The Karate Kid

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Kyle M You know the cinematic landscape’s current quality and focus comes to question when seeing an absolute classic amid the picky slate. John G. Avildsen’s 1984 original “The Karate Kid” timelessly poses above today’s mostly apathetic teenage endeavors – before evolving through its acclaimed revival “Cobra Kai” – as it strikes in soulfully evocative resonance with heartened motivation. There is such a sense of purity with teenage reminiscence in the viewing mixture that has not been quite accomplished besides sporadic amusement humorous charm without the energetically instilled depth this film has shown. Its 2010 soft reboot modernized the story amid cultural nativity but memorably does not hold the torch just as bright, perhaps due to what their respective eras signified: youthful 80s and adventurous 10s. Regarding the hype for “Karate Kid: Legends”, whereas both aforementioned stories finally meet, re-evaluating what the original started and what it means critically addresses couple more reasonable weaknesses and admirable strong points. In a familiar narrative route, young teen Daniel LaRusso has to move across the country when his mother scored a job in Southern California for a supposed restart. When not enthusiastic about the beautiful change of scenery, Daniel falls for a different beauty when he catches sight of a girl named Ali. Unfortunately, her psychotic ex-boyfriend Johnny and his goons start bullying the new kid for the brutal fun of it like an easy target. It does not comfort him when he finds out they study karate in a merciless dojo. Fortunes comes when Daniel truly befriend Mr. Miyagi, a friendly, wise and unassuming repairman who sympathizes the kid’s hardship as he decided to take him under his wing just as it so happens he mastered martial arts. Defense is better than offense when the duo goes through a more compassionate teaching of karate that deepens their bond, and Daniel’s scenic adjustment when glancing at class conflict through the girl of his dreams, preparing him to face off his bullies’ dojo in the upcoming tournament. Avildsen’s directorial trademark usually pits the struggling protagonist against sudden and/or prolonging odds in shedding a demonstrative light as an inspirational outreach to overcome challenges, somewhat. This is commonly threaded across his better films, including inferior sequels that maintain those presented ideals. One of his most notable works is “Rocky”, about a boxer pursuing the American Dream in the ring. This film basically translates the Dream’s boxing ring to the vibrant youth’s kumite area with associative wisdom and teenage wholesomeness, further polished by Robert Mark Kamen’s semi-autobiographical screenplay. Avildsen’s light, spirited vision is similarly captured under continuous collaboration with both cinematographer James Crabe and musician Bill Conti, creating a more flourishing impact that enables a better connection to the story’s resonance respectively between beautiful cinematography and classical score. This accumulates when the climatic event boasts an uplifting soundtrack (certain essence vibing the 80s) and cheerfully captivates, even when having already seen the outcome due to the effective buildup. Much of the young cast in the film each gives a career-defining breakthrough performance. Ralph Macchio seemingly replicated Sylvester Stallone’s iconic performance considering how much the story is a differential translation but with a more wondrous edge as he perfectly embodied the narrative essences that distinguish this film, brimming on the layback mindset before the considerable awakening. Elisabeth Shue is equally charming as Ali with a bubbly fierce personality that completes her tender chemistry shared with Macchio with genuine innocence, thus furthering the film’s attributive appeal onto the decade’s slice of life teenage relatability. William Zabka really mustered a harsh demeanor for Johnny that he committed without moral restraints till we start seeing through the cracks of his true self in the climax, which he pulled off proudly. The eventual nuances do not justify the constant harassment that is perceived as overkill till it was too late with no deserving sympathy for most of the violent instigators. Finally, Pat Morita’s humane performance as Mr. Miyagi is iconically one-of-a-kind with gentle conviction inciting wisdom and naturally clever humor, summing up such caliber that should have won him his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The natural charm that resides is a missing ingredient from a number of similar films today; and the underlying purity ranks this as the best of the series. It was followed by questionable writing in the sequels that led its revival “Cobra Kia” to acknowledge and fix, but “The Karate Kid” is a classic in its own right, apart from what its mature equivalent achieved. Not to mention, it seems to have put a lot of earlier martial arts cinematic mimicry to shame with an original, fresh regime courtesy of Morita’s humorous patience and purposeful wisdom. (A-) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/14/25 Full Review Jeffrey M Such a fun movie to watch, even all these years later. The remakes suck, but this is a true gem. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/12/25 Full Review Eye C One of my confort, favorite, foundational and most watched films of my life. Watched in a theater 41 years ago and since then I was bedazzled by it and I never tired to watch it over and over again. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/09/25 Full Review super k A Movie that's a product of it's time, but still is admirable in it's storytelling and character arcs. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita are heart and souls of the movie big time. Rank B Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/20/25 Full Review Edgar O Un clásico, para pasar el rato Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/13/25 Full Review Christian S This movie was magic in 1984 and remains to this day! So well made which means it stood the test of time. A new appreciation can be gained from every rewatch. Storyline is easy but writing, directing, characters, and the actors playing them, make the movie. Thank you Ralph, Billy and Martin. So excellent! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/12/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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