The Karate Kid Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Only the 'Old One' could teach him the secrets of the masters.
He taught him the secret to Karate lies in the mind and heart. Not in the hands.
Daniel is new in town, and is getting picked on by the local bullies, who all are adept in karate. Determined to stick up for himself, Daniel begins to teach himself karate, only to discover that the caretaker at his apartment seems to be a grand master in karate. Agreeing to teach Daniel, Mr. Miyagi shows Daniel that there is more to karate than violence, and perhaps the best way to solve the problem he has with the bullies is in the All Valley Karate Championship.
| Ralph Macchio | Daniel Larusso |
| Pat Morita | Mr. Kesuke Miyagi |
| Martin Kove | John Kreese |
| William Zabka | Johnny Lawrence |
| Ron Thomas | Bobby Brown |
| Rob Garrison | Tommy |
| Chad McQueen | Dutch |
| Tony O'Dell | Jimmy |
| Israel Juarbe | Freddy Fernandez |
| William Bassett | Mr. Mills |
| Larry B. Scott | Jerry |
| Frank Burt Avalon | Chucky |
| Jeff Fishman | Billy |
| Ken Daly | Chris |
| Tom Fridley | Alan |
6.80 out of 10 (23027 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A movie to make punks feel good...
posted on 11 Apr 2009ALL MY REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS. EVERY ONE OF THEM.Am I the only one who looks at good vs. evil films with a moderate point of view? Am I the only one who perfectly understands why Johnny and the Kobra-Kai's hate Daniel so much? People tend to watch television and accept whomever the writers tell you is the hero. But they never look at it from the antagonist's point of view. To put it simply, Daniel should just mind his own business. There are about 4 or 5 million girls his age in Los Angeles, why does he pick the one who is dating a black belt named Johnny, who also happens to be the leader of an awesome karate clique called the Kobra-Kais?In the beginning, Daniel moves to LA via Newark, NJ, a town ten times worse than happy, sunny Cali. How he grew up there and ended up a punk I'll never understand. When he moves to LA, he meets an equally punkish kid named Freddy. Daniel brags to Freddy that he knows karate and how he can handle himself. Mistake number one. Everybody knows that lies eventually catch up to you, so when Daniel gets his ass kicked on the beach (just hours later) I felt no sympathy for him. He falls for this girl named Ali and when her man comes to talk to her, Daniel butts his head in where it doesn't belong. Mistake number two. Any man knows you never jump in between a lover's spat. Women never fully get over their ex's, that's why when the cops come, they never press charges. Freddy never hangs with him ever again, but can you blame him? Not only is he a complete embarrassment, he's a liar. Again, no sympathy for Daniel.Daniel doesn't learn his lesson. He hits on Ali some more, this time at school. Johnny, understandably is p***ed. So when he sees Daniel in his karate dojo, he takes it upon himself to round up his boys and push Daniel off a steep hill. What was Daniel doing out there on a lonely deserted road anyway? Even if he didn't have a flock of crazed ninjas after him, that's simply stupid anyway. After he fell down the hill, he got what he deserved, and I'll bet any money he'll think twice before riding his Schwinn where no people hang out.The maintenance man of Daniel's building is a thousand year old Japanese man named Mr. Miyagi. When Daniel first meets him, he sees Miyagi at home trying to catch a fly with chopsticks. This alone should have let Daniel know the man was obviously nuts. But Daniel is nuts himself, so the two become best buddies. There is even a scene later in the film where Daniel himself catches a fly with chopsticks. I can dismiss human physics and except Hollywood disbelief for this scene. But what I can't except is a fly that flies around in one spot.Daniel goes to a Halloween party and makes the dumbest decision I've ever seen in a movie. To impress a girl, (the same one who Johnny is after, mind you) Daniel decides to set up Johnny by putting a garden hose in the bathroom stall over his head. Mistake number three. Not only is Daniel adding fuel to the fire between them, but he ruins the joint Johnny was rolling; a mistake that cannot be forgiven. Johnny is soaking wet and looks like a fool. Can anyone BLAME him for being p***ed? I totally understand the ass whuppin' him and his buddies lay on Daniel. But Mr. Miyagi comes and saves the day, and beats up all the kids. Miyagi is a trained karate master, this act is not done in self defense, and all the kids are minors. Why Miyagi isn't in jail for the duration of the movie, I'll never understand.Daniel goes to the Kobra-Kai dojo and like a true punk, brings his new bodyguard Miyagi with him. He pleads with Kreese, the dojo's master to have his boys leave him alone until an upcoming karate tournament. Miyagi then agrees to teach Daniel karate, but instead turns him into his own personal mail order bride, and Daniel cleans up Miyagi's house for the next 2 weeks. Daniel then learns some karate, gets Johnny's girl, and ends up in the tournament at the end of the movie. Now let me get this straight...I can learn a lifetime of karate from a feeble old man in about 6 weeks? Now there's reality.Needless to say, in traditional Hollywood cliche fashion, Daniel's tournament ends with him directly facing off with his nemesis, Johnny. Daniel of course wins, gets the trophy, gets the girl then even gets the friendship of Johnny. Then all the nerds watching the movie stand and cheer. Gimme a break. Who could even swallow this crap? I can except far fetched movies like Superman before movies like these. This movie is totally fake.If this movie was real, after Miyagi was bailed out of jail, he would have trained Daniel the best he could, failed miserably because of the short time span, Daniel would have been eliminated in the first round, Johnny would have made it to the end of the tournament with some other kid who can truly fight, Johnny would have won, and Ali would have been so turned on by her ex man, she would have jumped into his arms kissing him frantically. Johnny then would have taken her home, banged her one last time, then dumped her for being so shallow. Meanwhile, Daniel would have gone back to Miyagi's house, donned a full maid outfit and once he turned 18, the two would have run off to Vegas and got married in one of those drive thru marriage places. Now that would be a truly good movie.Zero stars out of 5.
A marvelous, under-rated film.
posted on 08 Apr 2009"Karate Kid" can appeal to all ages (except maybe young children). The characters are fascinating and very well orchestrated. There are some wonderful revelations -- sometimes two or even three in one, such as when, in one moment that leaves him stunned, Daniel learns what *really* has been going on, and one or two things about himself and life ... such as that things aren't always as they seem ... and that he should learn to trust those who have earned his trust.Overall, lots of comedy, a good amount of action, some strong drama, and some surprising thematic depth.Very enjoyable, often touching. And very well acted.
A bit cheesy in an '80s kind of way, but still good fun
posted on 08 Apr 2009The 1980s are equally lauded and criticized for giving birth to "high concept" movies, i.e. star-carried films, mostly confined to a specific genre (comedy and action, preferably), with a plot that can be summarized in thirty seconds or less. The culmination of that cinematic "current" was Top Gun, on which Jerry Bruckheimer built an entire career based on high-concept hits. Most of these films are still enjoyable, but some, including Gun, haven't dated that well after two decades or so. The Karate Kid is no exception: no one would produce it today. Still, the film is actually quite amusing and, in one scene at least, oddly moving.Using high-concept rules, the plot would be summed up like this: nerdy kid becomes a hero by learning karate. The nerdy kid in question is Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio), who has just moved from New Jersey to California with his mother. He instantly finds a soul-mate in Ali Mills (Elizabeth Shue), the kind of girl all guys would like to date, and is repeatedly brutalized by her ex-boyfriend Johnny because of the bond between them. Daniel decides to take karate lessons to get even, only to discover the local dojo is run by a glory-obsessed mad-man, whose students include Johnny and all of the latter's friends. When all hope seems to be lost, help comes in the most unlikely shape: Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), Daniel's gentle, plant-loving neighbor and, allegedly, martial arts champion. His peculiar technique consists of four simple words: "Wax on… wax off".It is easy to see why John G. Avildsen, director of Oscar-winner Rocky, accepted to do this film: like Sylvester Stallone's breakthrough, it's the story of an underdog who tries to get to the top – not for money, but so that he will feel better as a person. Sure, Daniel's bizarre training can easily be mistaken for a spoof of Rocky's more conventional montage, but there is an odd poignancy to those moments, especially when the superb Pat Morita (who was Oscar-nominated for the role of Miyagi) is on screen: elusive, brilliant and, in a scene where he remembers his late wife, touchingly vulnerable, he embodies all the preconceived ideas one might have of a martial arts instructor but manages to go beyond a mere caricature. Macchio is similarly convincing, although his scenes with Shue suffer from an 80's cheesiness (mostly as far as the music is concerned) that robs the movie of the sincere romance that made Rocky a hit.So yes, this is a picture that looked great in 1984 and lost some of its charm as the years went by. And yes, it is true that neither Macchio nor Morita will ever be remembered for anything else. But hey, why hold that against them? Flawed or not, The Karate Kid is good fun. Heck, it even made a catchphrase of something as silly as "wax on… wax off". It can't be entirely bad, then, can it?
Great movie....but I would have done things differently
posted on 21 Mar 2009This is a fantastic movie. However, I feel that the bad guys did NOT get enough pain and punishment that they deserved. I loved it when Miyagi foiled all the bullies by the chain-link fence. It would have been better if he had actually crippled or even killed one or a few or even all of them. I smiled at the prospect of one of the bullies being kicked in the crotch hard enough to ensure that he would never have children. Good move! Same guy was kicked in the leg and arm. It would have been great if either or both limbs were broken. I would have killed Johnny, slowly and painfully. I'm sorry, but in the real world, kids are killing kids. That's exactly what the bullies were trying to do to Daniel. They weren't beating him up. They were trying to kill him. I especially would have also liked to see Miyagi dump the sadistic Kreese in the garbage dumpster. The baddies are p***ed off at Daniel for surviving, and it shows. If you ask me, bullies get off far too easy in films. Just once, I would love to see the good guy kill the bad guy instead of just defeat him. Give the bully exactly what is deserved!
An 80's classic!
posted on 06 Mar 2009One of the best movies of the 1980's happens to be "The Karate Kid". Ralph Macchio who happens to play Daniel Larusso did S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders" earlier. Daniel(Macchio) is a transplant from New Jersey, runs afoul with bullies from a karate school known as Cobra Kai. Johnny Lawrence(William Zabka) is the ruthless of the bunch. Their sensei John Kreese(Martin Kove) is barbaric. Then there's Mr. Miyagi(Pat Morita, "Happy Days", "O'Hara" and others) who happens to be Daniel's sensei. His ways are more peaceful, and his patience can be limited with how he handles with his student. Never call him humorless, cause he can have all the fun with his student whenever he could. I like the memorable parts he says, "Wax On, Wax Off". And the crane technique is also a gem. Then one that blew me away is when Miyagi chopped the necks of those beer bottles. Then there's the tournament, those Kobra Kais really had it coming, especially Johnny. Falling victim to the crane kick. At least he lost humbly, he was no sore sport unlike the others. However, I think they are starting to see the errors of Kreese's ways. Some are, some aren't, who knows? This movie is a gem and Elisabeth Shue's role of Ali is remarkable! WAY TO GO! THE KARATE KID!
One for the ages
posted on 26 Jan 2009The Karate Kid is one movie for the ages, with a great cast which fit the movie perfectly. This is your typical good v.s. evil type movie, but the plot and story development is well scripted and the ending was just awesome. The acting is good by Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio I reccomend this movie 2 and 3 to anyone who is in to karate or just want to watch a movie.
one of the greats
posted on 24 Dec 2008i can still remember the first time i watched the karate kid i was about ten and i thought this movie is alright but i didnt take the whole film in. i just loved the end when the tournament was on.i dont know how many times i rewinded the end bit.so just the other day i thought i would watch it again for old times sake and i can tell you this film is great the whole story line is terrific the characters all have a real power of dragging you in to take notice of what they are doing.mr miyagi is a truly great man and was perfectly acted out by pat morita.a special mention must go out to william zabka for his part as johnny he acted with a passion in this film and i am surprized he never did more with his acting career.in summing up i gave this film an 8 out of ten.
You must be stupid to like this film
posted on 15 Dec 2008Worst movies ever: 1.Alexander (with Colin Ferrel) 2.The Postman (with Kevin Costner) 3.Robocop 3 (with... crappy actors) 4.THE KARATE KID (with a pre-pubescent skinny dip stick from Florida and a retarded, hopeless Japanese grandpa) 5.all Childs Play movies and Seed of Chucky 6.etc....that should say it all. A completely terrible film, that will make the weak-minded individuals that love movies endlessly (Germans) kill themselves. I use the DVD case of this movie that i found in a bush as toilet paper, floss, a paper weight, a napkin and a Frisbee. If you like this movie, let me know where you live so that i can kill you.
Wax on, Wax off, Wax on, Wax off...Can't forget that line.
posted on 25 Sep 2008I'm Gonna go ahead and say That The Karate kid should be in the Top 250 of the IMDb, because not only is it a good family movie, there is a moral inside of it that today is quite easy to emulate but is rarely done as well as John. G. Avildsen has done in this film. What is this moral? Being a father. While Daniel Larusso might not have a father, Mr. miyagi becomes the father he never had, and "daniel-san" as Mr. Miyagi calls him, is the son he never had. they bond in that way and it's something that should be done more often in movies.Daniel LaRusso (Played by Ralph Macchio) has left new jersey with his mother to start a new life in the Run down part of what might be Los Angeles, California. Once he is there, he encounters a cute girl (played by Elizabeth Shue) But is quickly bested in a fight for her by Johnny Lawrence, A Black-belt Karate student of one of the most brutal karate teachers of all time (Played by Martin Kove, also known as Ericson from Rambo: First blood part II) After Constant bullying by the Cobra Kai (Johnny's Gang) Daniel turns to Mr. Miyagi (Played by Pat Morita, who has since passed away) for help, and finds not only the skills to earn Johnny's Respect, But a father in the form of an old Okinawan Janitor.This movie defines Good. There is nary a bad thing in it. The soundtrack is great. The fighting Sequences are pretty good, and it's good to tune into AMC to catch this on a late Sunday night.10/10
Too cool!
posted on 16 Sep 2008Actually, this is the story about an old Asian geezer, who takes advantage of a kid, who is a weak nerd. He finds out about the kid's obsession with karate, and then he has the kid do all sorts of house work. The kid gets to wash and wax the old man's cars, for example. But that aside, it's just too cool! You've got your evil karate master, bad boys with bandannas and dirt bikes, an embarrassing mom, a blond California girl with a Muslim boy's name (Ali - I never quite got that... Why isn't she named Heather or Jenna or Amber or something like that? - I thought American girls were supposed to have that kind of names..), and of course... A GREAT soundtrack! Only one more thing to add... VIVA LA eighties! Watch this movie with a few mates, a large pizza and at least a couple of six packs of beer. Cheers and enjoy!
Essential 80's classic, that everyone must see, it's a great feel good movie, with superb performances from everyone!
posted on 29 Aug 2008This is an essential 80's classic, that everyone must see, it's a great feel good movie, with superb performances from everyone!. All the characters are fantastic, and the story is wonderful, plus Ralph Macchio,Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue are all simply amazing in this. Macchio had fantastic chemistry with both Morita and Shue, and I thought William Zabka was fantastic as the dick, plus the fight scenes were not too bad either. I felt for Daniel in a lot of scenes, especially the beach scene at the beginning, and when his mom's car breaks down in front of Ali's parents, plus we all know it's predictable, but it's still a fantastic film, and the ending left me with a big smile on my face. You will most likely find yourself rooting for Daniel, and I was really impressed with the training scenes as they were quite unique, plus it's extremely well made and written as well!. This should be higher then 6.6 and it sends a strong message as well, plus like Avildsen's film Rocky (while not as good as Rocky), Karate Kid deserves it's status as a classic!. This is an essential 80's classic, that everyone must see, it's a great feel good movie, with superb performances from everyone, and I say go see it immediately!. The Direction is fantastic!. John G. Avildsen does a fantastic job here with excellent camera work, good angles and lots of other neat shots as well, plus he kept the film at an extremely fast pace. The Acting is superb!. Ralph Macchio is amazing here as the kid, I really felt for him, and cheered him on to get back at the bullies, he was also extremely likable, mature, had fantastic chemistry with Morita and Shue, really liked his technique, and this is the role he will be remembered for and rightfully so, it's just too bad his career never took off like it should have. Pat Morita is also amazing here as the teacher, he was fascinating to watch, funny had a great technique, was extremely likable, and had a great natural relationship with Macchio, I loved him! (Morita Ruled!!). Elisabeth Shue is stunningly gorgeous, and is amazing here in her major film debut, she was extremely likable, had fantastic chemistry with Macchio, is irresistible, and had a lot of spunk! (Shue Rules!!!!!!!). William Zabka is fantastic as the dick bully, you will hate him, although he did do a cool thing at the end. Martin Kove is very good as Johnny's Sensei, and was quite intense I dug him. Randee Heller is good as the mom, I liked her. Rest of the cast do fine. Overall go see it immediately!. ***** out of 5
It's not all about the Karate
posted on 07 May 2008Ralph Macchio is cast as Daniel Larusso, a kid who has to move where his mother job takes them; and he soon discovers that fitting in at his new school is going to be an up hill struggle.Pat Morita is cast as Mr. Miyagi, the general handyman for the living quarters Daniel and his mother now occupy. When Mr. Miyagi decides to help young Daniel to face up to his tormentors, we are given a lesson in the spiritual and physical power of Karate, and more importantly its place in young Daniel's every day life.The Karate Kid entertains quite easily, it never becomes too complex for its own good and it does have some decent fight scenes that keep the story flowing well.Overall its a little bit too sentimental and sometimes a bit laughable, but delivers the story well and its a fun film.7/10
Heartwarming "Formula" Teen Drama
posted on 22 Apr 2008Director John Avildsen (of the "Rocky" fame) applies his "root-for-the-underdog" formula to this teenage drama, resulting in a heartwarming, satisfying family fare. Ralph Maccio (at 22 still convincing as a mid-teen) plays the "kid" who is tormented by bullies, until an elderly Karate master (effectively portrayed by Pat Morita) teaches the boy the spiritual and physical disciplines of Karate. The predictable outcome is nonetheless uplifting and gives the audience (especially children) the message that good will triumph over evil.The relationship between the "kid" and his "teacher" is a high point of this film. Seen as a surrogate father-son team, the leads' interaction is a delight to view. This is one of the best films of its kind. I highly recommend this film as an alternative to other, much more violent "entertainment" that seems to dominate Hollywood lately.
Classical movie
posted on 19 Apr 2008This movie is fantastic. And what makes a movie fantastic? I think I seen this at least 80 times and still like it. That is special. Normally I only see a film one or possibly two times but this is no ordinary movie. When I was young (younger) i could watch it 3 times on one day if I was ill and home from school. The other movies are also good but the original is the best. It combines a little action with a little wisedom and also some romance. It contains everything. It also gives hope to young students who get bullied in school or feels lonely and lost. We all should have a Mr Miyagi in our lives.... Rest in Peace Pat.
Good lesson about Karate.
posted on 13 Apr 2008This movie is about a teenage boy moving to California from New Jersey. When the boy named Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) arrives, befriends Ali Mills (Elizabeth Shue), and becomes enemies with Johnny Lawrence who is the ex-boyfriend of Ali. Johnny happens to be a black belt in karate. Throughout the movie, Daniel gets beat up several times, by Johnny and his friends who also train in the same dojo Cobra Kai that he does. A Japanese handy-man named Mr. Miyagi knows about these issues, and teaches Daniel that karate is really about self-respect. The duo also learn that the reason why those boys are so violent, is because that is how their sensei John Krease (Martin Kove) is teaching them to be. Overall I enjoyed this movie.
Ralph Macchio may have been the Karate Kid, but this film belongs to William Zabka
posted on 25 Feb 2008Ralph Macchio may have been the Karate Kid, but this film belongs to William Zabka and it's such a shame he's not making bigger movies even though he is still acting. He was brilliant as Johnny and even though he was the bully you couldn't help but like him and I had the biggest crush on him growing up and I was only 7 when I saw this at the movies and watched all his movies until Shootfighter and of course when he was on the Equalizer and he was quiet for a while until High Voltage and Python were released in Australia as not all his movies are released here.He put so much heart and soul into his performance as Johnny and it was a shame that he was typecast as the bully in his other films but then again, he was the best actor in Back to School.Elisabeth Shue gave an honest and real performance as Ali but was relogated to the role of girlfriend in her other films until Leaving Las Vegas when again she showcased her wonderful acting ability and Pat Morita was brilliant as Miyagi. It's a shame that the sequel didn't focus more on the Cobra Kais and Ali as after the opening of the 2nd one the movie fell apart from then on.When Karate Kid 3 was released all I knew then was that Kreese was after revenge and it would have been great if the original Cobra Kais made an appearance other than the arcive footage as the first Karate Kid worked so well when they were on screen that when they weren't the film got a little boring. Of course Ralph's character in the beginning wasn't a expert on karate and of course the underdog has to win the tournament and the girl but I didn't like his character as he lies to his potential new friends and his sometimes treatment of Ali made you want the Cobra Kais to win, but of course in movie land this isn't possible. It's hard to believe this movie is almost 20 years old. It hasn't dated funnily enough and is always showing on cable. Teen movies are sure a lot different today than what they were in the 80s. It seems every decade the new generation of teens latch onto those 80s movies and even though the fashion etc are questionable, some of the best movies were from the 1980s and this is certainly one of them.
The 'old one' taught him the secret to karate lies in the mind and heart. Not in the fist!
posted on 05 Jan 2008Having a man teach you a valuable art such as that of Karate, is invaluable especially if you are young, inexperienced and in a battle with people who you have no hope against. However viewers of the 'Karate Kid' get to learn a valuable lesson for life out of this story, that fighting is a waste of time, and with time and patience anything can be achieved. In addition viewers get to hear the cute pronunciation of `Daniel-san' by the great teacher!Fatherless teenager Daniel is a new arrival in Los Angeles when he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobras, a menacing group of Karate students. Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi, whom is a martial arts master, to teach him how to fight. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is mastery over the self - mind and body - and that violence is always the last answer to a problem. Under Miyagi's guidance, Daniel learns the physical skills while gaining faith and the self-confidence to compete against the odds as he faces the fight of his life in the exciting finale.I remember watching this film along time ago, but boy was it a thrill. Sure it didn't have 'big stars' or big action in it. One thing it did have was 'heart'. The character of Daniel was one person that typifies this. At no stage does this teenage loner from New Jersey ever give up, when at times that might have been the best thing for him to do. I feel that this story and character for that matter, is how we need to approach our own lives, because if you keep putting in the hard yards and stand-up for what you believe in, things will soon turn around.The stars of this movie are not bad. Firstly main star Ralph Macchio was excellent as Daniel. I felt he brought the struggling teenage character to the screen perfectly. He is a very naïve and inexperienced young man, yet with time and patience he makes what was a terrible situation seem nothing big at all. I enjoyed Macchio in other movies including 'The three wishes of Billy Greer', a movie which again suited this tough actor, about a young man who is dying from premature aging, in addition to movies such as 'The last POW? The Bobby Garwood Story'. I cannot praise Macchio any higher.Other stars are just as worthy. Pat Morita was wonderful as the wise and what I feel was the humorous `Miyagi'. His role was just as good as his counterpart Macchio, yet it was also very different. Miyagi is one person that does not like the spotlight, yet when his young friend is placed in a very precarious position in his new home town, he steps in and shows what a great Karate man he really is. Then you have the other side of this story, which of course has to have a girl in it, with Daniel striking up a relationship with the popular Ali Mills. Actress Elizabeth Shue, who has also had a somewhat 'celebrated' career, played Ali. She has starred in films such as the controversial 'Leaving Los Vegas', 'Back to the future II' and 'III' and the 1988 hit 'Cocktail'. Though there are times that you expect Daniel to never make it with Ali, in the end he does have a faithful person outside of Miyagi.The bad guys are not bad in this film either, with that part of the cast including Martin Kove as the arrogant Karate Teacher John Kreese, who will stop at nothing to see the end of the fairytale of LaRusso and Miyagi. His main student and the person who wants Daniel's blood the most is Johnny Lawrence played by William Zabka, and although he has not go on to big and better roles, his bad guy role was enjoyable in the Karate Kid. I did read in one review on IMDb where a person claimed that the bad guys were not given enough of their own treatment. However I disagree, considering the bullying and beatings that Daniel receives, I feel that Daniel and Miyagi teach the 'Cobras' a lesson. Sure we don't get to see Kreese get what he deserves, but if you have not seen the second Karate Kid, then you will get to see what awaits this cruel and relentless individual.The Karate lessons and fighting sequences in this film are incredible. I guess like Daniel, most of the fans of this film would assume that Daniel is not learning anything, yet being Miyagi's personal slave. However we get to see how intelligent this old Okinawa man is, through all of his work for Daniel he teaches him some very basic and vital Karate moves. I love the attitude that this movie brings to everyone, that fighting is the last option for any situation, whether it is verbal or physical. I think this is so true, as fighting gets people nowhere. It just makes life bad for both parties, again this movie shows this to be so true.In conclusion, the Karate Kid is a truly great film, but perhaps I am showing what era that I grew up in? I cannot say that I totally agree with Karate, as it is a very Chinese practice, but if it is based around what Miyagi teaches, that is for self-defence, and then it might be ok. I am sure many moviegoers will never forget the finale to this movie, because I am sure I never will. The sequels which follow slowly start to lose there appeal with this story, but not to matter, if you are looking for a story which shows you that giving up is not really an option, then see what is so special about this story of a courageous Karate student and his clever teacher!CMRS gives 'The Karate Kid': 5 (Brilliant Film)
Classic story of the underdog
posted on 02 Jan 2008The Karate Kid is one the movies that I recall from the movies that made me want to learn Tae Kwon Do. I recently watched the film again and don't really see it as a martial arts movie but more of the underdog story a movie genre that we all movie. Ralph was in top form as was Pat Morita. The film has humor, heart and some decent fight sequences. All in all classic movie.
Things aren't always what they appear
posted on 09 Dec 2007Daniel and his family have just moved to America. When he goes to school, he is constantly bullied by a black-belt karate student. Then, "The Old One" a.k.a. Myagi, who says he can train Daniel. However, his lessons are very unusual. For example, Daniel is reduced to painting fences and waxing cars. These lessons are not what they appear to be, but instead, they teach young Daniel how to defend himself.This movie is also not what it appears to be. To quote Roger Ebert: "I took one look at the title and figured it was either (a) a sequel to Toenails of Vengeance, or (b) an adventure pitting Ricky Schroder against the Megaloth Man. I was completely wrong. THE KARATE KID was one of the nice surprises of 1984 -- an exciting, sweet-tempered, heart-warming story with one of the most interesting friendships in a long time."Like Roger Ebert said, "The Karate Kid" is not an average kung-fu movie. No. It's a drama that starts out like another clichéd high school movie, but adopts a message and drama. After Daniel finds the meaning behind his training, the movie starts to head into a drama.After Daniel learns the meaning of his lessons, the film gets dramatic. He learns that things aren't what they seem to be, and that karate is for self-defense; not fighting.I remember having to watch this film for "P.A.C.E.," which was a program to help me remember and do better in school and crap like that. They had a lot of weird lessons and only made me watch "The Karate Kid" to teach me that things aren't always what they seem.The main flaws in "Karate kid" are that the bathroom scene was too unrealistic and that there was a lot of swearing that might offend the younger ones. But, it was a good movie with enough heart, along with a moral.It appears as a crappy, clichéd kung-fu movie, but ends up looking like a great drama.Feel free to send me a Private Message regarding this comment.
Classic martial arts movie with the intimate Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio
posted on 21 Aug 2009A teenage named Daniel(Ralph Macchio) aware that Karate is his salvation, he battles an evil nemesis, facing a violent young group trained by a Karate expert(Martin Kove) . A Japanese handyman named Miyagi(Noriyuki,Pat Morita) teaches him martial arts and combat in a Karate contest. Meanwhile, Daniel falls in love beautiful young girl(Elizabeth Shue).This agreeable movie, a sort of junior version of 'Rocky', develops a sincere and deep friendship among two protagonists, the rockie young boy and the wise old man. Using more than his fists, Daniel learns about himself and the sense of life. Sympathetic and likable acting by main actors: Macchio and Morita. Furthermore, appear as secondaries, Larry Drake, Chad McQueen, Larry B Scott and Martin Kove. The film contains adequate cinematography and long-standing score , though with excessive disco-music, by Bill Conti, usual of trilogy. The picture is well directed by John G Avildsen. Since then , Avildsen has mixed more karate Kid and Rocky films with such feel-good message films as ¨Power of one, Lean on me¨ and again Rocky V. It's followed by three sequels,Karate Kid II(1986) where the protagonists travel to Okinawa, Part III(1989) where Daniel again battling nasties enemies. And 'The next karate Kid'(1994)by Christopher Cain which introduces a new kid , girl, with the two times Oscarized Hilary Swank. Rating: Enjoyable film for its close characters, well worth watching.