Bad movie, even Ralph says that, buy they at least got one good character out of the reboot. I remember Siskel and Ebert not liking the movie, but they called out the Terry Silver part as being well acted.
The whole point of Karate Kid is he's not supposed to be a good fighter. He's an underdog and wins with heart through Mr. Myagi's guidance. If they made him a great martial artist then the whole point of the films would be lost
Rocky B their directed buy the same guy john alvidson so yeah he wanted it to be a kids version of rocky basically that's why daniell talks like rocky and is relatable and an underdog
razkable Yeah i knew John Alvidson was the director, i just thought i would throw that out there. Mr. Miyagi is like as asian Burgess Meredith but with a better sense of humor. I cant be bothered with the Karate Kid remake i will never watch it.
Rocky B it different but you should watch it its not bad just different its not as good as the first but hey its about kung fu not karate so pretend its not a remake just a stand alone movie called kung fu kid trust me you will like it then its cool and dramatic but funny and Jackie chan is amazing and lets be honest he looks like cause he is in real life like an old master of martial arts mr. miyagi is fat and short lol in the new movie Jackie is not unexpected to kick ass or underrated like miyagi cause he is in shape and famous in the movie its just unexpected to see such a retired legend who is so depressed get back up after life kicked him down so much and the one positive it has over the original is the student helps the master cope in unique way they need each other it isn't a one sided master knows all implied that Daniel is like a son to miyagi relationship the student has to get the master back up off his feet multiple times its interesting the villains suck though their too mean not enough cheesy corniness to make them likeable at the end but im a fan of 80's movies so maybe you like that its darker than the original its more like the second film you hate the villains all the way through to the end 7.9/10 not bad not great though
@Rocky B They are both Italian actors and movie characters, Stallone and Macchio, Balboa and Larusso. Same director, music composer, producer you name it. Only thing is Balboa is the boxing under dog while Larusso is the karate under dog. Both good movies Rocky and the Karate Kid.
Did if you watched or paid attention in the movie his Karate got Better as the movie went along after cobra kai lessons. Just Because Mike Barnes's karate was 'levels' above his doesn't mean Daniel's was worse. #TheirAreLevelsToThis
Tbh I really enjoy how Karate Kid 3 explores Daniels mental health, his anxiety and self doubts. Then his strained relationship with Miyagi. It's definitely different in that regard.
As far as the weak fighting of the Karate Kid, it's because it was aimed at feasible karate that the viewer could do. Like, very few people are actually going to be able to be a VanDamme or a jackie Chan or a Steven Segall. BUT someone could be a Daniel Laruso. That was the true charm of this movie. It presented a level of heroism which was realistically obtainable by the audience.
Watching the first movie always motivated me to continue practicing karate when I was younger, because I felt Daniel and I were similar and on the same level. Watching really skilled martial artists like Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris for example can be motivating, but not in the same way
+Therealtlorenzo1 Wow I posted my previous comment before I even started watching the review and he mentioned his age in it. Now I don't feel like I have special information. JK
This movie qualifies for "So bad it's good." My favorite parts of unintentional hilarity are that he fights a duel to the death in part two, but then in part three is terrified of a bully. I also like how referee Pat Johnson gives Barnes nothing but warnings after the repeated dirty cheap shots.
That’s why this should have been part 2 and the trip to Okinawa should have been saved for last. The stakes were much higher in Daniel’s fight with Chozen.
Terry Silver eats dinosaur ass. He sucks and his character is one of the worst, most overblown middle school level written pieces of shit in the history of the galaxy.
I deff agree it was a stollen blackbelt from part 1 so he can enter tournament 2 months of lessons don’t make no blackbelt with no history of martial arts lessons he didn’t belong in tournament nor should he have won
Karate Kid 3 wasn't a disappointing end to the series. I liked it almost as much as the original. The Next Karate Kid was a disappointing end to the series.
I've learned that it's best to be honest & open about what you think & feel regardless of who agrees or not. Sometimes I agree with the popular opinion & sometimes I don't but I call a spade a spade regardless & always have reasoning behind what I like & don't like.
I loved the third movie and The Nest Karate Kid. I just figured Daniel had moved out, like kids do and was living his own life. I loved the main girl, because she had so many girly traits and also had a chip on her shoulder in a way girl characters don't always get. Mr. Miyagio was as cool as ever and I new there was something special about the way he and other Japanese American soldiers were honored during the first few scenes.
This is not a good movie by any stretch. 3 was overall pretty bad when you put it against the original and even 2. Terry Silver IMO was the only redeeming factor. Bad writing didn't help much either. A day after Daniel beat the most deadliest of fighters (The Chozen) in Part 2, he come back a weak, bumbilng bafoon. Why was he scared? He was just a wimp. They could have really made the ending better by Daniel having an epic flashback during the fight with barnes and having all the lessons he learned and all the enemies he faced in the past and then unleash on Barnes at the end of 3. It could have been so much more.
I liked that one, it was just different, although Jaden Smith was too young to be portrayed without his shirt, like he's a big guy, but it may have been a partial joke, to show how he sees himself. I don't like it as much as the first and it should be The Kung fu Kid, but I like how we see the little boy have to grow up so fast, as he takes care of the adult he wanted to take care of him, and how that man must learn to be a proper adult.
After his life and death fight against Chozin , Barnes should have been easy pickings. The final fight should have been against Kreese and Silver after he defeats Barnes.
It's because karate kid was essentially remaking Rocky. And karate kid 3 is kind of a lot like Rocky 3. Where Rocky feared Mr T and was badly beaten and intimidated early in the movie.
I had the opportunity to ask John Avildsen (very nice man, btw) about the Karate Kid films and one thing I mentioned was that it was unusual to have a film/film series featuring a master/student relationship where the master does not eventually die, leaving the student to conquer his enemies on his own. I told him I was surprised that at some point in Part 3, Miyagi did not die. Avildsen said he had proposed a twist to that traditional storyline for Part 3 where Daniel would be killed and it would be up to Miyagi to carry on without him. Predictably, the studio balked.
+James They were right.. Daniel dying..? How they would've even played that out in a PG.. No way.. PG-13 and R Yes, it's possible.. PG not possible.. I could understand even see Mr. Miyagi dying but not Daniel..
Terry Silver fought in the Vietnam War??? Reminds me of that line in "Falling Down" - "What the hell were you, a drummer boy? You must have been eight years old!"
In the movie could pass for a young looking 38- 40...easily.....I’m 41 and people think I’m younger. If the movie is set in 1984: 85...and he’s 40.....then in 1973he was old enough
This is my favourite Karate Kid film despite it getting a negative reception by the critics. I like how in this film that Miyagi's relationship with Daniel has evolved into a father figure which they both become very close. I really like the score in this film as it is a highly emotional score. I also like how Daniel was full of self-doubt within himself throughout the film but then comes out on top in the end and overcomes his fear. The final scene where he and Miyagi hug each other is really moving.
No matter how much this film can be disliked for numerous reasons, I always watch it when it comes on. Nostalgia is very powerful and at 38 I feel this was my film era. The biggest disappointment for me was when the light switch "accidentally" gets knocked and we don't get a proper fight scene between Myagi, Silver and Kreese. I would have loved to see a good Myagi show piece because we were denied it in part 2 with Sato. KK3 could and should have been so much more but we really need to cherish and protect it for what we have when the likes of Will Smith and family think they have the right with all the money they have to come and take a piss on the Karate Kid franchise with their abomination of a Karate Kid movie.
TheYorkMan Yeah you are right. Sometimes I love the characters from a film that much, that when a bad sequel is made, I go into denial mode and justify it in my mind and try and convince myself that it's not all bad!!!
@@raymondjblaze7761 yep. If we live healthy, we look younger than people the majority of people of the same age, because they live unhealthy lifestyles.
luap ssub Well I think its the weakest of the franchise because he constantly gets beat up. You would think by the third movie he could handle himself in a fight against mostly anyone. Look at the fight scene at the end of the second movie, he wasn't great, but could fight pretty well.
CajunMetalHead1994 The tagline of the original movie was "The secret to Karate lies in the mind and heart, not in the hands." I think they were trying to follow that in KK3 and Daniel was supposed to losing his way, getting angrier and losing his focus. It's not until the end of the movie that Daniel snaps out of it, goes back to his original training and wins the tournament. Based on that though it doesn't make sense that someone just as angry and irrational as Barnes could beat up Daniel so badly. In the end I guess Avildsen just wanted to conclude the trilogy by going full-circle and just ended up rehashing the first film. He made the same mistake with Rocky 5.
TripleRp What are you laughing at? Daniels foes wouldn't be friends with you either. They are the type that admires John Rocker. You see any dope homie fools in any of the movies? If Daniel wasn't of the social elite and was a dope homie fool(wigger). You be on his side.
Is it me or did karate kid 3 made sense?? I've always thought out from 1-3, Daniel, afraid of bully's, 2, Daniel is afraid of loosing a loved one, 3, Daniel is afraid of life. Can't be afraid of none of these things. Must Believe in yourself. Be true to your heart
My main criticism of this movie was always that it didn't make sense as the third film. It didn't make sense that Daniel was afraid of Barnes after he had a death match in KKII. But then when I watched the trilogy for the first time with someone who hadn't seen it before and they pointed out that it made sense to them because after KKII Daniel probably got PTSD, lol. It's never mentioned in the movie, but when you look at Daniel's behavior throughout KKIII, it kind of makes sense. Now, if I view it in that light, KKIII has become an excellent film.
The fight between Miyagi, Kreese and Silver was very good - I always thought that was how Yoda might have fought... slow, paced but able to react and deliver strong blows as needed. This is how Yoda should've fought in episodes 2 and 3 - not jumping and flying around everywhere like something out of cirque de soleil! I also love the musical score in this film, but agree that the whole thing was done without much love... apparently the original idea would have shown us how Miyagi's ancestry came about learning Karate and the writer said it would have had scenes you would have scene later in a movie like CROUCHING TIGER or HERO... too bad the studio didn't trust him enough to do that!
Terry Silver just steals every scene he is in. I’ll never forget when I 1st rewatched this during college around 2008 & just fell in love with this movie from an all new over the top cheesy perspective. Now it is one of the my most watched/loved “So Bad It’s Good Movies” right up there with others like Showgirls, Robocop 3 (the unintended comedy is so much funnier than the actual intended comedy), The Class of Nuke ‘Em High & The Toxic Avenger.
I don't understand everyone's problem with Daniel in this film he is supposed to be over confident and a hot head after beating Chozen and Johnny anyone would think they are invincible after that.
"For fans at the time, it could have been so much better." It's a funny a thing, but when I was a little kid, KK part III was my favorite one. Now I recognize it for what it is, but after part II, it's hard for me to imagine where they could have gone with it afterwards. Daniel has hit it off with a cute Okinawan girl who he has a real connection with, he's had a true test of his skills with a fight to the death with Chozen, so what more does he have to accomplish?
This is now my favourite YT channel. Only found it the other day & I'm addicted. Sitting here stoned going through old movies. Great editing work, Oliver. Excellent research & narration flow too.
I have to disagree with some of the things you say. Brought up on these films and I love no3 better than 2. I think it's great how kreese is brought back into the fold and the intro of Silver. I've always looked at it as refreshing and with a slight twist. Silver is a fantastic character in this film for sure. With regards to the fight scenes yes simple but way more effective than the 100mph fight scenes that plague films today which are hard to keep up with. The tournament is a bit shite this I agree on I think it would of been better if the story climaxed to an outside street style fight or something like that. Overall I love this film and often watch it over the others. The downside is we never got a Terry silver or Mike Barnes action figure by Remco. Maybe not everyone's cuppa this film franchise but the toyline was wicked 😎
Agreed. This was a really weak film. I think part of the reason was that part 2 was so effective and, in my opinion did everything that a sequel is supposed to do. Change the location, up the stakes, and create a larger scope and situation. Part 3 went backwards in that sense.
Compared to Karate kid 4, karate kid 3 wasn't that bad but I always thought Daniel's erratic behavior was a downer. The first and second ones are still cool
I think this film is an entertaining watch but of course not nearly as good as the first, or second for that matter. Regarding Macchio's performance, I feel that he was probably trying to play 'young' again. He was supposed to be the same age as in Part 2, but this was made 3 years later. So perhaps he had just kinda forgotten how to play the role in a natural way. As for the fighting, I actually really enjoy the fighting in these movies. It's always fun to watch IMO.
This film is one of my guilty pleasures. Its not a good movie by any means... Daniels a dick... Silver deals in toxic waste... the movies a cartoon. But I frickin love it. LOL
That movie came out during the summer of 89 dubbed “Summer of Sequels” which included “Ghostbuster 2”, “Indy 3”, “Star Trek 5”, “Lethal Weapon 2” and “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids 2”
I find the Terry Silver character so hilariously compelling. I can’t stop laughing whenever I think of the concept of a multimillionaire wanting to gang-stalk some local teenage karate champion.
The biggest thing Oliver forgot to mention (not his fault, this movie has so many plot holes) is how in part 2, Daniel defeated an Asian street fighter in a death fight (though he choose to be merciful at the end). Yet in this film, he cannot score "points" in a tournament setting. The movie was not faithful to previous character developments.
Nobody talks of messages which what is really important in the first Karate Kid saga (not even the actors). It's the very important view on how things come and are treated in life, how you see opportunities, how so many people are trended to see things clear or unclear, or weak or they can lose their paths. Karate Kid is really clear on this throughout the WHOLE saga: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE NO ONE, NOT EVEN YOURSELF, AND BE HUMBLE.
I still like 3, was the first ppv movie I ordered back in the day. Classic villains and love the shot of Daniel and Myagi on the cliff training with music playing, touching little moment with the two one last time in the series.
Good review and I agree. These days I prefer not to watch the third one anymore since it kinda feels just depressing. I don't even know what to say about The Next Karate Kid. First Karate Kid is legendary, second one is quite good and I like it, but the last one is just disappointing and outright bad, it's a shame that it had such a weak script. It does have it's moments, but they don't really manage to save the movie. We just want to see Miyagi and Daniel doing their thing, because that's what Karate Kid is all about, their relationship and seeing Daniel overcome the struggles.
The best I could say about karate kid 3 is that Terry Silver is a good villain who raises the stakes in an entertaining way. That's what helps this to feel like a ramped up remake of the first film despite its low budget feel. Ralph Macchio's performance is a let down he'd been living too much of the good life and phoned it in a lot as Daniel-san. I didn't get around to seeing the karate kid movies until the late nineties when I was teenager. It was only 2 and 3 shown late at night in the summer holidays and I ended up enjoying them more than expected as I was at an age where nostalgia for the 80s was starting to become a thing and rather than cringe at things like the theme songs and other parts of it that are so 80s I was able to laugh with them and enjoyed the movies as a result. A few years later I downloaded the first karate kid movie and enjoyed it but wasn't overly fussed that the third was so similar to the first. I just accepted that by the third they had run out of ideas and it was a shameless cash grab. I couldn't think of anything better at the time and I didn't pay to see it in '89 so I had no reason to be butthurt about the third film in the trilogy being a little lackluster (especially given how common such a thing can be)
dominick Martino agreed cobra Kai is really good. I've watched the first two episodes and enjoyed it and am weighing up if TH-cam red might be worth a trial
@@bradenmerriman5206 yeah he was basically more of a bad dude than Johnny Lawrence. I found his character to be a little bit two dimensional. Johnny Lawrence showed a bit of humility at the end when he congratulated Daniel immediately after losing to him. I’d still like to see Barnes be brought into season 5 of cobra Kai as the writers have a good track record of giving depth to these characters
I don't know what Siskel and Ebert were talking about. There is no blood fest in any of these movies. Mr. Miyagi always believed in fighting as a last resort (he didn't believe in never fighting) and he helps Daniel in the 1st and 3rd movies because Daniel really has little choice but to enter the tournaments to solve his problems. I think that is consistent with his mantra.
All the things you say are true but I love watching this movie, I love Daniels turn to the dark side. It never disappointed me as a kid and the nostalgia holds strong. And it gave us a strong plot point in season 2 of cobra kai.
From what I've heard from comments by Ralph Macchio himself and the director John G. Avildsen, this film didn't turn out the way anyone wanted it to. None of them are happy with the final outcome. As time has gone by, even I as a huge fan of this series notice the flaws in this chapter of the franchise. I remember really liking it when I went to see it in the theater, even going as far as thinking it was the best of the series so far. Now, as an older and more mature adult, I realize that the opposite is true regarding this movie. But I don't think audiences would have responded positively to the film they originally wanted to make. They were originally going to make a film that would have found Daniel and Mr. Miyagi going back to the time of Miyagi's ancestors. I'm not sure if they would've gone back in time or how it would've been done. Shockingly, another idea Mr. Avildsen had was to kill Daniel off at the end. He mentioned this in a recent interview. But I agree with Oliver in regards to Ralph Macchio's performance in this movie. At times he was very hyper and annoying, especially in the scene where he and Jessica are climbing that cliff to retrieve that bonsai tree. That scene is an embarrassment to watch. I cringe when I think about it. I think the movie would've turned out much better if Ralph's performance had been different and if that final fight during sudden death overtime had been more exciting. That was not Daniel's best karate, contrary to what Mr. Miyagi expected. Well, that was my two cents. Over all, this was a great series despite the flaws of the 3rd movie. No remake, sorry Will and Jaden Smith, can replicate the lasting inspiration and joy provided by this classic film series.
Alfred Seijas Yeah the whole plot of KK3 sucks, it made Daniel into a wimp but in KK2 he fought in a death match? Come on now. Like you I saw it in theaters as a kid and was disappointed unlike pt1 and 2. I rather look at 1 and 2 over 3 and forget about NKK and the ridiculous 2010 reboot, they are the worst. I hope they make an actual remake with Karate not Kung Fu in it. Jaden Smith sucks as an actor and so does his dad.
Alfred Seijas Can you blame him? It made him into a disrespectful punk with Mr. Miyagi I could not stand seeing that. In 1 and 2 he did not operate like that with him.
Great review overall. Two things I'd like to mention though. The movie was shot (according to imdb) between December 1988 and March 1989, so Ralph Macchio would have still been 27. I know that's a really minor technicality, and he still looked a hell of a lot younger than his character. Secondly, Thomas Ian Griffith's official birthday hasn't really been confirmed. He was born on March 18, but sources vary as to whether he was born in 1960 or 1962. It's likely he was actually born in 1960, as the webpage: www.famousfix.com/topic/mary-page-keller-and-thomas-ian-griffith states that he was in born in 1960 and that he graduated high school in 1978. So he would have been a little over a year and a half OLDER than Ralph Macchio. Even if all this is true, it's still pretty crazy that the two actors were so close in age. Heck Macchio was closer in age to Griffith than he was to Sean Kanan, the actor who played Mike Barnes.
how come that south seas appartments were demolish in this movie, and in the new cobra Kai series Daniel went with Johnny lawrence to the same building remembering when he first moved in
One major problem I always had was the karma houdini status of the villains. They get beaten, but that is all. They've broken at least a few notable laws, and there really is nothing to stop them from doing this or something like it all over again. Also, as you mentioned, being beaten seems to take nothing away from them. They're still sneering and getting themselves pumped up on their own evil. So the take-downs really don't mean anything.
That's a good thing. The previous KK villains just disappeared after getting beaten and did nothing after. It makes perfect sense that Terry and Kreese are still lit up here because it's not like Miyagi whooping them in some unsanctioned Cobra Kai dojo scrap is the end of their expansion
You make a valid point about Daniel's paranoid attitude and his trust for Mr Miyagi. Some people had commented saying I was too harsh on the film which I was surprised by.. As you say I gave the film more credit than most critics have given it. Its a film that is universally panned but as I state in my review there is some nice parts to it.
I agree with the exception of "it offered nothing new" which isn't automatically necessary. What did Rocky 2,3 or 4 offer that was new except a stronger, different villain with differing social dilemmas like Karate 3? Terminator 2 was almost an exact rehash from T1- Skynet sends an advanced assassin back in time to kill the mother/son of the future resistance to have the resistance send back a protector. Same thing with just a higher dosage.
Rocky 2 at least showed us that he really is nothing without his boxing, and it gives us a taste of how he will be as a father and husband. Plus, we got a character development with Rocky actually becoming champ, and we saw a new side of Apollo. Rocky 3 showed us how Rocky can be just as cocky as Apollo after becoming champ, we saw yet another side of Apollo, and we saw Rocky trying to get up after feeling humiliated after the loss against Clubber Lang and mournful after the death of Mickey. It's also here we get the "from rivals to friends" narrative with Rocky and Apollo. Rocky 4 however reminds me too much of Rocky 3, and I only enjoyed the fights and the soundtrack. Even the flashback montage was kind of cheesy after thinking about it further
Personally, I think that is kind of selling Terminator 2 short. Well in my opinion anyway. Yeah the opening set-up is a virtual recreation of that from the first with a Terminator sent by Skynet to kill a Connor in the past and a guardian sent back by John to protect them. I'll grant that in terms of character the enemy Terminator isn't particularly different even though it has a wildly creative and different cache of abilities at its disposal. (Leading us to some exciting "Robot vs Robot" action with opponents on closer footing than Reese and the T-800 in the first were) But perhaps more importantly it also expanded the conflict from just being about surviving the Terminator to being about trying to prevent Judgment Day itself from ever happening. And it began to blur the lines between man and machine with how we see a Terminator in a heroic role for the first time after the same model had been the symbol of evil in the first chapter, and how it starts to learn what it means to be human as well as developing what appears to be a genuine attachment to John whilst Sarah in a reversal has gone from the timid waitress to a cold hardened soldier who inadvertently becomes more like a Terminator in how she sets out to kill an innocent person (Miles Dyson) in order to try and prevent the birth of her enemy at the cost of her humanity. And Sarah ultimately having to overcome her inherent fears of/prejudice against machines in order to win by successfully cooperating with the T-800. John starting out as a self-centered punk who we see start to mature is also quite different from Sarah's more soft-spoken "good girl" personality from the original. And so on. Again, this is all just me trying to speak for my own opinion and if you truly feel it is just a rehash than I'm not trying to bash that. But I just thought I'd share a perspective on it on why the film and its relation to the original might deserve at least a bit more consideration. I do think it came dangerously close to being a rehash on some level giving that opening set-up, but in the way it acted as both a progression and an expansion on the original in terms of both scope and themes help it feel like it's own succinct experience.
Rocky Balboa developed his character! From a lousy boxer to a very experienced boxer (look how he whipped Tommy Gunn's ass in Rocky V). While Daniel Larusso from all the Trilogy. His skills still the same and became worst in KIII. In Karate Kid 3 he was out of shape fat ass. If Daniel was real, I can beat his ass anytime any place and any where! Let Daniel block my baseball bat if I beat him mercilessly!
I loved the Story in part 3 as a continuation of the story I genuinely found the bad guy very exciting it was better than part 2 and as good as part one IMO
Another great review man! I noticed on your title collage graphic that you have some elements of the Willow movie poster. Are you planning on reviewing that movie in the future?
A couple things. I realize the tournament is a plot device, but as someone who competed in quite a few karate tournaments as a teenager myself, NO referee would have allowed Barnes' conduct...at all. He would've been DQ'd for the sucker punch alone. And again it's a plot device, but nobody in tournament sparring would start doing a kata. I winced when I saw that in the theater. It was entertaining, though. And Terry Silver was so over the top it was hilarious and scary at the same time!
Lord that first minute with the music just brought me to tears that quick ugh... 40 to 51 seconds really got to me.... Especially seeing before hand Mr Miyagi had just picked up a picture of him and Daniel.
I just don't understand how, after winning a to the death battle with a guy who was way more advanced to mike, Daniel still had a tough time defending himself to
Hi Anthony, I actually watched Die Hard 2 the other day and did think about reviewing the film. I always found it to be weaker than say 1 and 3. I think down to the villains not being that interesting or seeming a bit bland. I will look into discussing it more at some point.
Part 3 was alright, I just think they should of did the final fight between Daniel and Barnes a lot different. Daniel should of kicked his ass really badly in a different tournament setting. If I was Ralf macchio, I wouldn't have done this film unless they changed the fight scene. He fought for his life in the second film and in this film he is crying like a sniveling idiot like he never took a punch and kick before. In the first film he did not know shit and he was not acting the way he was in this film. Pathetic
Just saw Karate Kid 3 again. I loved these movies as a kid, but to be honest, Daniel getting the last point was kind of crap. The fight scenes in Part 1 and part 2, I'm okay with. At least Daniel got some strikes in on his opponents. However, the theme seems to be, Daniel learns a new secret move, the crane kick, whatever he did part 2, and then Kata in part 3. I know, luck plays a big part in 3 point tournaments, but Daniel was getting his ass kicked before scoring that last point.
Damn Ollie - you do a really great job. Growing up with these movies in America was fun and there is something about your reviews that really bring that out for me. Keep up the great work - you come off even-handed, smart and effortless in your smooth analysis. Your accent works very well (I'm in Chicago USA) for me too.
I do wish an alternate ending existed with Daniel kicking Barnes's ass, then asimple takedown. A villain or henchman like him who's been a pain in Daniel's butt should have gotten his ass handed to him more. I loved the Thomas Ian Griffin after the fight, just gave up like "Sorry bro, you're on your own." Oliver, have you seen the film Crackerjack with him and Christopher Plumber?? You may wanna give that a look, and yes it's another Die Hard clone, except this time in a ski-resort. Variety!!!
If anyone would spend time to torment someone, it’s someone who has everything, but a lack of meaning. He can get everything with a snap of his fingers, so getting down and personal to torment a friend’s ”nemesis” is probably refreshing to him. Remember that he gave Kreese the Dojos not for money, but for him.
12:20. "...What the fuck?" I couldn't help but laugh. I don't think you've said that before on any other review. You always sound so calm on your reviews, I wasn't expecting it. Haha.
I really felt as though Part 3 should have been part 2 and 2 shouldve been 3. The second tournament in the sequel, and I think the ending of 2 would have been a perfect way of ending the trilogy.
This movie would have been so much better if Terry Silver wasn't a psychotic villain, but simply a "modern" teacher with questionable methods. Maybe he teaches Daniel how to sneak in a cheap shot or two, calling it "gamesmanship." Or maybe he offers Daniel steroids so that he can bulk up and compete with stronger fighters. Then Daniel has to win clean with Miyagi's honorable old school methods.
The reason Jessica was written to be Daniels friend in the movie and not his love interest was because the actress Robyn Lively who played the part was 16 at the time and Ralph Macchio was 27.
I wound up seeing this movie several more times than the previous two for some reason or other. Not much of it stuck with me, but watching this video now, I can recall a few thoughts. For example, I found the dummy scene unsettling. It's hard for me to watch someone hurting themselves like that. I also remember now thinking Daniel was too much of a pushover. Even without the context of the previous films, Daniel's wimpiness is annoying as hell.
I read somewhere that the original writer for the movie wanted it to be a continuation of the second film and it went something like this. After Chozen makes amends with his uncle Saito, him and Daniel went fishing before his flight back to LA. There was a tsunami that cast away their boat to a temple in China where they meet the Buddhist monks and learn about the origins of martial arts
Then Chozen was tempted by Darth Sidious and returned to the Dark Side and massacred Daniel like what Obiwan done to Anakin, left him burned! and Daniel screamed MR. MIYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGI! HELP!
Terry Silver makes this film.
The best scene is when Miyagi threw Mike Barnes though the door and took down Mike Barnes, John Kreese and Terry Silver.
Agreed
Yes. As weak as this film is, Terry Silver and Mike Barnes made for good villains.
Bad movie, even Ralph says that, buy they at least got one good character out of the reboot. I remember Siskel and Ebert not liking the movie, but they called out the Terry Silver part as being well acted.
“Party time…”
The whole point of Karate Kid is he's not supposed to be a good fighter. He's an underdog and wins with heart through Mr. Myagi's guidance. If they made him a great martial artist then the whole point of the films would be lost
I love The Karate Kid movies but does anyone else think that they are a Poor Man's Rocky Series???
Rocky B their directed buy the same guy john alvidson so yeah he wanted it to be a kids version of rocky basically that's why daniell talks like rocky and is relatable and an underdog
razkable Yeah i knew John Alvidson was the director, i just thought i would throw that out there. Mr. Miyagi is like
as asian Burgess Meredith but with a better sense of humor. I cant be bothered with the Karate Kid remake i will never watch it.
Rocky B it different but you should watch it its not bad just different its not as good as the first but hey its about kung fu not karate so pretend its not a remake just a stand alone movie called kung fu kid trust me you will like it then its cool and dramatic but funny and Jackie chan is amazing and lets be honest he looks like cause he is in real life like an old master of martial arts mr. miyagi is fat and short lol in the new movie Jackie is not unexpected to kick ass or underrated like miyagi cause he is in shape and famous in the movie its just unexpected to see such a retired legend who is so depressed get back up after life kicked him down so much and the one positive it has over the original is the student helps the master cope in unique way they need each other it isn't a one sided master knows all implied that Daniel is like a son to miyagi relationship the student has to get the master back up off his feet multiple times its interesting the villains suck though their too mean not enough cheesy corniness to make them likeable at the end but im a fan of 80's movies so maybe you like that its darker than the original its more like the second film you hate the villains all the way through to the end 7.9/10 not bad not great though
@Rocky B They are both Italian actors and movie characters, Stallone and Macchio, Balboa and Larusso. Same director, music composer, producer you name it. Only thing is Balboa is the boxing under dog while Larusso is the karate under dog. Both good movies Rocky and the Karate Kid.
Daniel Laruso is the only Karate man who got worse at Karate as the movies went along.
Stuart Otis yo you call people karate man too lmao I thought I was the only one
Did if you watched or paid attention in the movie his Karate got Better as the movie went along after cobra kai lessons. Just Because Mike Barnes's karate was 'levels' above his doesn't mean Daniel's was worse. #TheirAreLevelsToThis
Nah the second movie was perfect he beat chozens ass. Third movie was a total let down. Should've never even been made.
Even now with the new Kobra Kai episodes... he still sucks.
Though, this particular narrator is a good captain obvious
Tbh I really enjoy how Karate Kid 3 explores Daniels mental health, his anxiety and self doubts. Then his strained relationship with Miyagi. It's definitely different in that regard.
“He {Daniel} acts like he’s been snorting cocaine. One minute he won’t shut up and then gets all pissed off on his come down”
LOL!!!! So true
As far as the weak fighting of the Karate Kid, it's because it was aimed at feasible karate that the viewer could do. Like, very few people are actually going to be able to be a VanDamme or a jackie Chan or a Steven Segall. BUT someone could be a Daniel Laruso. That was the true charm of this movie. It presented a level of heroism which was realistically obtainable by the audience.
Watching the first movie always motivated me to continue practicing karate when I was younger, because I felt Daniel and I were similar and on the same level. Watching really skilled martial artists like Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris for example can be motivating, but not in the same way
William Ozier What they use in these movies is not karate at all.
@bee boo 😂😂😂😂
Jkd Buck76 he did in the karate kid 2.
He punched Chozen in the grion after getting money stolen from him in Karate kid 2.
it's crazy that Ralph Machio was damn near 30 in this film and looks like a teenager.
+Therealtlorenzo1 Wow I posted my previous comment before I even started watching the review and he mentioned his age in it. Now I don't feel like I have special information. JK
+Therealtlorenzo1 U should see him today he's in his 50's but looks around his 30's
.
JayDee284
I have seen him lately and you are right he does look like he is in his 30's
The guy was born in the fountain of Youth.
This movie qualifies for "So bad it's good." My favorite parts of unintentional hilarity are that he fights a duel to the death in part two, but then in part three is terrified of a bully. I also like how referee Pat Johnson gives Barnes nothing but warnings after the repeated dirty cheap shots.
@ This is the answer!
Terrible movie lol
Exactly! That's always been my gripe with this film. How can you come back victorious to a death match but afraid of a guy in a tournament?!
That’s why this should have been part 2 and the trip to Okinawa should have been saved for last. The stakes were much higher in Daniel’s fight with Chozen.
Daniel was also terrified of Chozen.
Terry Silver and the score make this movie.
+bathrat Definitely!
+Charlie g oh please!!!
agreed. as for daniel. bloody hell. i hated him in this film. shouldent he be you know wiser????
Terry Silver eats dinosaur ass. He sucks and his character is one of the worst, most overblown middle school level written pieces of shit in the history of the galaxy.
Agreed.
Terry Silver is movie magic. And LaRusso's pathetic martial artistry this time is hilarious.
I deff agree it was a stollen blackbelt from part 1 so he can enter tournament 2 months of lessons don’t make no blackbelt with no history of martial arts lessons he didn’t belong in tournament nor should he have won
Mike Barnes, is that you?
He was fighting like the best underage karate fighter in the region lol
Then Cobra Kai must've been like Christmas to you too.
Karate Kid 3 wasn't a disappointing end to the series. I liked it almost as much as the original. The Next Karate Kid was a disappointing end to the series.
I've learned that it's best to be honest & open about what you think & feel regardless of who agrees or not. Sometimes I agree with the popular opinion & sometimes I don't but I call a spade a spade regardless & always have reasoning behind what I like & don't like.
I loved the third movie and The Nest Karate Kid. I just figured Daniel had moved out, like kids do and was living his own life. I loved the main girl, because she had so many girly traits and also had a chip on her shoulder in a way girl characters don't always get. Mr. Miyagio was as cool as ever and I new there was something special about the way he and other Japanese American soldiers were honored during the first few scenes.
This is not a good movie by any stretch. 3 was overall pretty bad when you put it against the original and even 2. Terry Silver IMO was the only redeeming factor. Bad writing didn't help much either. A day after Daniel beat the most deadliest of fighters (The Chozen) in Part 2, he come back a weak, bumbilng bafoon. Why was he scared? He was just a wimp. They could have really made the ending better by Daniel having an epic flashback during the fight with barnes and having all the lessons he learned and all the enemies he faced in the past and then unleash on Barnes at the end of 3. It could have been so much more.
AtlasIsShruggingNow Then to add insult to injury they decide to do a crappy remake of the story with Jaden Smith.
I liked that one, it was just different, although Jaden Smith was too young to be portrayed without his shirt, like he's a big guy, but it may have been a partial joke, to show how he sees himself.
I don't like it as much as the first and it should be The Kung fu Kid, but I like how we see the little boy have to grow up so fast, as he takes care of the adult he wanted to take care of him, and how that man must learn to be a proper adult.
After his life and death fight against Chozin , Barnes should have been easy pickings. The final fight should have been against Kreese and Silver after he defeats Barnes.
GAJ0003 ikr a final fight with Silver would’ve been so epic
I've been saying this for years. It never made sense to me that Daniel would be scared of Mike Barnes after fighting Chozen at the end of Part II.
Totally agree. He fought Chozen in a fight to the death and won. That should have developed Daniel's character and fighting skills for KK III.
Mike was a national level tournament fighter, he wouldve smashed chozin and daniel in a street fight or tournament fight he was trying to win.
It's because karate kid was essentially remaking Rocky. And karate kid 3 is kind of a lot like Rocky 3. Where Rocky feared Mr T and was badly beaten and intimidated early in the movie.
I had the opportunity to ask John Avildsen (very nice man, btw) about the Karate Kid films and one thing I mentioned was that it was unusual to have a film/film series featuring a master/student relationship where the master does not eventually die, leaving the student to conquer his enemies on his own. I told him I was surprised that at some point in Part 3, Miyagi did not die. Avildsen said he had proposed a twist to that traditional storyline for Part 3 where Daniel would be killed and it would be up to Miyagi to carry on without him. Predictably, the studio balked.
+James They were right.. Daniel dying..? How they would've even played that out in a PG.. No way.. PG-13 and R Yes, it's possible.. PG not possible.. I could understand even see Mr. Miyagi dying but not Daniel..
It definitely would have been risky but I like when movies take risks.
Uuum they did the right thing.
Terry Silver fought in the Vietnam War??? Reminds me of that line in "Falling Down" - "What the hell were you, a drummer boy? You must have been eight years old!"
well if Terry Silver was in his late 30's in 1989 then its possible that he was in Vietnam
RustyX2010 when did nam end?
1975
Born in 1960, they stopped sending people in 73
In the movie could pass for a young looking 38- 40...easily.....I’m 41 and people think I’m younger. If the movie is set in 1984: 85...and he’s 40.....then in 1973he was old enough
This is my favourite Karate Kid film despite it getting a negative reception by the critics. I like how in this film that Miyagi's relationship with Daniel has evolved into a father figure which they both become very close. I really like the score in this film as it is a highly emotional score. I also like how Daniel was full of self-doubt within himself throughout the film but then comes out on top in the end and overcomes his fear. The final scene where he and Miyagi hug each other is really moving.
Man, I'm addicted to these classic retrospectives:)
No matter how much this film can be disliked for numerous reasons, I always watch it when it comes on. Nostalgia is very powerful and at 38 I feel this was my film era. The biggest disappointment for me was when the light switch "accidentally" gets knocked and we don't get a proper fight scene between Myagi, Silver and Kreese. I would have loved to see a good Myagi show piece because we were denied it in part 2 with Sato. KK3 could and should have been so much more but we really need to cherish and protect it for what we have when the likes of Will Smith and family think they have the right with all the money they have to come and take a piss on the Karate Kid franchise with their abomination of a Karate Kid movie.
TheYorkMan Yeah you are right. Sometimes I love the characters from a film that much, that when a bad sequel is made, I go into denial mode and justify it in my mind and try and convince myself that it's not all bad!!!
Ralph is 28 in this? That is insane, maybe he's a secret Highlander or something.
and the guy who played Terry Silver was 27. The Vietnam vet was younger than the recent high school grad.
That is how we are supposed to age.
Indeed. He should play an immortal in the next Highlander film. 🤗
@@raymondjblaze7761 yep. If we live healthy, we look younger than people the majority of people of the same age, because they live unhealthy lifestyles.
@@SimonAshworthWood facts G. 100
I thought it was hilarious that Daniel got his a$$ handed to him throughout the entire movie. For that, Karate Kid III was hilarious.
Karate Kid 3 is Great...idk why it gets bashed all the time...I think its my favorite after the first
luap ssub Well I think its the weakest of the franchise because he constantly gets beat up. You would think by the third movie he could handle himself in a fight against mostly anyone. Look at the fight scene at the end of the second movie, he wasn't great, but could fight pretty well.
terry fucking silver
enough said lol
CajunMetalHead1994 The tagline of the original movie was "The secret to Karate lies in the mind and heart, not in the hands." I think they were trying to follow that in KK3 and Daniel was supposed to losing his way, getting angrier and losing his focus. It's not until the end of the movie that Daniel snaps out of it, goes back to his original training and wins the tournament. Based on that though it doesn't make sense that someone just as angry and irrational as Barnes could beat up Daniel so badly. In the end I guess Avildsen just wanted to conclude the trilogy by going full-circle and just ended up rehashing the first film. He made the same mistake with Rocky 5.
TripleRp What are you laughing at? Daniels foes wouldn't be friends with you either. They are the type that admires John Rocker. You see any dope homie fools in any of the movies? If Daniel wasn't of the social elite and was a dope homie fool(wigger). You be on his side.
Is it me or did karate kid 3 made sense?? I've always thought out from 1-3, Daniel, afraid of bully's, 2, Daniel is afraid of loosing a loved one, 3, Daniel is afraid of life. Can't be afraid of none of these things. Must Believe in yourself. Be true to your heart
You've got some editing skills! The mini trailers you cut for your reviews often make mediocre films look epic.
+ray kelley Thank you very much Ray!
My main criticism of this movie was always that it didn't make sense as the third film. It didn't make sense that Daniel was afraid of Barnes after he had a death match in KKII. But then when I watched the trilogy for the first time with someone who hadn't seen it before and they pointed out that it made sense to them because after KKII Daniel probably got PTSD, lol. It's never mentioned in the movie, but when you look at Daniel's behavior throughout KKIII, it kind of makes sense. Now, if I view it in that light, KKIII has become an excellent film.
The fight between Miyagi, Kreese and Silver was very good - I always thought that was how Yoda might have fought... slow, paced but able to react and deliver strong blows as needed. This is how Yoda should've fought in episodes 2 and 3 - not jumping and flying around everywhere like something out of cirque de soleil! I also love the musical score in this film, but agree that the whole thing was done without much love... apparently the original idea would have shown us how Miyagi's ancestry came about learning Karate and the writer said it would have had scenes you would have scene later in a movie like CROUCHING TIGER or HERO... too bad the studio didn't trust him enough to do that!
+Steve Lee You can't hit what you can't catch.. Yoda showed how fast, quick and agile he was..
Iconhulk ... it still looked silly as f*%#
opinions vary
Plot twist yoda bites you
The original Star Wars had slow fighting and that was weak .. yoda was the best swordsman in series he had to be fast to match the speed of others
Terry Silver just steals every scene he is in. I’ll never forget when I 1st rewatched this during college around 2008 & just fell in love with this movie from an all new over the top cheesy perspective. Now it is one of the my most watched/loved “So Bad It’s Good Movies” right up there with others like Showgirls, Robocop 3 (the unintended comedy is so much funnier than the actual intended comedy), The Class of Nuke ‘Em High & The Toxic Avenger.
I like this movie. I felt it was a decent end to Daniel's story, even though it does admittedly feel incomplete to that regard.
I don't understand everyone's problem with Daniel in this film he is supposed to be over confident and a hot head after beating Chozen and Johnny anyone would think they are invincible after that.
"For fans at the time, it could have been so much better." It's a funny a thing, but when I was a little kid, KK part III was my favorite one. Now I recognize it for what it is, but after part II, it's hard for me to imagine where they could have gone with it afterwards. Daniel has hit it off with a cute Okinawan girl who he has a real connection with, he's had a true test of his skills with a fight to the death with Chozen, so what more does he have to accomplish?
This is now my favourite YT channel. Only found it the other day & I'm addicted. Sitting here stoned going through old movies. Great editing work, Oliver. Excellent research & narration flow too.
I have to disagree with some of the things you say.
Brought up on these films and I love no3 better than 2.
I think it's great how kreese is brought back into the fold and the intro of Silver. I've always looked at it as refreshing and with a slight twist. Silver is a fantastic character in this film for sure.
With regards to the fight scenes yes simple but way more effective than the 100mph fight scenes that plague films today which are hard to keep up with.
The tournament is a bit shite this I agree on I think it would of been better if the story climaxed to an outside street style fight or something like that.
Overall I love this film and often watch it over the others.
The downside is we never got a Terry silver or Mike Barnes action figure by Remco.
Maybe not everyone's cuppa this film franchise but the toyline was wicked 😎
Agreed. This was a really weak film. I think part of the reason was that part 2 was so effective and, in my opinion did everything that a sequel is supposed to do. Change the location, up the stakes, and create a larger scope and situation. Part 3 went backwards in that sense.
Hey Oliver have you seen Cobra Kai yet?
Compared to Karate kid 4, karate kid 3 wasn't that bad but I always thought Daniel's erratic behavior was a downer. The first and second ones are still cool
Go-go Akins agree! Visited this movie again brought back my childhood and thought it was okay
It's because they are trying to portray him as a hot head with lots of confidence after beating Johnny and Chozen
Until recently, I wasn't aware of the existence of the karate kid 4. Looks awful. Should I watch it, or is it a waste of time?
@@theserpent8667 Are you referring to The Next Karate Kid or Karate Kid with Jaden Smith
@@VinylEldred The next one. I've seen the remake. Is the next one worth my time, or is it as awful as it looks?
I think this film is an entertaining watch but of course not nearly as good as the first, or second for that matter.
Regarding Macchio's performance, I feel that he was probably trying to play 'young' again. He was supposed to be the same age as in Part 2, but this was made 3 years later. So perhaps he had just kinda forgotten how to play the role in a natural way.
As for the fighting, I actually really enjoy the fighting in these movies. It's always fun to watch IMO.
You might be pleased to know that the South Seas apartments are still there, just as they were.
My least favorite out of the original franchise. However, when I was a kid I could watch this movie over and over again.
This film is one of my guilty pleasures. Its not a good movie by any means... Daniels a dick... Silver deals in toxic waste... the movies a cartoon. But I frickin love it. LOL
+aicdragon I know what you mean.
So when will you give a retrospective on Karate Kid 1 and 2 ???
That movie came out during the summer of 89 dubbed “Summer of Sequels” which included “Ghostbuster 2”, “Indy 3”, “Star Trek 5”, “Lethal Weapon 2” and “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids 2”
Terry Silver is the Darth Sidious of the trilogy.
I guess that makes Kreese The Vader of the trilogy
@@biguy617 Well, Terry Silver doesn't appear until the 3rd movie. I don't know why I said that.
Silva made Daniel bust his knuckles up, to get back at Mr. Miyagi for making Creese punching thru the window....good call
I hope they get the story back on track with the Cobra Kai series next year!
They did!
@@fredlebhart1393 they fucking did
my least fave , followed by the next karate kid.... but ill admit, kinda guilty pleasure?
I never realised how much Ralph Machio looked like Gary Lineker.
elvisleeboy spot on
Haha thats so true he looks like Lineker in the Japanese league not in the '86 WC.
elvisleeboy Aw no he doesn't lol.
I head all the top UFC stars use Terry Silvers :"Quick Silver method" of training!
no wonder so many of them are a joke. traditional martial arts is such a rare thing now.
Little did they know Terry would come back with a vengeance 20-25 years later.
I find the Terry Silver character so hilariously compelling. I can’t stop laughing whenever I think of the concept of a multimillionaire wanting to gang-stalk some local teenage karate champion.
The biggest thing Oliver forgot to mention (not his fault, this movie has so many plot holes) is how in part 2, Daniel defeated an Asian street fighter in a death fight (though he choose to be merciful at the end). Yet in this film, he cannot score "points" in a tournament setting. The movie was not faithful to previous character developments.
Even when I was eleven years old, I cringed when Terry said “Now, the real pain begins, Danny-boy.”
Nobody talks of messages which what is really important in the first Karate Kid saga (not even the actors). It's the very important view on how things come and are treated in life, how you see opportunities, how so many people are trended to see things clear or unclear, or weak or they can lose their paths. Karate Kid is really clear on this throughout the WHOLE saga: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE NO ONE, NOT EVEN YOURSELF, AND BE HUMBLE.
I still like 3, was the first ppv movie I ordered back in the day. Classic villains and love the shot of Daniel and Myagi on the cliff training with music playing, touching little moment with the two one last time in the series.
yes i do use Siskel and Ebert in many of reviews. :) Thanks for the feedback.
Good review and I agree. These days I prefer not to watch the third one anymore since it kinda feels just depressing. I don't even know what to say about The Next Karate Kid.
First Karate Kid is legendary, second one is quite good and I like it, but the last one is just disappointing and outright bad, it's a shame that it had such a weak script. It does have it's moments, but they don't really manage to save the movie. We just want to see Miyagi and Daniel doing their thing, because that's what Karate Kid is all about, their relationship and seeing Daniel overcome the struggles.
We don't mention the Next Karate Kid... It didn't happen ;)
Say nothing
2:52 I look forward to Terry's brother, Tony Silver, showing up in Cobra Kai season 5.
The best I could say about karate kid 3 is that Terry Silver is a good villain who raises the stakes in an entertaining way. That's what helps this to feel like a ramped up remake of the first film despite its low budget feel. Ralph Macchio's performance is a let down he'd been living too much of the good life and phoned it in a lot as Daniel-san.
I didn't get around to seeing the karate kid movies until the late nineties when I was teenager. It was only 2 and 3 shown late at night in the summer holidays and I ended up enjoying them more than expected as I was at an age where nostalgia for the 80s was starting to become a thing and rather than cringe at things like the theme songs and other parts of it that are so 80s I was able to laugh with them and enjoyed the movies as a result. A few years later I downloaded the first karate kid movie and enjoyed it but wasn't overly fussed that the third was so similar to the first. I just accepted that by the third they had run out of ideas and it was a shameless cash grab. I couldn't think of anything better at the time and I didn't pay to see it in '89 so I had no reason to be butthurt about the third film in the trilogy being a little lackluster (especially given how common such a thing can be)
unstoppableExodia I wish they end 3 better but we got cobra kai now and its 🔥
dominick Martino agreed cobra Kai is really good. I've watched the first two episodes and enjoyed it and am weighing up if TH-cam red might be worth a trial
Barnes was also pretty good.
@@bradenmerriman5206 yeah he was basically more of a bad dude than Johnny Lawrence. I found his character to be a little bit two dimensional. Johnny Lawrence showed a bit of humility at the end when he congratulated Daniel immediately after losing to him. I’d still like to see Barnes be brought into season 5 of cobra Kai as the writers have a good track record of giving depth to these characters
....and then Chozen from Karate Kid 2 looks for Danial to regain his honor.
Ralph Macchio actually didn't want to make this movie, but he had to because it was in the original contract that he would agree to make two sequels
Chozen to me was the best fighter in the whole series, he was brutal and he taught American GI's how to fight, that's hardcore
I don't know what Siskel and Ebert were talking about. There is no blood fest in any of these movies. Mr. Miyagi always believed in fighting as a last resort (he didn't believe in never fighting) and he helps Daniel in the 1st and 3rd movies because Daniel really has little choice but to enter the tournaments to solve his problems. I think that is consistent with his mantra.
Thank you very much for your feedback and im glad you agreed with the points i made. :)
@Oliver Harper Can you please do reviews for the karate kid 1 and 2 please!!! I love your reviews!!!
All the things you say are true but I love watching this movie, I love Daniels turn to the dark side. It never disappointed me as a kid and the nostalgia holds strong. And it gave us a strong plot point in season 2 of cobra kai.
Great video. The first KK is still the best -- an 80's classic. It's the only Macchio KK film that holds up well.
That's the only good one to me.
As for the two sequels that followed: They're just not likable.
I'd love to hear an Oliver Harper Special on Cobra Kai. I enjoyed it on so many levels. Long may it last!
From what I've heard from comments by Ralph Macchio himself and the director John G. Avildsen, this film didn't turn out the way anyone wanted it to. None of them are happy with the final outcome. As time has gone by, even I as a huge fan of this series notice the flaws in this chapter of the franchise. I remember really liking it when I went to see it in the theater, even going as far as thinking it was the best of the series so far. Now, as an older and more mature adult, I realize that the opposite is true regarding this movie. But I don't think audiences would have responded positively to the film they originally wanted to make. They were originally going to make a film that would have found Daniel and Mr. Miyagi going back to the time of Miyagi's ancestors. I'm not sure if they would've gone back in time or how it would've been done. Shockingly, another idea Mr. Avildsen had was to kill Daniel off at the end. He mentioned this in a recent interview. But I agree with Oliver in regards to Ralph Macchio's performance in this movie. At times he was very hyper and annoying, especially in the scene where he and Jessica are climbing that cliff to retrieve that bonsai tree. That scene is an embarrassment to watch. I cringe when I think about it. I think the movie would've turned out much better if Ralph's performance had been different and if that final fight during sudden death overtime had been more exciting. That was not Daniel's best karate, contrary to what Mr. Miyagi expected. Well, that was my two cents. Over all, this was a great series despite the flaws of the 3rd movie. No remake, sorry Will and Jaden Smith, can replicate the lasting inspiration and joy provided by this classic film series.
+Alfred Daniel should of known enough Karate by this point and time.. Johnny and Chozen could of taken Barnes to the cleaners..
The problem with this movie in the end is that it had a poorly-written script. Ralph Macchio himself has mentioned his dislike of this film.
Alfred Seijas Yeah the whole plot of KK3 sucks, it made Daniel into a wimp but in KK2 he fought in a death match? Come on now. Like you I saw it in theaters as a kid and was disappointed unlike pt1 and 2. I rather look at 1 and 2 over 3 and forget about NKK and the ridiculous 2010 reboot, they are the worst. I hope they make an actual remake with Karate not Kung Fu in it. Jaden Smith sucks as an actor and so does his dad.
Alfred Seijas Can you blame him? It made him into a disrespectful punk with Mr. Miyagi I could not stand seeing that. In 1 and 2 he did not operate like that with him.
Great review overall. Two things I'd like to mention though. The movie was shot (according to imdb) between December 1988 and March 1989, so Ralph Macchio would have still been 27. I know that's a really minor technicality, and he still looked a hell of a lot younger than his character. Secondly, Thomas Ian Griffith's official birthday hasn't really been confirmed. He was born on March 18, but sources vary as to whether he was born in 1960 or 1962. It's likely he was actually born in 1960, as the webpage: www.famousfix.com/topic/mary-page-keller-and-thomas-ian-griffith states that he was in born in 1960 and that he graduated high school in 1978. So he would have been a little over a year and a half OLDER than Ralph Macchio. Even if all this is true, it's still pretty crazy that the two actors were so close in age. Heck Macchio was closer in age to Griffith than he was to Sean Kanan, the actor who played Mike Barnes.
Wow thank you very much for the great feedback!. I hope you enjoy my other reviews. :)
how come that south seas appartments were demolish in this movie, and in the new cobra Kai series Daniel went with Johnny lawrence to the same building remembering when he first moved in
Hold up. The South Seas Apts were demolished? In the new Cobra Kai series...its still there.
One major problem I always had was the karma houdini status of the villains. They get beaten, but that is all. They've broken at least a few notable laws, and there really is nothing to stop them from doing this or something like it all over again. Also, as you mentioned, being beaten seems to take nothing away from them. They're still sneering and getting themselves pumped up on their own evil. So the take-downs really don't mean anything.
That's a good thing. The previous KK villains just disappeared after getting beaten and did nothing after. It makes perfect sense that Terry and Kreese are still lit up here because it's not like Miyagi whooping them in some unsanctioned Cobra Kai dojo scrap is the end of their expansion
You make a valid point about Daniel's paranoid attitude and his trust for Mr Miyagi. Some people had commented saying I was too harsh on the film which I was surprised by.. As you say I gave the film more credit than most critics have given it. Its a film that is universally panned but as I state in my review there is some nice parts to it.
Cheers buddy!. glad you agreed on what i said. I think Barnes would win he is more bad ass.
He is right....A marginal film that benefits from a great score and cinematography...
I agree with the exception of "it offered nothing new" which isn't automatically necessary. What did Rocky 2,3 or 4 offer that was new except a stronger, different villain with differing social dilemmas like Karate 3? Terminator 2 was almost an exact rehash from T1- Skynet sends an advanced assassin back in time to kill the mother/son of the future resistance to have the resistance send back a protector. Same thing with just a higher dosage.
Rocky 2 at least showed us that he really is nothing without his boxing, and it gives us a taste of how he will be as a father and husband. Plus, we got a character development with Rocky actually becoming champ, and we saw a new side of Apollo.
Rocky 3 showed us how Rocky can be just as cocky as Apollo after becoming champ, we saw yet another side of Apollo, and we saw Rocky trying to get up after feeling humiliated after the loss against Clubber Lang and mournful after the death of Mickey. It's also here we get the "from rivals to friends" narrative with Rocky and Apollo.
Rocky 4 however reminds me too much of Rocky 3, and I only enjoyed the fights and the soundtrack. Even the flashback montage was kind of cheesy after thinking about it further
Personally, I think that is kind of selling Terminator 2 short. Well in my opinion anyway. Yeah the opening set-up is a virtual recreation of that from the first with a Terminator sent by Skynet to kill a Connor in the past and a guardian sent back by John to protect them. I'll grant that in terms of character the enemy Terminator isn't particularly different even though it has a wildly creative and different cache of abilities at its disposal. (Leading us to some exciting "Robot vs Robot" action with opponents on closer footing than Reese and the T-800 in the first were)
But perhaps more importantly it also expanded the conflict from just being about surviving the Terminator to being about trying to prevent Judgment Day itself from ever happening. And it began to blur the lines between man and machine with how we see a Terminator in a heroic role for the first time after the same model had been the symbol of evil in the first chapter, and how it starts to learn what it means to be human as well as developing what appears to be a genuine attachment to John whilst Sarah in a reversal has gone from the timid waitress to a cold hardened soldier who inadvertently becomes more like a Terminator in how she sets out to kill an innocent person (Miles Dyson) in order to try and prevent the birth of her enemy at the cost of her humanity. And Sarah ultimately having to overcome her inherent fears of/prejudice against machines in order to win by successfully cooperating with the T-800. John starting out as a self-centered punk who we see start to mature is also quite different from Sarah's more soft-spoken "good girl" personality from the original. And so on.
Again, this is all just me trying to speak for my own opinion and if you truly feel it is just a rehash than I'm not trying to bash that. But I just thought I'd share a perspective on it on why the film and its relation to the original might deserve at least a bit more consideration. I do think it came dangerously close to being a rehash on some level giving that opening set-up, but in the way it acted as both a progression and an expansion on the original in terms of both scope and themes help it feel like it's own succinct experience.
Rocky Balboa developed his character! From a lousy boxer to a very experienced boxer (look how he whipped Tommy Gunn's ass in Rocky V). While Daniel Larusso from all the Trilogy. His skills still the same and became worst in KIII. In Karate Kid 3 he was out of shape fat ass. If Daniel was real, I can beat his ass anytime any place and any where! Let Daniel block my baseball bat if I beat him mercilessly!
have you done videos for the other 3? i couldnt find them
Chozen should have been his last fight. It was by far the deadliest and best. Part 3 should have been part 2 and vice versa
I love part 3
It shows how many people can go from, good too bad.
I believe it’s a great movie.
I loved the Story in part 3 as a continuation of the story I genuinely found the bad guy very exciting it was better than part 2 and as good as part one IMO
Another great review man! I noticed on your title collage graphic that you have some elements of the Willow movie poster. Are you planning on reviewing that movie in the future?
A couple things. I realize the tournament is a plot device, but as someone who competed in quite a few karate tournaments as a teenager myself, NO referee would have allowed Barnes' conduct...at all. He would've been DQ'd for the sucker punch alone. And again it's a plot device, but nobody in tournament sparring would start doing a kata. I winced when I saw that in the theater. It was entertaining, though. And Terry Silver was so over the top it was hilarious and scary at the same time!
Lord that first minute with the music just brought me to tears that quick ugh... 40 to 51 seconds really got to me.... Especially seeing before hand Mr Miyagi had just picked up a picture of him and Daniel.
I just don't understand how, after winning a to the death battle with a guy who was way more advanced to mike, Daniel still had a tough time defending himself to
Hi Anthony, I actually watched Die Hard 2 the other day and did think about reviewing the film. I always found it to be weaker than say 1 and 3. I think down to the villains not being that interesting or seeming a bit bland. I will look into discussing it more at some point.
Yes if you do a search on my Channel you will find more Retrospectives!.
Part 3 was alright, I just think they should of did the final fight between Daniel and Barnes a lot different. Daniel should of kicked his ass really badly in a different tournament setting. If I was Ralf macchio, I wouldn't have done this film unless they changed the fight scene. He fought for his life in the second film and in this film he is crying like a sniveling idiot like he never took a punch and kick before. In the first film he did not know shit and he was not acting the way he was in this film. Pathetic
andrew ruiz Pathetic indeed they made him.
Even Sean Kanan (Mike Barnes) didn't like the way Daniel was portrayed in KK3.
Just saw Karate Kid 3 again. I loved these movies as a kid, but to be honest, Daniel getting the last point was kind of crap. The fight scenes in Part 1 and part 2, I'm okay with. At least Daniel got some strikes in on his opponents. However, the theme seems to be, Daniel learns a new secret move, the crane kick, whatever he did part 2, and then Kata in part 3. I know, luck plays a big part in 3 point tournaments, but Daniel was getting his ass kicked before scoring that last point.
Jaime Flor Drum technique he used in pt2.
Damn Ollie - you do a really great job.
Growing up with these movies in America was fun and there is something about your reviews that really bring that out for me.
Keep up the great work - you come off even-handed, smart and effortless in your smooth analysis. Your accent works very well (I'm in Chicago USA) for me too.
Creed: What about the slope?
Silver: Him I hurt through the kid😈
I do wish an alternate ending existed with Daniel kicking Barnes's ass, then asimple takedown. A villain or henchman like him who's been a pain in Daniel's butt should have gotten his ass handed to him more. I loved the Thomas Ian Griffin after the fight, just gave up like "Sorry bro, you're on your own." Oliver, have you seen the film Crackerjack with him and Christopher Plumber?? You may wanna give that a look, and yes it's another Die Hard clone, except this time in a ski-resort. Variety!!!
If anyone would spend time to torment someone, it’s someone who has everything, but a lack of meaning.
He can get everything with a snap of his fingers, so getting down and personal to torment a friend’s ”nemesis” is probably refreshing to him. Remember that he gave Kreese the Dojos not for money, but for him.
Oliver, were you at all surprised how much darker and relatively violent this film was?
You've been busy posting comments. lol Cheers for the feedback buddy.
I may cover BATMAN in the next month or so. :)
The ending was still beautiful
we agree
12:20. "...What the fuck?" I couldn't help but laugh. I don't think you've said that before on any other review. You always sound so calm on your reviews, I wasn't expecting it. Haha.
cheers buddy, yes WIllow will be covered in the next coming weeks!.
I really felt as though Part 3 should have been part 2 and 2 shouldve been 3. The second tournament in the sequel, and I think the ending of 2 would have been a perfect way of ending the trilogy.
Shaun Bumpus yes.
This movie would have been so much better if Terry Silver wasn't a psychotic villain, but simply a "modern" teacher with questionable methods. Maybe he teaches Daniel how to sneak in a cheap shot or two, calling it "gamesmanship." Or maybe he offers Daniel steroids so that he can bulk up and compete with stronger fighters. Then Daniel has to win clean with Miyagi's honorable old school methods.
gokinsmen yeah!
The reason Jessica was written to be Daniels friend in the movie and not his love interest was because the actress Robyn Lively who played the part was 16 at the time and Ralph Macchio was 27.
I wound up seeing this movie several more times than the previous two for some reason or other. Not much of it stuck with me, but watching this video now, I can recall a few thoughts. For example, I found the dummy scene unsettling. It's hard for me to watch someone hurting themselves like that. I also remember now thinking Daniel was too much of a pushover. Even without the context of the previous films, Daniel's wimpiness is annoying as hell.
I read somewhere that the original writer for the movie wanted it to be a continuation of the second film and it went something like this. After Chozen makes amends with his uncle Saito, him and Daniel went fishing before his flight back to LA. There was a tsunami that cast away their boat to a temple in China where they meet the Buddhist monks and learn about the origins of martial arts
You can't be serious?
Better than this half assed sequel, no?
+NYOlly15 I guess anything is better than this.
Then Chozen was tempted by Darth Sidious and returned to the Dark Side and massacred Daniel like what Obiwan done to Anakin, left him burned! and Daniel screamed MR. MIYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGI! HELP!
That sounds hilarious. Going to China? Life of Pi? Well, Miyagi did say Karate was from China in the first film.
I hope they have this music in the new series as Johnny becomes the hero.
Whilst I agree with what you say. I still love it and prefer it to part II. Nice channel btw, I'm hooked 😁