The Karate Kid (1984)

• Year: 1984
• Released: 22 Jun 1984
• Country: United States
• Adwords: Nominated for 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 3 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/The_Karate_Kid
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/karatekid
• Available in: 720p, 1080p, 2160p
• Language: English, Japanese
• MPA Rating: PG
• Genre: Action, Drama, Family
• Runtime: 126 min
• Writer: Robert Mark Kamen
• Director: John G. Avildsen
• Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue
• Keywords: sports, martial arts, high school, los angeles, california, teen movie,

	7.3/10
	60/100

The Karate Kid Storyline

Daniel LaRusso has just moved from New Jersey to Reseda, CA (a neighborhood in Los Angeles) and is finding it hard to acclimatise to life in the new city. He is promised a swimming pool and a beautiful house, but when they get there, it’s anything but nice. He meets a beautiful blond girl, but encounters a gang of bullies who make his life a living hell. This further dampens Daniel’s spirit as he just wants to go home. He is continually bullied and is afraid to show his face around the high school. He then meets mentor/handyman Mr. Miyagi who takes the naive Daniel under his wing and shows him that Karate and life aren’t all about power and strength. It’s something deep within you’re soul that makes you what you are. Daniel is the underdog and faces the biggest challenge of his life. WIN and he can rejoice forever knowing he beat the bullies. LOSE? They’ll never let him forget it!!

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The Karate Kid Movie Reviews

Mr Miyagi is the mentor we all wish we had… A life impacting movie

Is there anything more that can be truly said of this inspiring movie? Possibly it is the most unlikely hit movie that has generated a strong faithful following.

I rewatched it after 30 years on the back of falling for the Cobra Kai series, and loved it every bit as much as when I first saw it. I’m much older but find so many new things to relate to and remind myself of in life.

The premise of the film is simple, but it is almost impossible to explain the impact this movie had on a certain young generation on its release. It was its run in the video market that made it the huge success it became, and so much of it has become part of pop culture be it in its quotable lines and simple action.

What made it stand out was that it clearly was the antithesis of all other martial arts movies of the time which were in a boom period on video rental, but they were all muscle bound and flying around at 100mph. The Karate Kid instead centres on peace, life philosophy, defence and self-betterment.

The crux is the central partnership between the central pair of Mr Miyagi and Daniel, which begins as teacher mentoring pupil but develops into a father & surrogate son relationship.

There are so many layers to this film, and the truth is that the karate is really secondary to all. Any action is short, simple and down to earth. The real fights are for the soul, against bullies and personal defeat. For Mr Miyagi it is a reawakening for him, for Daniel it is a journey of self discovery.

The greatest part is the acting. You simply can’t take away from either of the two leads, the chemistry between them is just perfect. Pat Morita plays Mr Miyagi almost effortlessly but perfectly as the mentor to a young insecure Daniel, which becomes a father and surrogate son relationship. If anything the relationship helps bring Mr Miyagi out of his shell. For example, we see inside the soul of Mr Miyagi, and some of his inner torment (i.e. loss of wife & child), and Daniel becomes closer to him for it.

Mr Miyagi is the mentor & father all men wish they had. He practices & teaches peace & self-respect with humour & dignity. Something we can all learn from. His dry wit and personal reserve are humbling to see. Winning the tournament against the bullies is secondary, but the personal development is what comes first.

The Oscar nomination for Pat Morita for the role was deserved, and unfortunate not to win it, but his role has left a lasting legacy and is in the hearts of so many. I can only say to him thank you, and also to all who helped put this wonderful touching film together.

Appealing, fun and charming

The Karate Kid isn’t the best movie ever made, but it is nostalgic, and is appealing, fun and charming. Even with some of the weak spots of the script, and the admittedly formulaic plot, I really like this movie. It is well filmed, has a nice soundtrack, has a good message, some terrific karate sequences and some decent direction. Plus it goes along at a brisk pace. I for one also liked the acting, Ralph Macchio is appealing in the lead, while Pat Morita(always the highly watchable actor, and the actor who elevated the sequels to a more watchable standard) is excellent and it was nice to see the charming Elizabeth Shue. Overall, I like The Karate Kid, even with the flaws, it is nostalgic and enjoyable. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Finishing move

Karate and its uses for sport and defense gets quite a plug here in The Karate Kid, one of the iconic films of the 80s. Not since Bruce Lee and his gazillion of imitators did Karate have such popularity.

It also showed that it didn’t have to be the exclusive province of Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, etc. Although seeing the actions of William Zabka and his crew from Martin Kove’s dojo one wonders if the skill is a little too obtainable.

Ralph Macchio and his mom Randee Heller move to sunny southern California from Newark and its quite a culture shock to him because he’s relatively poor among some 90210 types all with cars. He runs afoul of Zabka and his crew and discovers they’re karate students from Kove’s dojo.

Kove is not a man who believes in karate as a sport. He instills killer instinct in his students. He’s a truly mean and contemptible individual.

Contrast Kove with Pat Morita a quiet gardener from Okinawa who we find out forgot more than Kove ever knew. He takes Macchio under his wing and soon enough the big karate tournament in the area pits Macchio against some of Kove’s trained killers.

Best part of the film is the life lessons as well as karate taught by Morita to Macchio. The Karate Kid got its Oscar recognition in the form of a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Morita.

It’s also one of the best coming of age films ever made. Don’t miss it.