Pat Morita) who refused to train Daniel due to the antics led by John Kreese (Martin Kove) and Terry Silver(Thomas Ian Griffith) Will Daniel regain his title or will Barnes clean the floor with him. People of taste in movies are often surprised as I label this as the best Karate Kid movie. "But it had banzai trees!" said my cousins in 1989 when I walked out of theaters and said "Finally a good movie!" Most people in the theaters as well as everyone in general were shocked that I could stand alone and praise this as the best of the series but for my money this is the best entry. Why? Because it is the greatest camp-fest of 1989.(Seriously Cyborg and Road House made more sense.) For starters we have Ralph Macchio looking in his late 20s playing a "kid" we have bad guys who for some reason throw their head back and laugh for no reason. I also want to acknowledge that Thomas Ian Griffith is great in this movie. His laughing at in which he gets the not too bright Daniel LaRusso to kick two by fours as well as punching solid wooden boards is ultimately great to watch. I also loved how Pat Morita refused to train Macchio for no reason, as if Daniel was supposed to drown rather than except the challenge posed by "Karate's Bad Boy" I also love how Macchio never seems to get the girl. (Come on even Sasha Mitchell finally had a wife in Kickboxer 4!) So the sheer homoeroticism between Morita and Macchio make this far more interesting than the hideously boring predecessor. (#2) After all the bickering between the two is non-stop. The Karate Kid III in all seriousness actually takes it's formula and provides more action and pumps up the villains to full effect and really it is this reason why I balk at the notion that this isn't the best movie of the series. In fact I think it makes required viewing for camp addicts, action fans and anyone else game for some fun cheese. Also watch for the final fight sequence which could quite possibly be the most one sided battle ever. Also it is worth watching just for the scene in which Daniel asks "What do we do if they come back?" to which a not even phased Myiagi says "Sing happy song!" * * * out of 4-(Good) P.S:Seriously check it out. It is made with enough craftsmanship that you can respect it but so blissfully stupid you just love it.