I watched the third Karate Kid movie with my family, earlier this year, and I loved it. So, I was surprised to find out that lots of people, including Ralph Macchio, dislike the film. The main complaint seems to be that it’s just the first film all over again, with a few added plot devices. Tonight, I want to tell you what I loved about this film, how it explains Daniel LaRusso’s friendship with Mr. Miyagi, and the moment that he stopped believing in mercy. The key to understanding this film? A bonsai tree. Daniel’s main complaint at the start of this film is that he wants to enter the tournament again. Mr. Miyagi continuously refuses, which makes Daniel upset. Why is he doing this to him? Why won’t Mr. Miyagi just let him keep winning? At the same time, Mr. Miyagi takes Daniel to see a very special Bonsai Tree from Okinawa. He has planted it high up on a cliff in the middle of nowhere to keep it safe, and from prying eyes. Did you notice a connection? Daniel didn’t. Despite having the conversation with Mr. Miyagi about the tree, Daniel is completely unaware of a fact that viewers may also have missed: that Mr. Miyagi thinks of him like the precious one-of-a-kind tree, and is only preventing him from entering the tournament to keep him safe. So begins our journey with the precious bonsai tree mirroring Daniel LaRusso in this film. The next time we see the tree, Daniel is doing the unthinkable, by trying to retrieve it to sell it in order to keep Mr. Miyagi’s shop open. Daniel is already feeling frustrated that Mr. Miyagi won’t let him enter the tournament, he’s already being bullied into it, and he has no idea that his sensei already has a plan to save the shop. This tension escalates as the tree falls from his grasp and lands in the saltwater below. Daniel hurries to retrieve it and wash off the saltwater before the tree dies, at the same time attempting to ‘wash away’ the guilt he’s feeling for having tried to take the tree in the first place. At that moment, long before entering the dojo, he becomes a Cobra Kai member: just like the saltwater begins to poison the tree, Daniel’s mind is poisoned by the thought that Mr. Miyagi will never forgive him. He ceases to believe in mercy. With everything that these characters have been through, it might seem unrealistic that Daniel will just suddenly think that Mr. Miyagi won’t forgive him. Think back to the first film, when Daniel angrily throws his bike away, then immediately cowers as his mother spies what he’s done. The majority of Daniel’s reactions to things highlight a lack of trust, which finally reaches the breaking point in this movie. When do we see the tree again? First, Daniel brings it to Mr. Miyagi, frantically telling him what happened, and trying to apologize. Mr. Miyagi only asks him “Why”. When given the explanation, he accepts it. Mr. Miyagi is more concerned with saving the tree, mirroring his concern for Daniel rather than becoming angry with him. Seems like someone who shows plenty of mercy, right? No reason for Daniel to worry. As soon as the tree hits the saltwater, the damage is done. Even with Mr. Miyagi's acceptance of his explanation, Daniel is convinced that he has to do everything on his own. And, it's not because he's prideful, it's because he feels so guilty about taking the tree. He’s sure that Mr. Miyagi won't forgive him. He's lost his faith in him. As Daniel begins to try to do everything on his own, continuously refusing Mr. Miyagi’s concern, he becomes more unstable. The character gets hurt plenty of times, but never realizes that he’s hurt on the inside as well. Daniel tries to hide his lessons with the new teacher, and Mr. Miyagi helps him, offering a chance to talk, whenever Daniel wants to. But, Daniel's fear of not being forgiven continues to grow, especially since he's not sure that what he's doing is right. He continues to try to do things on his own, while Mr. Miyagi becomes sadder, and tries one last time to reach out to him, only to be yelled at and told to go away, since, Daniel says, he didn't care, anyway. Right before this scene, when Daniel attempts to sneak through the house and back to his own room, we see the bonsai tree again. This is the point at which, in the movie, the bonsai tree has no leaves left, and is potentially on the verge of dying. I thought that that was an incredibly meaningful choice by the filmmakers, because it shows just how much attention they paid to the details of the tree matching the different scenes. At this point, not only Daniel’s friendship with Mr. Miyagi is at stake, but his well-being in general. Daniel’s mental state becomes even more apparent to the viewers as, when he finally realizes that he’s wrong, he actually says that there’s no way Mr. Miyagi will forgive him. By the end of the film, Daniel and Mr. Miyagi go to replant the tree, which has now healed. Their friendship has healed, and Daniel’s belief in mercy has healed as well.