The Karate Kid was a sleeper hit in the summer of 1984 in the USA and Australia. Elsewhere it managed to get traction on the video rental market.
Director John G Avildsen hit Oscar paydirt with Rocky, managed to assemble another underdog story. So much so, 40 years after the release of this movie. The Karate Kid saga continues in the streaming television series Cobra Kai with some of the original actors.
Daniel (Ralph Macchio) is a soccer loving kid who has moved with his mother from New Jersey to Los Angeles. He is not happy, at school he is bullied by Johnny (William Zabka) and his karate loving chums.
All because Daniel got friendly with Ali (Elisabeth Shue.) She is Johnny's ex girlfriend.
Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita) the janitor at Daniel's apartment building agrees to train Daniel in karate. He also manages to get Kreese, the head of Johnny's dojo to call off the bullying. They agree to have it out at a karate tournament where Johnny is the defending champion.
Only Mr Miyagi has an unorthodox way of training. He gets Daniel to do various chores like cleaning cars, painting the fence and sanding the floor. Only Daniel never realises that he is learning basic karate skills.
There is an element of John Hughes teenager movies about the Karate Kid. Daniel is the poor kid with his mum driving a crummy car. Ali comes from a well to do family, her parents like Johnny.
It was noticeable even Johnny and some of his goons were not out and out baddies. Relevant to the story carried over to Cobra Kai.
When it comes to the tournament it is Kreese, an ex Vietnam vet who wants his students to fight dirty. Johnny and a few others are reluctant. It is just Dutch who truly hates Daniel.
It really is a story of friendship between Daniel and Mr Miyagi who teaches the teenager a philosophy of life and the crane karate move. Morita a journeyman actor was Oscar nominated for the role.
The film has an abrupt ending. All the signs that they ran out of money.
Director John G Avildsen hit Oscar paydirt with Rocky, managed to assemble another underdog story. So much so, 40 years after the release of this movie. The Karate Kid saga continues in the streaming television series Cobra Kai with some of the original actors.
Daniel (Ralph Macchio) is a soccer loving kid who has moved with his mother from New Jersey to Los Angeles. He is not happy, at school he is bullied by Johnny (William Zabka) and his karate loving chums.
All because Daniel got friendly with Ali (Elisabeth Shue.) She is Johnny's ex girlfriend.
Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita) the janitor at Daniel's apartment building agrees to train Daniel in karate. He also manages to get Kreese, the head of Johnny's dojo to call off the bullying. They agree to have it out at a karate tournament where Johnny is the defending champion.
Only Mr Miyagi has an unorthodox way of training. He gets Daniel to do various chores like cleaning cars, painting the fence and sanding the floor. Only Daniel never realises that he is learning basic karate skills.
There is an element of John Hughes teenager movies about the Karate Kid. Daniel is the poor kid with his mum driving a crummy car. Ali comes from a well to do family, her parents like Johnny.
It was noticeable even Johnny and some of his goons were not out and out baddies. Relevant to the story carried over to Cobra Kai.
When it comes to the tournament it is Kreese, an ex Vietnam vet who wants his students to fight dirty. Johnny and a few others are reluctant. It is just Dutch who truly hates Daniel.
It really is a story of friendship between Daniel and Mr Miyagi who teaches the teenager a philosophy of life and the crane karate move. Morita a journeyman actor was Oscar nominated for the role.
The film has an abrupt ending. All the signs that they ran out of money.