The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

Daniel-san, who as a young adult is starting to look and sound like Joe Pesci, comes up with his own domestic chore-inspired karate move in this third The Karate Kid movie ("It's easy," he tells a girlfriend, and in a second flat invents a pottery wheel sweep of the arms) but the undermining of this franchise's formula doesn't stop there: Daniel-san doesn't even come to need this karate move or any special karate move; Mr Miyage doesn't help - his training barely fills a three second beach montage; and the movie doesn't even try to make interesting the grand finale at the All Valley Karate tournament showdown where Daniel-san faces off with more weirdos from the Cobra Kai dojo.

 

★★☆☆☆

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The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

The stakes are ridiculously high now, escalating from a karate tournament title in the original Karate Kid movie to teenage death and honour in this melodramatic sequel, with a lanky teenaged Daniel-san (who really doesn't give the impression of being able to walk straight let alone coordinate a brutal drum rhythm-inspired karate takedown) and his senpai Mr Miyagi coming to the attention of Okinawan bullies.

★★☆☆☆

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