The Karate Kid Part III

The Karate Kid Part III continues the story of Daniel LaRusso and his mentor, Mr. Miyagi, after Daniel's tournament victory over the Cobra Kai dojo. John Kreese, the defeated instructor, cannot accept his loss and turns to Terry Silver, a wealthy businessman and martial artist with whom he served during the Vietnam War, to settle the score. Silver sets a plan in motion that draws Daniel into defending his title, with a brutal new opponent, Mike Barnes, used as the instrument. When Miyagi refuses to train him, Daniel turns elsewhere for guidance, straining the bond between student and teacher until he understands what karate is really meant to defend.

John G. Avildsen directed, returning for the third entry in the series after The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid Part II, and Robert Mark Kamen wrote the screenplay, as he had for the earlier films. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita reprise their roles, with Martin Kove returning as Kreese and Thomas Ian Griffith, Robyn Lively and Sean Kanan joining the cast. Jerry Weintraub produced, and Columbia Pictures handled the release.

Made for a budget of 13 million dollars, the film took about 39 million dollars worldwide, a smaller return than its predecessors. It opened in June 1989 and runs 112 minutes. On TMDB it holds 5.9 out of 10 from roughly 1,900 votes, while the film critics' rating stands at 3.8 out of 10 from 34 reviews, a gap that places it well below the audience score.