Review of The Karate Kid (1984) by Dylan D — 27 Nov 2014

The Karate Kid might not be a perfect movie in the traditional sense; it's certainly not The Godfather, but it's an exceptional picture in its own right and in the realm in which it operates. It's up there with the very best underdog/inspirational movies of all time, and the picture's finely-tuned script that's far deeper than the shallow, cliché-ridden, and utterly predictable material that superficially plays out through the 120-some minute runtime would seem to let on works in large part thanks to Pat Morita's Oscar-nominated performance which is, quite simply, one of the most seamless and, arguably, perfect performances ever to grace the screen.

Like any good 80s movie worth its salt, The Karate Kid is also infinitely quotable, holds a high replay value, sports a wonderfully dated but still toe-tapping good-time of a soundtrack, and delivers a not-so-subtle series of life truisms underneath the the karate lessons and character traits.

Nostalgic yes but still holding up today in every facet, The Karate Kid is classic cinema and a perfect glimpse into what a large chunk of 80s filmmaking was all about.