The Karate Kid: Part III Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

The Karate Kid: Part III Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 9, 2019

What, you think you can rely on that crane-crap?

The Karate Kid: Part III may be the third film in the series, but it's closer to a direct sequel to the original classic than the second film which, despite picking up immediately where the first ended, was more of a tangential tale that saw the heroes jet off to Japan. Part III is a parallel retelling of the original film with a few twists, chiefly as it builds the revenge story, revenge sought by The Karate Kid antagonist John Kreese (Martin Kove) but planned and executed by his best friend, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). But no matter the details, the film ultimately follows Daniel's (Ralph Macchio) evolving relationship with his mentor, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), while fending off a new challenger, Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan). The film attempts to recapture the original's magic while forging its own identity. It's not wholly successful in either venture, but the film does work well enough to make it worth watching and finds a few high points, particularly in Thomas Ian Griffith's performance.

The Familiar Karate Kid.

John Kreese is broke and a broken man. He has not had a student in nine months following his humiliation at the All Valley Karate Tournament, and by the numbers his Cobra Kai dojo is done. But there’s a savior in Terry Silver, a former war buddy who Kreese saved numerous times in Vietnam, and this time it’s Silver’s turn to save Kreese. Silver sends Kreese on an exotic R&R vacation to Tahiti while he schemes revenge on Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi. He hires a nasty karate expert named Mike Barnes to fight Daniel at this year’s All Valley Tournament, but Daniel wants no part of it. He’s more interested in building a life with Miyagi and building the Bonsai store he just bought for his mentor, spending his college tuition funds on Miyagi’s dream. But Barnes and his cronies harrass Daniel into agreeing to defend the title, where Silver plans to see Daniel suffer. But first, he manipulates the boy, breaking down his mind and spirit by posing as his sensei in place of Daniel’s trusted friend, Miyagi.

Silver is an interesting villain. He’s not driven purely by emotion like his friend Kreese. He approaches Daniel with a more level head than did (or would) Kreese, manipulating the world around and within Daniel rather than simply aiming to intimidate, bruise, and ultimately batter the boy from the outset. Silver does evolve into Kreese by the end, though, once he realizes that Daniel, as whiny as he may be, is a mentally tough opponent who is skilled at karate but more importantly able to set his mind on task when the cards are down. Silver’s weapon is the hotshot “karate bad boy” Matt Barnes who is not as dynamic or intimidating as Johnny (the teen villain from the first film), who he is effectively replacing in this film. He’s a stand-in with little personality, and the tension between him and Daniel never amounts to much because it’s not personal. Barnes hates Daniel only because he’s paid to hate Daniel, which leaves a dramatic gap between the characters and lessens the intensity of their tournament conflict at film’s end, which is more or less slapped onto the movie in the final minutes.

With a repetitive story and not much of a villain in Barnes, the film rightly banks on the relationship between Daniel and Silver that ultimately sees Daniel falling for Silver’s manipulations, ditching Mr. Miyagi, and training at the Cobra Kai dojo in a few one-on-one sessions with Silver, who continues to assault and twist Daniel’s mind rather than simply punish his body. Here the film finds its greatest dramatic muscle, with Daniel wrestling with what he knows is right -- Miyagi’s teachings -- while allowing his anger, not his spirit, to guide him into the enemy’s hands. Macchio capably acts out the inner turmoil and finds his best scenes in Silver’s dojo, though he spends the rest of the film in a state of anger and disarray, almost in every scene beating himself up and wearing his wild emotional swings on his sleeve. It can be a delicate performance and it can be a grating performance, even as he’s counterbalanced by the more serene Pat Morita, who once again shapes Miyagi with a steadfast inner peace even in times of great upheaval in his world and his soul.

The Karate Kid: Part III Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For its "Choice Collection" burned disc Blu-ray release of The Karate Kid: Part III, Sony offers a healthy, generally filmic image sourced from a print that appears to be in relatively good shape. Grain is a little aggressive, snowy and dense, particularly in lower light in the film's early scenes. The image tightens considerably as time passes, offering a more firm, stable, naturally detailed, and refined presentation. Textural qualities often delight, with nicely revealing facial features. Textures around the Bonsai and pottery shops and the slight grime and wear in the Cobra Kai dojo are also highlights. Colors are not particularly well saturated, at least early on, where depth and contrast are lacking in many scenes, leaving the film looking a little dull and flat. As the film progresses, saturation and pop appear more evenly defined and complimentary. Black levels lack absolute depth but don't stray too far from a pleasing appearance. Skin tones appear fairly true to actor complexions. Once the image tightens partway through, there's little room for major complaint, particularly given the relative absence of distracting compression artifacts and print damage.

The Karate Kid: Part III Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Karate Kid: Part III features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation delivers a consistent, balanced listen from tournament to tournament, beginning with recycled flashback scenes from the first film and ending with Daniel in that same arena, surrounded by the same applause that the track rendered with effortless and nicely detailed width and surround usage at the beginning. In both scenes, music swells with healthy clarity and, like the applause, nicely balanced front and surround integration. The track carries these same qualities for the duration, with enveloping and detailed music and well defined and immersive effects the norm, including a passing train near the Bonsai shop or rushing waters in one of the film's key locations. Punches and kicks during training sessions, particularly when boards are broken and grunts are heard, present with quality distinction and depth. Dialogue is always center positioned, detailed, and well prioritized, even during intimate meetings between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi at the tournament, surrounded by crowd din.

The Karate Kid: Part III Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Karate Kid: Part III contains no extras beyond trailers (1080p) for The Karate Kid (2:18), The Karate Kid: Part II (1:28), and The Karate Kid III (1:28). No "Top Menu" is included. The trailers must be accessed in-film via the "Pop Up" menu screen. No DVD or digital copies are included.

The Karate Kid: Part III Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Karate Kid: Part III lacks original content, but the movie is saved by Thomas Ian Griffith's performance of the manipulative Terry Silver, who dedicates his life to destroying Daniel, just as Daniel destroyed his friend John Kreese's life. Griffith begins the film goofily giddy with excitement overt the prospect of ruining Daniel but shines as he works to manipulate the boy from the inside out. The film sorely misses Daniel's antagonist from the first film, Johnny; Mike Barnes is not a capable replacement. This is a watchable film with a few good components amidst largely recycled narrative content. Sony's "Choice Collection" burned Blu-ray release features solid video and audio. Supplements are limited to a few series trailers. Worth a look.