The Karate Kid
1 Oscar Nominations·National Film Registry
Rent/Purchase
New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
What critics thought
Critics at the time were warmer than their middling aggregate scores suggest — Roger Ebert called it one of the year's best — but the real critical story is how the film's reputation has grown with time. What struck many original reviewers as a formulaic inspirational sports picture now reads, to retrospective eyes, as a carefully crafted film rich in character detail. The performances of Morita and Macchio, and particularly their chemistry, are the most consistently praised element across both contemporary and later writing.
“The 1984 original ... may have seemed like a standard-issue inspirational sports picture at the time, but (as with another box-office hit of the same year, The Terminator), a generation of remove reveals what a well-crafted movie it actually was. Rewatched today, the original Kid, directed by Rocky's John G. Avildsen, feels smart and fresh, with a wealth of small character details and a leisurely middle section that explores the boy's developing respect for his teacher.”
Dana Stevens·Slate
Genres
Action, Drama, Family
Cast & Crew
DirectorJohn G. Avildsen
StarringRalph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, William Zabka, Martin Kove
ComposerBill Conti
The Karate Kid
1 Oscar Nominations·National Film Registry
New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
What critics thought
Critics at the time were warmer than their middling aggregate scores suggest — Roger Ebert called it one of the year's best — but the real critical story is how the film's reputation has grown with time. What struck many original reviewers as a formulaic inspirational sports picture now reads, to retrospective eyes, as a carefully crafted film rich in character detail. The performances of Morita and Macchio, and particularly their chemistry, are the most consistently praised element across both contemporary and later writing.
“The 1984 original ... may have seemed like a standard-issue inspirational sports picture at the time, but (as with another box-office hit of the same year, The Terminator), a generation of remove reveals what a well-crafted movie it actually was. Rewatched today, the original Kid, directed by Rocky's John G. Avildsen, feels smart and fresh, with a wealth of small character details and a leisurely middle section that explores the boy's developing respect for his teacher.”
Dana Stevens·Slate
Genres
Action, Drama, Family
Cast & Crew
DirectorJohn G. Avildsen
StarringRalph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, William Zabka, Martin Kove
ComposerBill Conti
Rent/Purchase