In John G. Avildsen's THE KARATE KID, Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and his mother (Randee Heller) move from New Jersey to Southern California, where he's not too keen about his new home--until he meets Ali (Elizabeth Shue), an attractive girl who seems to like him. But trouble looms when Ali's ex-boyfriend (William Zabka) and his gang of ruffians start tormenting Daniel. One day, as Daniel is suffering a beating at the hands of these louts, Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita), an elderly Japanese handyman, comes to his rescue. To Daniel's amazement, Miyagi manages to take down the whole group all by himself using karate. Daniel begs to learn this ancient martial art, and soon Miyagi begins the boy's training, teaching Daniel that there is more to karate than fighting. Through a series of lessons, the wise mentor instills a sense of honor and nobility in his young pupil while preparing him for the ultimate karate showdown. However, as Daniel studies the discipline and art of karate, his enemies are learning a dirtier kind of fighting from Kreese (Martin Kove), a cold-blooded ex-marine. Ultimately, the boys will fight to the finish in the All Valley Karate Championship in a rousing and triumphant finale. Morita is a gem as the elderly father figure Miyagi, giving the character warmth, wisdom, and comic charm. Macchio's underdog character inspired an entire generation to run out and join the nearest karate school while chanting "wax on, wax off."
(17 votes)
2.
A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth. Daniel arrives in Los Angeles from the east coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However, he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobras, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali, the Cobra leader's ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend, but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi, whom he learns is a master of the martial arts, to teach him karate. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is a mastery over the self - mind and body - and that fighting is always the last answer to a problem. Under Miyagi's guidance, Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremedous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale to this entertaining film.
(16 votes)
3.
From Academy Award®-winning director (1976, Rocky) John G. Avildsen comes the highly entertaining, coming-of-age classic that will leave you cheering! Starring Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki "Pat" Morita in his Academy Award®-nominated performance (Best Supporting Actor, 1984) as Mr. Miyagi. There is more to karate than fighting. This is the lesson that Daniel (Macchio), a San Fernando Valley teenager, is about to learn from a most unexpected teach: Mr. Miyagi (Morita) an elderly handyman who also happens to be a master of the martial arts. So when he rescues Daniel from the Cobra Kai, a vicious gang of karate school bullies, Miyagi instills in his young friend the importance of honor and confidence as well as skills in self-defense, vital lessons that will be called into play when a hopelessly outclassed Daniel faces Johnny, the sadistic leader of the Cobra Kai, in a no-holds barred karate tournament for the championship of the Valley.
(16 votes)
4.
The Karate Kid was a hugely popular 1984 drama by John G Avildsen who had also directed the original fighting classic Rocky. The new kid in town (Ralph Macchio), targeted by karate-kicking bullies, gets himself a mentor in the form of the Japanese handyman (Pat Morita) from his apartment building. The mentor teaches him self-confidence, fighting skills and the art of karate. The screen partnership of Macchio's motor-mouth character and Morita's reserved father figure works well and the script allows for the younger man to develop sympathy for the painful memories of his teacher. But the film's real engine is the fighting, and there's plenty of that. The film went on to breed many Karate Kid wannabes in the mid-80s.
Literally picking up about five minutes after the conclusion of the original, the 1986 sequel The Karate Kid 2 sends Ralph Macchio's and Pat Morita's characters to the latter's home turf in Japan, where the older man is confronted by an old rival, and Macchio's newly confident fighter gets a tougher challenge than the punks back home. Sillier than its predecessor, this follow-up at least has some distracting soap opera elements as Morita comes to terms with an old flame, while Macchio woos a lovely local girl. Ironically, it's the action that evokes laughter, particularly a climactic fight that gets over the top quickly. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
In a vain effort not to let a good thing die, director John G Avildsen attempted once more to revive the action and popularity of the original Karate Kid with the 1989 adventure, the third and final instalment. More silly and absurd than either of its predecessors Karate Kid 3 marked the final outing for the "Kid" Macchio (who was now 27) and his mentor, as the youth audience of the day moved away from the desire to be Karate Kids and toward the need to be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles instead. --Nikki Disney
(16 votes)
5.
John G. Avildsen not only directed Rocky, he tried remaking it over the years in a dozen different ways. One of them was this popular 1984 drama about a new kid (Ralph Macchio) in town targeted by karate-wielding bullies until he gets a new mentor: the handyman (Pat Morita) from his apartment building, who teaches him self-confidence and fighting skills. The screen partnership of Macchio's motor-mouth character and Morita's reserved father figure works well, and the script allows for the younger man to develop sympathy for the painful memories of his teacher. But the film's real engine, as with Rocky, is the fighting, and there's plenty of that. Elisabeth Shue is on board as the girl the klutzy Macchio dreams of winning. --Tom Keogh
(15 votes)
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