Karate Kid Part III: The One Where They Officially Jumped the Shark (Maybe?)

Alright, alright, let's talk about Karate Kid Part III. Look, I'm a completist. I had to watch it. But I'm not going to pretend this is anything other than a significant drop in quality. The core concept – Kreese teaming up with a rich sociopath (Barnes) to get back at Daniel and Miyagi – feels so contrived. It's like they took all the subtlety of the first film and threw it out the window. And the performances... while Ralph Macchio does his best, Daniel comes across as whiny and weak, which is a disservice to the character development we saw in the first two films. The whole setup with Jessica (Robyn Lively) felt shoehorned in, and their "romance" was about as believable as a politician's promise. Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver overacts to levels that are almost comical, not scary. Remember the tension and the subtle menace of Kreese in the original? This is just… cartoonish. The one saving grace is Pat Morita, who still manages to bring a quiet dignity to Mr. Miyagi, even in this mess. There are some moments that I won't lie, are somewhat entertaining, the whole fake blood thing was a little silly. And the climax at the tournament... well, it's a climax, I guess. But it lacks the emotional resonance of the first film's ending. It feels rushed and unearned. Then again, Miyagi getting to show off his skills to Terry Silver was cool. But on balance if you never watch this one, you wouldn't miss anything. Ultimately, Karate Kid Part III is a disappointing end to the original trilogy, and I find it hard to defend it from the charges of being a cash grab. It has so much that doesn't make sense or feel needed. It's a fun, bad movie, though!