The Karate Kid (1984)

The Karocky Kid.

The Karate Kid is directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita (Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and Elisabeth Shue.

Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) moves with his mother (Randee Heller) from Newark, New Jersey to Reseda, a neighbourhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Pretty much from the off Daniel finds he doesn't belong and quickly incurs the wrath of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) who is the ex-boyfriend of the only person Daniel has connected with; Ali Mills (Shue). Not good since Johnny is an ace karate student from the Cobra Kai dojo, a place where the students are taught winning is everything by tough ex-forces sensei, John Kreese (Martin Kove). But salvation and a stop to the beatings at the hands of Lawrence and his bully loving friends may come in the form of the quirky but kind handyman at the apartment complex; Mr. Miyagi (Morita).

In 1976 John G. Avildsen had directed one of the most loved of all the underdog comes good movies, Rocky. Fast forward to 1984 and we find Avildsen treading on the same turf, only for a younger audience. What was to follow would be a monster hit movie (it made over $90 million domestically alone), that spawned three sequels, a remake, pop culture bonanza and more telling; got karate back in the headlines some 11 years after the tragic death of Bruce Lee. Its appeal is not hard to fathom, geeky young guy gets beat up on by some suspiciously Aryan bully types, forms a wonderful and warm friendship with sage old Chinaman, becomes a karate hero after being tutored in an unorthodox manner by kindly Chinaman, then kicks Aryan dudes butt. What's not to like there? Hell us young men even had the all American cutie pie looks of Shue (she was 21 at the time and Macchio 23) to admire as we joined Daniel in chopping, kicking and falling on our asses as we tried the famous "Crane Kick". Sure some of it looks creaky now, but it's creakiness with an 80s charm that still engages today. So lets get waxing on and waxing off and relieve the moment when we all cheered at the climax of this simple, yet utterly beguiling movie. 8/10

***Reverent and emotionally potent coming-of-age/sports flick***

A boy (Ralph Macchio) moves with his mother from New Jersey to Los Angeles, but isn’t welcomed by the Cobra Kai gang at school, led by bully Johnny (William Zabka). But Daniel (Macchio) finds a potential girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue) and a ‘golden connection’ with a Japanese American who’s willing to teach him the art of karate (Pat Morita). Everything leads to Daniel facing off with Johnny at a tournament. Martin Kove is on hand as the sensei dripping with villainy.

“The Karate Kid” (1984) is a product of its time, the early/mid 80s, and is unrepentant about it. A long sequence featuring Bananarama’s "Cruel Summer” tells all. Speaking of which, that’s a great school scene.

There’s something about this flick that always moves me; it has heart. It’s about the love of a teenager and his mother; the love of a boy and a girl; and the fatherly love of a harassed new kid on the block and a wise old Asian man. It’s also about facing hefty challenges and learning to overcome them. There’s a reverent quality and the proceedings ring true, except maybe for the campiness of the uber-machismo sensei, although that’s entertaining.

Winsome Shue shines on the female front wherein the movie scores well with several peripheral notables and even Daniel’s warmly spirited mother (Randee Heller).

The film runs 2 hours, 6 minutes and was shot in the Los Angeles area.

GRADE: A-

The start of <em>'The Karate Kid'</em>. Good viewing, this.

I'd be lying if I didn't say I expected more from it, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy it - because I did. Coming into this I had only seen the 2010 remake, therefore I did know what was coming in certain points. Still, the plot is interesting and holds a positive message.

I would say the run time is longer than I would've chosen, I feel they could've shaved a bit off and not have taken so long to get to the karate event itself. It builds up fairly slowly, meaning the opening 40 minutes are less interesting - to me, anyway. The rest is good fun though.

I definitely sensed the <em>'Rocky'</em> influence, particularly in Ralph Macchio's acting. He reminded me of Sylvester Stallone from the aforementioned film, in terms of the acting perhaps not being anything incredible but there being the required amount of likability and glimpses of hidden talent. Macchio (Daniel) is very good here, as is Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi) of course.

Onto the sequels!

**A landmark of the 80's**

I'm not exactly a fan of fighting or martial arts movies. It's usually a type of movie I avoid because I find it boring and tiring. However, I was surrendered to this film, which is surely one of the most famous of the 80s, a film that even today, thirty years later, feels good to review. Perhaps because of this, it is a film that still retains its place on the grid of cinema TV channels.

The script is simple, but quite appealing and full of well-crafted characters worthy of our sympathy. The protagonist is Daniel, a young teenager who has just moved to California and is trying to adapt to a new environment. However, he quickly wins the enmity of an older, wealthier and more violent boy, due to their common interest in the same girl. Forced to learn karate to defend himself, he befriends the janitor of his building, an elderly Japanese man who will teach him everything he needs to know about the martial art.

Ralph Macchio is nice and pleasant in his character, and he does a pleasant job that will earn him fame. In fact, it will become the only major role in the actor's career, who even today plays the same character in video games and series. Elizabeth Shue, for her part, made more intelligent use of the relative success she achieved in her role in this film. Although she doesn't shine, she does what she needs to do well, and that opened the door to a series of other jobs. But it's definitely Pat Morita who steals our attention whenever he's on stage. He is impeccable in the role of the intelligent and sensible Japanese. Through character, the film gives us a vision of peaceful karate, focused on defense and the need to be prepared to never really have to fight. The actor, by the way, was nominated for an Oscar for his performance. The film also features notable appearances by William Zabka and Martin Kove.

With good, elegant cinematography, crisp colors, and good shooting work, it's a film that doesn't feel as dated as other films from this decade. I particularly liked the sets of the Japanese house, with its gardens and magnificent carpentry details, and the classic cars in some scenes. The fight and action scenes look pretty choreographed, but they're still genuine enough not to look bad. The soundtrack, signed by Bill Conti, is truly memorable and a little gem that is generally overlooked, forgotten and overtaken by other more well-known and consecrated scores.