Synopsis
Despondent over the closing of his karate school, Cobra Kai teacher John Kreese joins a ruthless businessman and martial artist to get revenge on Daniel and Mr. Miyagi.
Your Movie Library
Cast
- Ralph MacchioDaniel LaRusso
- Pat MoritaMr. Miyagi
- Robyn LivelyJessica Andrews
- Thomas Ian GriffithTerry Silver
- Martin KoveJohn Kreese
- Sean KananMike Barnes
- Jonathan AvildsenSnake
- William Christopher FordDennis
- Randee HellerLucille LaRusso
- Pat E. JohnsonReferee
- 60
Empire
Morita still charms, Macchio still tightropes between petulence and raw optimism, whilst the fight scenes are competent enough to offset the woeful romantic sub-plotting. - 50
The New York Times
With its sluggish script and unaging characters, The Karate Kid Part III has the rote sense of film makers trying to crank out another moneymaker. - 50
Chicago Tribune
Perhaps the series is simply getting cynical and tired. - 50
Time Out
After suffering endless abuse, Daniel wins with just a few well placed whacks: those expecting standard wish-fulfilment fantasy will be disappointed that (in tune with the philosophy, of course) he didn't give the punk a pasting. - 40
Chicago Reader
Unfortunately, the pattern has so calcified that Gene Autry westerns seem like models of moral complexity by comparison. - 38
Chicago Sun-Times
This material is wearing out its welcome. I have mastered all of the lessons The Karate Kid movies have to teach and all of the surprises they have to spring. I am also intimately familiar with the plot formula, so that nothing in this third film comes as the faintest surprise. Perhaps it is time, as Mr. Miyagi might say, to study something else. - 37
Washington Post
Although III claims seven times as much action as ever before, the movie is still so boring that even the love interest (Robyn Lively) leaves early. She's no Kung Fool. - 30
Los Angeles Times
In short, writer Robert Mark Kamen gave director Avildsen and his cast too little to work with for The Karate Kid Part III to have gone into production in the first place.