Review of The Karate Kid Part III (1989) by Kai82 — 16 Apr 2021

Basically they redo a lot of elements from the first movie with a few added new elements but it is less immersive and impactful. It is a lot weaker than the previous movies which is a shame as I like some of the ideas.

Also the antagonist are overdone. They are often over the top bad guys that feel out of place (But it has also some entertainment value;-). While I said that it is weaker it is not garbage either. I think it is more unremarkable and not refreshing enough.

The introduction deals with what happens to John Kreese after the first movie. After this set up Daniel and Mr. Miyagi return home from Okinawa after the events of the prequel. However things have changed as Daniel is now homeless and Mr.

Miyagi unemployed because of a reconstruction of the apartment complex (Daniel lives there and Mr. Miyagi was the janitor). Meanwhile the antagonist start their schemes. I stop her with the introduction.

It falls into the realm of stories that I can retell and it sounds amazing. Sadly the actual experience is weaker. It feels often like a retelling of elements from the first movie but water down to a weaker experience.

There are some silly and some over the top moments that harm the immersion and enjoyment. I used often the fast forward function as it gets too boring otherwise. I like the themes they try to use but these are also harmed by the excessive performances and overuse of tropes.

Let go to the actors. Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi always delivers. He again is a true Sensei and role model. His performances is a saving grace of the movie. Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso feels like he was downgraded from the last movie.

Good performance in a weaker script for him. For the antagonists Martin Kove as John Kreese, Sean Kanan as Mike Barnes and Thomas Griffith as Terry Silver: I already said they are over the top but it is still somehow hilariously entertaining.

It would be better if they were smarter magnificent bastards. All in all I think the performance is not that bad in this regard. It is the script that cheapens the experience. Maybe they ran out of ideas or they chose the first available script.

Overall this is a weak experience and I fully see why many (rightfully so) say it is a pale imitation of the first movie. You can skip this without missing anything as even Pat Moritas good performance is not redeeming enough.

It is the weakest movie of the franchise and they tried a restart with the next movie.