The Karate Kid, Part III
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The Karate Kid, Part III (1989) is the second sequel to the hit motion picture The Karate Kid (1984). This film stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Thomas Ian Griffith, Robyn Lively, and Martin Kove. Like the first two films, it was directed by John G. Avildsen, written by Robert Mark Kamen, stunts choreographed by Pat E. Johnson, and music by Bill Conti.
Plot summary
After his best student lost to Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) at the All Valley Tournament almost a year ago, Sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) and his Cobra Kai dojo's future appeared bleak and uncertain. After giving up all hope and no where to go, Kreese visits his long time Vietnam buddy Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), who is also a karate expert and president of Dynatox Industries (a multinational company with a record of polluting the environment with toxic chemicals). Silver, who also apparently funded the original Cobra Kai dojo which Kreese taught and ran, tells Kreese to relax and that they will get their revenge on Daniel and his teacher Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) for the role they played in their school's financial collapse. He sends Kreese to Tahiti to get himself back together, while he plots a scheme to put Cobra Kai back on the map at the same time making the boy and his teacher suffer.
Miyagi and Daniel arrive from their trip to Okinawa only to find out that the hotel where Daniel originally lived and where Miyagi worked has been sold. Miyagi, now out of a job, is asked by Daniel to start a business with him selling bonsai trees. Unfortunately, Miyagi doesn’t seem too optimistic about the idea and tells Daniel that he should use his money to get a college education rather than bother starting a bonsai shop with him. Daniel goes against Miyagi anyway and purchases a shop in a rougher part of town where he finally convinces his friend to start selling the trees together as co-owners. Together they start to open shop and Daniel decides to visit a pottery dealer across the street from their store because they could use pots for the bonsais. At the pottery store Daniel meets Jessica Andrews (Robyn Lively) and they instantly become friends.
In the meantime, Terry Silver contacts a now replenished Kreese in Tahiti by telephone and begins to tell him his big scheme. He plans on making Daniel suffer and experience pain, and use the boy to make Miyagi experience the same. Silver, looking through a karate magazine, finds “Karate's Bad Boy” Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) and decides to hire him to help him and Kreese get back at their two so-called enemies and restore their business.
Daniel receives word about the All Valley Tournament where he can defend his title, but Miyagi doesn’t support the idea. He feels that after fighting for honor in the first tournament and then his life in Okinawa, all that defending his title would be for is a metal trophy. Later back home, Terry Silver sneaks into their house and looks for information to use against the two. He hides in their chimney, where he hears Daniel tell Miyagi that he wants their karate to mean something and that he won’t be joining the tournament.
That night, Daniel takes Jessica over to visit their bonsai store and introduces Mr. Miyagi to her. Miyagi leaves the two alone while Daniel shows Jessica the inside of the shop. After just a few minutes inside, Daniel and Jessica are confronted by Mike Barnes and Snake (Jonathan Avildsen) who threaten Daniel to join the All Valley after what Terry heard while he was eavesdropping. Mike tells him that his financial future depends on him fighting Daniel in the tournament and he must sign the application. Daniel still declines and Barnes leaves in a heated rage and says he will be back for an answer.
Silver makes a surprise visit at Miyagi’s home in the morning and introduces himself to both Miyagi and Daniel, explaining that John Kreese has died. The two give their condolences and Silver eventually leaves with a big guilty smirk on his face. Daniel and Jessica hang out at the store that night once again and are confronted by Mike, Snake and now Dennis (Christopher Paul Ford). Daniel once again refuses to sign for the tournament and the three working for Silver start destroying the shop and attacking Daniel and Jessica. Miyagi shows up and fends them off. Miyagi and Daniel arrive home to find their stock of bonsai has been stolen with an All Valley tournament application hanging above where they used to be.
Daniel and Jessica go to Devil’s Cauldron where they go to obtain an expensive bonsai which they can use to pay for more bonsai. While climbing the cliff, Silver’s henchmen take their ropes and force Daniel to sign. During the ordeal, Barnes forces Daniel to give him the tree, which he snaps in half. Daniel returns to the shop with the expensive, but now broken, bonsai which Miyagi immediately tends to. Miyagi then explains that he had to sell his truck to buy more bonsai trees. Daniel tells him he was forced to sign the tournament application but Miyagi refuses to train him. Daniel, extremely upset with the whole situation, ends up being greeted by Terry Silver again where he eventually begins “training” him.
During the training sessions, called Quick Silver, Terry teaches cheap and corrupt ways of fighting with karate. He always makes Daniel attack a wooden dummy which ends up injuring him in the process. Miyagi, unaware of these training sessions is saddened by a now confused and angry Daniel. On the last of his training sessions, Daniel gets upset when Silver places a picture of his tormentor Mike Barnes on the dummy and Daniel makes his fists bleed by ferociously punching it. Daniel eventually destroys the entire dummy to which Silver proclaims that he is ready now to win the tournament. That same day, Silver coaxes Daniel into assaulting someone in a club while with Jessica. Daniel, unhappy with his behavior, apologizes for his recent actions to Miyagi and Jessica, who is moving back home to Columbus, Ohio, and tells Mr. Silver in person that he thanks him for his help but that what happened at the club was not him. He also says he can’t continue training with him and he will not compete in the tournament. Silver tells him his real agenda and introduces Barnes to him. Upon trying to escape the Cobra Kai Dojo, John Kreese pops out to give him a fright. Barnes attacks Daniel but Miyagi shows up and fights off all three of their enemies. Afterwards, Miyagi finally decides to train Daniel for the All Valley. They train by Devil's Cauldron and re-plant the now healed bonsai which Barnes previously injured.
At the All Valley, Mike Barnes makes his way up to the final round to face Daniel. During the entire match, Mike intentionally gets a point and loses one by getting penalties. The match makes it into sudden death and Daniel confuses Barnes by performing kata that Miyagi has taught him. Daniel gets the point and becomes victorious once again.
Criticisms
KK3 did considerably less business than the first two films, grossing only $39 million at the box-office.[link] It has been bashed by critics and moviegoers who considered it when the series finally jumped the shark. Film critic Leonard Maltin gave KK3 a "BOMB" rating (the worst rating that a movie can possibly get in Maltin's eyes) and regarded KK3 as "an utterly stupid movie that was hopeless."
Many wondered why the Daniel LaRusso character, who fought for respect and then his own life in the two previous films, somehow became even wimpier and more obnoxious than before Miyagi took him under his wing. Also in the second film he ends up fighting for his life and in this film he is back to fighting for something less than his very life. Supposedly taking place approximately 6 months since The Karate Kid, Part II, Daniel appears to have aged considerably. Many viewers have also pointed out the belief Ralph Macchio looked noticeably pudgier in KK3 than in the previous two. A then 28 year old Ralph Macchio nearly didn't take the role knowing he was almost 30 and still portraying a teenage boy. As a matter of fact, Thomas Ian Griffith is in real life, one year younger than Ralph Macchio, despite Griffith's character being a Vietnam War veteran.
The Jessica Andrews character is also a topic of concern with fans. Her character never really develops into anything more than just friends with Daniel and disappears from the film well before its conclusion. Some suspect she never developed into a girlfriend for Daniel because of Ralph Macchio's age during the film and being married. This would be a way to avoid any possible kissing scenes or close physical interaction between Ralph and a then underage Robyn Lively.
Quotes
- Mr. Miyagi: Your best karate still inside. Now time let out!
- Terry Silver: Now the real pain begins, Danny-boy.
- Terry Silver: This guy wants to break you! Humiliate you! Stomp you into the ground!
- Terry Silver: If you're looking to be a bad boy in L.A., Snake's the boy to be bad with. Right Snake?
Snake: You know it. - Terry Silver: Extreme situations require extreme measures.
- Snake: You're one heavy wimp, Daniel!
- Daniel: Macaroni and cheese! Hey, you know what I like! I grew up on macaroni and cheese. Hey listen, I never say no when it comes to macaroni and cheese! I used to eat this stuff by the ton.
- Terry Silver: All right, I've heard enough; I've made up my mind. This slope, what's his name, Miyagi? And that punk kid? I'm gonna get them for what they did to you. They made you suffer, so I'm gonna make them suffer... and suffer, and suffer, and when I think they've suffered enough then I start with the pain!
- Terry Silver: What do you mean you can't dump it in Borneo? Who in Borneo knows what chloride sludge is? Just do it.
- Daniel: Why do I have to do this with this thing?
Silver: Because it's a part of the training. Because I'm teaching you techniques you don't have, techniques you need to win the tournament. What, you think you can rely on the crane crap? - Terry Silver: You want to get beaten because of a little pain, be my guest. I can't be a part of that. I make wimps into winners, not the other way around. Christ, I'm wasting my time!
Trivia
- Conforming to the title changes of the first and second Karate Kid films for their releases in Japan, Part III was renamed Best Kid 3 (ベスト・キッド3/Besuto kiddo 3).
- The Chinese title likewise took its cue from the previous films and was called Young Man's Tribulations 3 (小子難纏3 / 小子难缠3 / xiǎo zǐ nán chán sān)
- It should be noted Miyagi and Daniel wear the exact same costumes as they did at the All Valley in the original Karate Kid.
See also
External links
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