Underplayed Gems

The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

The Karate Kid Part III poster
Directed by
John G. Avildsen
Genre
drama film, action film, martial arts film, romance film, teen film, coming-of-age film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 52m
Rated
PG
Rating
5.9 of 10 from 1,858 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

A bullied teen and his mentor train for a karate tournament against a vengeful rival backed by a wealthy and manipulative businessman. The new villain tries to break their bond and force the teen to fight alone.

underdogfamiliarformulaicsentimentallightheartedfeel-goodslow-paced90s-nostalgic

What happens

The Karate Kid Part III is a 1989 American martial arts drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen. It is the third entry in The Karate Kid franchise and a sequel to The Karate Kid Part II (1986). The film stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Robyn Lively and Thomas Ian Griffith in his film debut. The story follows John Kreese, with the help of his former army friend Terry Silver, as he attempts to gain revenge on Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi, which involves recruiting ruthless martial artist Mike Barnes and harming their relationship. Following the release of the second film, Kamen wanted to make a prequel to the franchise. However, the producers refused and mandated a story more similar to the original film. As was the case with the first two films, the stunts were choreographed by Pat E. Johnson and the music was composed by Bill Conti. The Karate Kid Part III was released by Columbia Pictures on June 30, 1989. The film received generally negative reviews from critics, with criticism aimed at its rehashing of elements found in the first film, though Griffith's performance as Silver received some praise. Though moderately successful at the box office, grossing $38.9 million on a $12.5 million budget, it marked a sharp decline from the $130 million earned by both of its predecessors respectively. It was followed by The Next Karate Kid in 1994, with Morita reprising his role as Mr. Miyagi. The film's storylines are continued in the sequel television series, Cobra Kai (2018–2025). (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.