And yes, I have seen much worse in terms of films. But considering what a classic the original was... to arrive at this point is pretty sobering for a kid who was truly inspired by a great film in 1984. And part 2 was pretty good also, but mostly for the exotic location and convincing villain. But this 1989 disaster is saddening for two basic reasons. First of all, it has a ridiculous plot. And worst of all, it was obviously made for $$$ purposes only. All the inspiration was gone by this point, and this is painfully obvious in nearly every lame scene.
First off, the film is oblivious to the concept of the passage of time. Five years had passed since the original film, yet the film would have us believe that it picks up the moment Daniel and Mr. Miyagi step off the plane from Okinawa. By 1989, Ralph Macchio was almost 30 years old, and he had gained significant weight since part 2 was released in 1986. And above all else, it just isn't natural that all of the things we've seen since the original could happen to one person in the span of only a year. The film doesn't even try to hide the changes in clothing and hairstyles. I was actually surprised I didn't see a bolo tie on any of the band members at that dance. Virtually every soft rock musician wore them back in the late 1980s. Anyway, the film is full of cheese, but there are some reminders of how good the series had been. And even some nice new things, too.
There are some good things in this film. Frankly, I think actor Thomas Ian Griffith walks away with this picture. He overplays his Terry Silver character to immense proportions, and he looks like he's having fun. The man never became the star he probably should have. Wouldn't he have made a better action star than the wooden Seagal? I think so. Anyway, it's fun to see him put Daniel through all the pain while training him for his title defense. Pat Morita is great as always with his humor and wisdom. He was the one constant in this series, and he was always on his game. The film also scores points for exploring a big rift that forms between Miyagi and Daniel. There are some scenes where the old man looks absolutely crushed that Daniel won't listen to him any more.
But there are more problems here, folks...... lots more. Simply put, the plot is so laughable that anyone over perhaps age 8 could have written the original treatment of the script. The thought of a millionaire toxic waste dumper tormenting a teenager to somehow win back the honor of the evil karate master from part one. Just laughable! How about the new tournament rule allowing the returning champ to only fight in the final match?? Huh?? That would be like allowing the Kansas Jayhawks to only play in the last game of March Madness this year while their opponent would have had to win 5 games in the tournament just to get to the game. Ludicrous! The dialog is so over-the-top, so amateurish that I cannot imagine how these actors got some of the words out of their mouths. Acting from many of the supporting characters is unconvincing to say the least. Robin Lively has no chemistry with Machio, but I guess they were just supposed to be friends. It wouldn't surprise me if they decided to just make them "friends" on the set when they realized how much older he is than her in real life. The actor playing Mike Barnes had some good moves, but no thespian talent to speak of. Oh well, the remake with Jackie Chan and Will Smith's kid is bound to be worse, though! 4 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
First off, the film is oblivious to the concept of the passage of time. Five years had passed since the original film, yet the film would have us believe that it picks up the moment Daniel and Mr. Miyagi step off the plane from Okinawa. By 1989, Ralph Macchio was almost 30 years old, and he had gained significant weight since part 2 was released in 1986. And above all else, it just isn't natural that all of the things we've seen since the original could happen to one person in the span of only a year. The film doesn't even try to hide the changes in clothing and hairstyles. I was actually surprised I didn't see a bolo tie on any of the band members at that dance. Virtually every soft rock musician wore them back in the late 1980s. Anyway, the film is full of cheese, but there are some reminders of how good the series had been. And even some nice new things, too.
There are some good things in this film. Frankly, I think actor Thomas Ian Griffith walks away with this picture. He overplays his Terry Silver character to immense proportions, and he looks like he's having fun. The man never became the star he probably should have. Wouldn't he have made a better action star than the wooden Seagal? I think so. Anyway, it's fun to see him put Daniel through all the pain while training him for his title defense. Pat Morita is great as always with his humor and wisdom. He was the one constant in this series, and he was always on his game. The film also scores points for exploring a big rift that forms between Miyagi and Daniel. There are some scenes where the old man looks absolutely crushed that Daniel won't listen to him any more.
But there are more problems here, folks...... lots more. Simply put, the plot is so laughable that anyone over perhaps age 8 could have written the original treatment of the script. The thought of a millionaire toxic waste dumper tormenting a teenager to somehow win back the honor of the evil karate master from part one. Just laughable! How about the new tournament rule allowing the returning champ to only fight in the final match?? Huh?? That would be like allowing the Kansas Jayhawks to only play in the last game of March Madness this year while their opponent would have had to win 5 games in the tournament just to get to the game. Ludicrous! The dialog is so over-the-top, so amateurish that I cannot imagine how these actors got some of the words out of their mouths. Acting from many of the supporting characters is unconvincing to say the least. Robin Lively has no chemistry with Machio, but I guess they were just supposed to be friends. It wouldn't surprise me if they decided to just make them "friends" on the set when they realized how much older he is than her in real life. The actor playing Mike Barnes had some good moves, but no thespian talent to speak of. Oh well, the remake with Jackie Chan and Will Smith's kid is bound to be worse, though! 4 of 10 stars.
The Hound.