Ralph Macchio Is Just Like You, Doesn't Like Karate Kid III
"The Karate Kid Part III" isn't the most beloved of the films in the franchise. I love these films, but the third one is just so bad. It has characters I love, and continues a story I adore, but I just can't watch it. I am not alone, and since it's very likely you agree with me, you're not alone either. Even star Ralph Macchio didn't love it.
Macchio did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter for "Cobra Kai" season 4 and spoke about the 1989 film. He wasn't a fan either, but he did love what the show did with the villain from "The Karate Kid Part III." That villain is, of course, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), he of the delightful ponytail. Obviously there will be spoilers for the fourth season of "Cobra Kai," including the very evil thing he and his compelling grin do at the end.
No Mercy for Karate Kid III
In the interview, Macchio admits his feelings about the third film. He says:
I was not a fan of how the Karate Kid 3 came out. I felt the story was only repeating itself and was not character forwarding for the end of LaRusso. And production-wise, it was being written one way and then changed another way. It was not a smooth ride. In the end, there were parts of the character that I didn't embrace as well as I did with the original and the first sequel. I don't put it on the top of my resume.
However, it informs Cobra Kai going forward, clearly with season four. It gives us so much story. And what is so wonderful about doing the Cobra Kai series, the creators find ways to take that story and let it evolve and find backstories for characters who might have been thinly written.
Don't Pretend You Don't Love Terry Silver
Terry Silver was thinly written, but Macchio is right. The creators of "Cobra Kai" took what was a silly bit of storytelling and made it absolutely compelling. They even managed to make me think that Terry had changed a bit. Despite learning that he hadn't, even I didn't see his last bit of evil coming with the whole Stingray-blaming-his-beatdown-on-Kreese twist. Macchio continued:
There is a larger-than-life element to Cobra Kai. When you break it down, it is kind of ridiculous — but that is why it is so much fun! So you take a character like Terry Silver for this show with those larger-than-life elements and his relationship with Daniel, then add those layers of complexity to his evilness. And now it becomes a refined performance. On top of that, from the perspective of Daniel as an adult, now we are adding other stakes and elements about his own kids and students. It is remarkable that what I would call the shortcomings of the original franchise are now bearing fruit 36 years later.
I love it. I love every second of what they did with Terry Silver. I can't wait to see what Chozen makes of him in season 5. Ooh, maybe we'll see a fight between them; good movie vs. bad movie stars!
I really want to hear your thoughts on "The Karate Kid Part III" and what "Cobra Kai" did with Terry Silver (it's really hard for me to just type his first or last name alone). Tweet us @slashfilm so we can gush over that ponytail! I'm not even going to pretend that I didn't love that thing!