THE KARATE KID at HOLLYWOOD TEEN MOVIES

"The Karate Kid", the teen version of "Rocky" was the surprise box-office hit of 1984. It is a heart-warming story about a fatherless New Jersey kid, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) & the problems he encounters when he moves to L.A. with his mother. Being the new kid in town, Daniel is bullied by a gang of tough students from the local karate school. Daniel falls for pretty Californian girl Ali, (Elisabeth Shue) & his problems escalate when he discovers that she is the former girlfriend of the local karate champion.

Daniel befriends a Japanese handy-man, Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita who played Arnold on Happy Days) who is the janitor at his apartment block. He is later trained by him & taught the ancient art of kung fu & eastern philosophy which he uses to overcome the bullies.

It is a sensitive story of friendship between an old man who has lost his son & a young teen who has lost his father. Mr. Miyagi's karate teachings are unusual (Daniel is asked to wash cars & paint fences) & Daniel is at first confused but eventually realises that there is method in Mr. Miyagi's system of training.

The appeal of the film lies in the philosophies it projects, winning is not important & kung fu fighting should only be used in self defense. As Mr. Miyagi points out to Daniel, we learn martial arts not so we can fight, but rather, so we won't have to fight.

"The Karate Kid" is irresistible from start to finish with likeable performances from the entire cast. Pat Morita got his dream role playing the wise Mr. Miyagi & was nominated for an Academy Award for his brilliant portrayal. Elisabeth Shue is wonderful as Daniel's love interest & Ralph Macchio is charismatic in the title role. The exciting climatic karate tournament, complemented by the dynamic music score, is only one of the many highlights in this remarkable motion picture.

I originally saw "The Karate Kid" on the big screen in 1984 & have since watched it a number of times. I was recently surfing the cable T.V. channels & it just happened to be on. After watching only 2 minutes it had me hooked. It is the sort of film you can watch over & over again & it is just as entertaining everytime.

"The Kartate Kid" is old-fashioned entertainment at its best. It was not only one of the best motion pictures released in 1984, but is considered by many to be one of most entertaining films of all-time. John G. Avildsen the director of the original "Rocky" has triumphantly brought to the screen another crowd-pleasing classic.

The Karate Kid [Blu-ray](1984)
Inspiring underdog tale from "Rocky" director John Avildsen stars Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, a New Jersey teen who moves to L.A. and runs afoul of a bullying bunch of karate students. Learning how to defend himself from handyman/martial arts master Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita), Daniel enters a dangerous tournament in order to even the score. With Elisabeth Shue, William Zabka, Randee Heller, and Martin Kove. 127 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio, French DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio, Portuguese DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Portuguese, Spanish; audio commentary; featurettes.
The Karate Kid Part II [Blu-ray](1986)
Smash hit sequel continues the adventures of Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and his mentor Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita). This time, the duo travels to Miyagi's native Okinawa where the teacher must face an old enemy while the pupil finds himself squaring off against a new one. Tamlyn Tomita, Danny Kamekona, Yuji Okumoto co-star. 113 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio, French DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio, Portuguese DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Spanish, Portuguese; featurette.
The Karate Kid I & II Collector's Edition [Blu-ray]
Two-disc set includes "The Karate Kid" (1984) and "The Karate Kid Part II."
The Karate Kid [Blu-ray](2010)
Loose remake of the 1984 classic follows 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) from Detroit to Beijing, where his mother is starting a new job. But when Dre's crush on a young violin prodigy causes him to clash with a local martial arts student, he turns to eccentric maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) to teach him the ancient art of kung fu so he can face off against his rival in an upcoming tournament. Taraji P. Henson, Zhenwei Wang co-star. 141 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio, DVS Dolby Digital 5.1, French DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio; Subtitles: English (SDH), French; alternate ending; featurettes; "making of" documentary; music video.
Jackie Chan And The Karate Kids [DVD] DVD
The combatants are small, but they pack grownup-sized punches! Three "Young Dragons: Kung Fu Kids" (1987) come to the big city and cause chaos when they have trouble coping with culture shock. Funny Chinese martial arts opus stars Paul Chang, Chong Rong Chen, John Haau-Foo. A trio of youths becomes the toast of the town with their thrilling stunts and the prize in a whirling hand-to-hand battle between the grandfather who trained them and their grandmother, a magical martial master, in "Young Dragons: Kung Fu Kids 2" (1987). Chen Shun Yun, Yen Chin Kwok star. And three "Incredible Karate Kids" (1988) get into all sorts of misadventures saving a pretty girl from mobsters. A great mix of martial arts and comedy! AKA: "The 5 Kung Fu Kids." Tw
The Karate Kid Part III [DVD](1989) DVD
The saga's rousing third entry finds the friendship of Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) put to the test thanks to an unprincipled karate instructor (Thomas Ian Griffith) who lures the Kid into a match against a deadly opponent. Robyn Lively, Sean Kanan, Randee Heller, and Martin Kove also star. 113 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround, Portuguese Dolby Digital stereo, Spanish Dolby Digital stereo, French Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English, Chinese, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai.
The Karate Kid Collection [DVD] DVD
Three-disc set includes "The Karate Kid" (1984), "The Karate Kid Part II," "The Karate Kid Part III," and "The Next Karate Kid."