The Karate Kid Part III
Plot
The Karate Kid Part III is a 1989 martial arts film directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, and Martin Cohen. The movie continues the storyline of the original Karate Kid trilogy and introduces significant developments in the characters' lives. The story begins with John Kreese (Martin Cohen), the Cobra Kai instructor from the previous films, who is heartbroken over the closure of his karate school. Fueled by his resentment, Kreese becomes a key player in a new plot for revenge against Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), the main protagonist from the Karate Kid series. Kreese forms an alliance with Terry Silver, a wealthy and ruthless businessman with a passion for martial arts, who wants to destroy Daniel and Mr. Miyagi, who thwarted his past plans. Terry Silver, a wealthy and influential man, takes over the Cobra Kai dojo from Kreese and uses his vast resources to recruit and train a group of skilled and ruthless martial artists. Silver's plan involves using an undercover agent to gather information about Daniel's personal life, which would make it easier for him to attack Daniel and Mr. Miyagi. Meanwhile, Daniel LaRusso is facing difficulties with his relationship with his girlfriend, Biani. He is also struggling to find a balance between pursuing his passion for martial arts and focusing on his business career. Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) is still there for Daniel, but their mentor-protégé relationship becomes strained due to their differing opinions on Daniel's future. John Kreese and Terry Silver's plan involves exploiting Daniel's personal vulnerabilities. As Kreese tries to provoke Daniel and make him angry, he inadvertently makes Daniel stronger. Daniel is torn between seeking revenge and remaining committed to the path of self-improvement and non-violence. As tension builds between Daniel and Silver's allies, a showdown is inevitable. However, Daniel's decision to confront Silver's goons and face his personal demons leads to a dramatic and intense confrontation. The plot reaches a climax as the stage is set for the Karate Kid trilogy's conclusion. The movie delivers more intense martial arts showdowns, showcasing Daniel LaRusso's growth and development as a martial artist and a person. Throughout the film, the relationship between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi plays a significant role in the storyline. Although the two share a deep bond, their opinions diverge, creating tension between them. Daniel, Mr. Miyagi, and the Cobra Kai fighters engage in several intense battles as a part of the climactic showdown. The movie concludes with a significant confrontation between Daniel and Terri Silver in the dojo. Daniel finally comes to understand and accept his purpose as a martial artist. He uses his skills and experiences to overcome his adversaries and defeat Silver in an epic martial arts battle. In the end, Daniel has grown and matured, accepting his destiny as a martial artist and facing his past. His relationships, particularly with Mr. Miyagi, become more profound and meaningful as he overcomes his personal struggles.
Reviews
Bentley
Forced viewing.
Maria
Well-deserved Razzie Award, though it could have been worse... Still a far cry from the first film, though.
Andrew
Re-watching and marking. I watched this on CCTV1 when I was a kid, but didn't finish it. The character development for both of them is problematic in this installment. Daniel is too impatient. He readily embraced Mr. Miyagi's subtle training approach in the previous two films, but here he's in a rush to achieve results. Mr. Miyagi's attitude is also irritating; he insists on not participating in the tournament even after Daniel suffers so much bullying. In the end, however, he still fights for the sake of the dramatic climax, failing to carry his initial conviction through to the end, making all the earlier hardships seem pointless.
Saige
I can't believe what they did to this franchise... where do I even begin? This movie completely misses the point of the first two. The first one was about overcoming adversity by learning self-defense and discipline, and the second was about honor and tradition while defending yourself and your loved ones. This one is just mean-spirited and nonsensical. Thomas Ian Griffith is a decent villain, but his motivation makes no sense. He's just evil for the sake of being evil in this movie, and his plan to get revenge on Daniel is overly complicated and ridiculous. The worst part of this movie, though, is how they completely butchered Daniel's character development. In the first two movies, he was a likable kid who was eager to learn. In this one, he's suddenly a whiny, angsty teenager whom you actively root against. He makes terrible decisions throughout the entire movie and consistently acts like a spoiled brat, constantly yelling at Mr. Miyagi is a total 180 from the previous movies. And speaking of Mr. Miyagi, what happened to him in this movie? He spends the entire runtime acting like a grumpy old man who doesn't want to teach Daniel anymore. He refuses to train him for the tournament, then arbitrarily decides to help him at the last minute? It makes no sense and completely undermines their relationship. The plot is terrible, the characters are awful, and the action is mediocre. This movie is a complete trainwreck and a massive disappointment. It's easily the worst movie in the Karate Kid franchise, and it's one that I would recommend skipping altogether.
Recommendations
