Karate Kid III is the final film in the Karate Kid series starring Ralph Macchio.
The movie has a reputation for being a re-tread of the first film, but honestly - nothing could be farther from the truth.
Bar the final ten minutes which does feel like the first film, the rest of the movie is a hugely entertaining chapter in the story. Here we see a devious plan to mentally break Daniel and drive a wedge between him and his beloved teacher Miyagi by new villain Terry Silver played by Thomas Ian Griffith.
Make no mistake - Griffith absolutely steals the show with his manic and devilish performance. He is a proper snake in the grass, and it's great to watch just how subtlety he manipulates Daniel and slowly changes him into something bad. This corruption culminates in a heart-wrenching scene where Daniel loses his temper and makes Miyagi cry.
Robyn Lively is very good as the supporting female character. It's astounding that she was just 16 years old while making this movie and Macchio was 27, yet they both look about 22. This age difference in the actors prompted the director to make the relationship of the characters purely platonic since Lively was a minor, but this actually helps to craft something new. Instead of just being a Bond girl type deal where yet another love interest in thrown into the pool, the fact that Jessica is simply a friend adds a refreshing feel to the dynamic. Plus, she's not just an ear for his emotions - she has real world skills which help out on more than one occasion.
Special mention must go to Bill Conti's score, which think is the best of all the Karate Kid films. The piece where Miyagi and Daniel are on the cliff doing the kata is astoundingly beautiful, and Terry Silver's music is a wonderful pastiche of Vivaldi and mischievous baroque.
For me, Karate Kid III is on par with the second movie. It's hugely watchable, had a great villain, and it does something a little new in a few areas.
If the final showdown had been anywhere else but the tournament then I think it would have done better, and it's definitely the film's weak point. However, the movie adds so much to the Karate Kid lore, and watching Terry Silver work is just an absolute joy!
Thoroughly recommended!
The movie has a reputation for being a re-tread of the first film, but honestly - nothing could be farther from the truth.
Bar the final ten minutes which does feel like the first film, the rest of the movie is a hugely entertaining chapter in the story. Here we see a devious plan to mentally break Daniel and drive a wedge between him and his beloved teacher Miyagi by new villain Terry Silver played by Thomas Ian Griffith.
Make no mistake - Griffith absolutely steals the show with his manic and devilish performance. He is a proper snake in the grass, and it's great to watch just how subtlety he manipulates Daniel and slowly changes him into something bad. This corruption culminates in a heart-wrenching scene where Daniel loses his temper and makes Miyagi cry.
Robyn Lively is very good as the supporting female character. It's astounding that she was just 16 years old while making this movie and Macchio was 27, yet they both look about 22. This age difference in the actors prompted the director to make the relationship of the characters purely platonic since Lively was a minor, but this actually helps to craft something new. Instead of just being a Bond girl type deal where yet another love interest in thrown into the pool, the fact that Jessica is simply a friend adds a refreshing feel to the dynamic. Plus, she's not just an ear for his emotions - she has real world skills which help out on more than one occasion.
Special mention must go to Bill Conti's score, which think is the best of all the Karate Kid films. The piece where Miyagi and Daniel are on the cliff doing the kata is astoundingly beautiful, and Terry Silver's music is a wonderful pastiche of Vivaldi and mischievous baroque.
For me, Karate Kid III is on par with the second movie. It's hugely watchable, had a great villain, and it does something a little new in a few areas.
If the final showdown had been anywhere else but the tournament then I think it would have done better, and it's definitely the film's weak point. However, the movie adds so much to the Karate Kid lore, and watching Terry Silver work is just an absolute joy!
Thoroughly recommended!