The Karate Kid Part 3 still remains a point of contention for the masses. The original Karate Kid is a beloved classic, and the sequel, The Karate Kid Part 2, managed to capture much of its charm. However, the same cannot be said about the third installment, which felt like the black sheep of the trilogy.
Adding to this sentiment among the fans is Ralph Macchio, the actor behind the lead character, Daniel LaRusso. But despite him not being a fan of the movie, he acknowledged that it played a major role in shaping the storyline of the hit series Cobra Kai.
Ralph Macchio Revealed How The Karate Kid, Part 3 helped in the storyline of Cobra Kai
The story of The Karate Kid revolves around Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), a bullied teenager who, with Mr. Miyagi’s (Pat Morita) mentoring, transformed into a proficient martial artist. He ultimately defeats his rival Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) in a cinematic showdown after this. This well-known story sparked a number of sequels.
But Ralph Macchio, who portrayed the character throughout the original trilogy (The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid Part 2), was less than thrilled to be a part of the third installment. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he added:
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.
He further detailed that he had a rather turbulent experience with the third movie, as it didn’t live up to the depth and complexity of the original and its sequel. Further, “it was not a smooth ride,” as certain aspects of the character didn’t resonate strongly with him. But despite his reservations, he admitted how wonderfully Cobra Kai expands the narratives laid down by the movie.
The show does a great job of developing characters that lacked depth in the past. Additionally, by using this creative method, the creators would be able to naturally investigate backstories in order to enhance character value.
Not just the overall storyline, but the actor also talked about how he loved what the series did with the antagonist, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), from the third installment.
Terry Silver’s Story Arc in Cobra Kai
The Cobra Kai creators transformed the antagonist’s plot into something incredibly captivating, even though Terry Silver lacked nuance and subtlety in the third installment. Because of how expertly his plot was written, even the audience momentarily thought that Silver had truly changed for the better. But as the series progressed, this narrative quickly collapsed.
Ralph Macchio additionally stated:
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.
Thomas Ian Griffith watched the show premiere in 2018 and was blown away, but he wasn’t sure how his character would fit in the modern series. Further, that show’s main focus would be Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, so he won’t be getting the call anytime soon.
However, a lot of questions were also running through his head (via Entertainment Weekly). He continued, saying:
How are they going to bring this bigger-than-life character to this world? And how would he fit in? And what has he been doing for the last 30 years?
But after speaking with producers and creators of Cobra Kai, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossberg for an hour via a Zoom conversation, Griffin was convinced it was time to revive the Terry Silver nightmare in Cobra Kai season 4.
You can rent The Karate kid original trilogy movies on Apple TV and watch Cobra Kai on Netflix.
