Review of The Karate Kid (1984) by Chip M — 05 Jul 2011

THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Wax on, wax off. Wax on, wax off.

I had caught The Karate Kid on TV a few times in the past, but I'm one of those guys who has a harder time watching movies (particularly those I haven't seen before) when they're on TV, mainly because of the commercial breaks. So even with the parts I saw, I never got the full gist of the movie. However, I always figured this was a classic (I could tell from what I did watch), and when I heard about the remake I was a pretty angry customer (I haven't seen it yet, but I heard it actually isn't that bad). I decided to purchase this on DVD, and BOY is this a good movie. No, it's a GREAT movie.

I don't know where to begin. First of all, I have to praise the acting. Everybody in this movie does a great job. Ralph Macchio (who was actually about 23 when he starred in this film) looks and acts like a 16-year-old, and he does a phenomenal job. In all honesty, I think his performance was Oscar-worthy. His performance is completely natural and not forced, and you feel like you know this guy the moment you see him. What I like about the character is that he's not really complete wimp, but he has a lot of charm and charisma, and he's not afraid to stand up to the Cobra Kai. Speaking of the Cobra Kai, I HATE these guys, and I don't mean that lightly. Even Scar in The Lion King doesn't piss me of as much as these guys do; I have to credit the actors, because I'm sure those guys were nothing like that in real life, so they were great as well. Whoever it is who plays Daniel's mother is perfect; not only does she look like Macchio but she has the same charisma and charm. Elisabeth Shue plays her part very well, and she's by far one of the coolest, most likeable girlfriends in movies. Last but not least is the late Pat Morita's legendary performance as Mr. Miyagi. I haven't seen the remake, but there's NO way Jackie Chan could top (or even equal) this. Miyagi reminds me a lot of Yoda; he has ths mystical, zen-like presence. And the voice Morita used was actually not even his real speaking voice!

The story, obviously, is a typical underdog story. You know from the start of the film that Daniel is going to face Draco Malfoy (I mean Johnny) at the championship match, but the real journey is seeing how they get there. This film connects with me on a personal level, because even though I was (thankfully) never bullied to the extent that Daniel was bullied, I've had to deal with jerks before. The audience feels Daniel's pain after seeing him get shoved around by the Cobra Kai so many times, so much so that we want him to get them back. If there's anything this movie does, it makes you FEEL. This movie has a TREMENDOUS heart, and the foundation of that is the relationship that develops between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi (who has also experienced a lot of pain in his life). What we get is a VERY strong father-son bond, one that developed between the actors as well as the characters. Another thing I must say is that the relationship between Daniel and Alli is so sweet; it's not forced and not about sex, and it doesn't slow the film down. It feels real and natural. I don't know if these two ever dated in real life, but it seems like they would've made a great couple.

Now, this review wouldn't be complete without me mentioning the tournament. Everything about it is great, from the camera work to the crowd; the whole atmosphere is very realistic. It's full of ups and downs, and it's so great seeing Daniel's training pay off. I must say that the final fight in this film between Daniel and Johnny is EASILY one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. Everything, from Bill Conti's score to the intensity of the crowd and the fight makes it such a great scene. Seeing Daniel come back to have the match after he was nearly out for good was such an inspiring moment. What's great about the final fight is that you really don't KNOW if Daniel is going to win (Rocky lost his first fight). When he raises his knee to do the crane kick, I get CHILLS. The look on Macchio's face, the Cobra Kai jeering at him, the crowd cheering and jeering, Miyagi muttering under his breath, and KAPOW! It nearly brings tears of joy to my eyes.

The Karate Kid is not the kid version of Rocky, it's easily on the same caliber. As a matter of fact, I think it's better. It's my favorite sports movie of all time, and even though it has some slight 80s cheese, none of it makes the film even the least bit dated.

If you haven't seen the movie, definitely watch it. It is definitely one of the most inspiring movies I have ever seen.