kelley@cs.dal.ca (Dan E. Kelley) (08/23/89)
KARATE KID -- PART III
A film review by Lawrence M. Krauss and Dan E. Kelley
Copyright 1989 Lawrence M. Krauss and Dan E. Kelley
Capsule review: It is not often that one feel's violated
after watching a film, but this movie managed to do just that.
When watching a sequels, it is wise to lower your expectations
before entering the theatre. However the word "expectation"
implies some positive value, and nothing could have prepared
us for the utter idiocy of this movie, in all aspects.
Rating: very low.
Actually, this is not quite true. The movie begins with a five minute
montage from past films, for those people who may not have seen the original.
These clips rekindle the simple heartwarming excitement of the first in this
series. However, they make the rest of the movie all the more disappointing.
KARATE KID I may not have been a masterpiece, but it had all the features which
made it the summer sleeper it was: Fresh faces, sympathetic characters, and a
simple but exciting plot. By the time these characters get around to this
second sequel, it is clear that not only they, but also the writers, have had
enough. Even Pat Morita, whose presence lit up the screen in the original,
seems a caricature of his former self. Actually, the most likable character
in this film (in an odd sort of way) is the archvillain, named Silver, the
owner of "dynatox", a toxic waste dumping company which he has used to become
extremely wealthy by issuing such orders as "What do you mean they won't let
you dump it? Who in New Guinea even knows what chlorine is?" At least he is
consistent. No one else in this movie is.
The plot revolves around a familiar theme. Ralph Macchio is forced to
defend his "all-valley" Karate championship by a vicious pack of kids, egged on
by Silver, who is seeking revenge for his friend, a former Cobra Kai Karate
instructor who has been bested one too many times by the duo of Macchio and
Morita. For some unknown reason, the main dynamic tension in the film is
supposed to be provided by Morita's refusal to condone Ralph's re-entry into
the tournament, as long as the only motivating factor is the protection of
their lives and likelihoods. Morita's philosophy is that Karate is only for
self-protection, so there is a tiny contradiction here. Somehow, Morita's mind
is changed when he finds out that the toxic dumper is sponsoring the return of
the Cobra Kai dojos. Somehow this is more serious than threat to life and
limb, and makes it okay for the kid to enter the Karate tournament. You figure
it out; we couldn't.
One might hope that this movie could be saved by a love interest between
Macchio and a young woman who works across the street from the Macchio-Morita
Bonsai shop. No such luck. The woman's character is completely without
interest, and the situations the two young people find themselves in are
ludicrous. Perhaps the producers wanted to keep a general rating, so they
managed to contrive a situation by which two young adults, who are clearly
attracted to each other, can go out for several months without kissing. We
won't reveal the clever plot twist by which this is accomplished -- go to the
movie if you're that desperate to find out.
Sitting in the movie, we had to make a choice between walking out and
waiting for the final fight scene ... surely they can at least get a fight to
be interesting, after all the practice. But we waited in vain. The fight
scene is pitiful. You would be better off leaving early and using the time to
do something exciting, like flossing your teeth.
This has been another summer of sequels: GHOSTBUSTERS II, FRIDAY THE 13TH,
PART N, and now KARATE KID III. Unfortunately, moviemakers recognize that as
bad as they choose to make a sequel, if it follows on a blockbuster film,
unsuspecting theatregoers will fork out money to see it. Perhaps, like
limiting the number of terms a U.S President can serve, congresses and
legislatures should create laws limiting the number of sequels a movie can
have. Maybe this will be the only way to stop this growing tendency to forgo
creativity in favour of a quick buck in filmmaking.
Dan E. Kelley
Dept. of Oceanography, Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA, B3H 4J1 (902)424-1694
email: kelley@cs.dal.ca --or-- {uunet watmath}!dalcs!kelley