Viewed in
2009
Premise
Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel-san how to wax on, wax off. Just kidding. A teenage boy, bullied by the Cobra Kai gang, learns karate the right way from his handyman neighbor.
Who should watch
Those who like underdog sports movies.
Thoughts
After nearly two decades of "You still haven't seen 'Karate Kid'?!" from friends and strangers, I finally watched it, and was not disappointed.
The best part was its charming cast and characters. Ralph Macchio was perfectly wimpy, yet lovable. Elizabeth Shue was a babe (funny how little did I know about just how important she was in the 1980's). The Cobra Kai's were as despicable as Bill Simmons hyped them up to be. Lastly, there was the late, great Pat Morita's performance, whose broken English actually reminded me more of a Yoda-ripoff than Asian stereotype. I was surprised that the dynamics between the characters were genuine, instead of 1980's cheesy.
Music in the film was typical 1980's, as it blared a pop artist song at every possible moment. While it was annoying, it added to the charm, along with the outdated clothes.
I would say the weakest part was the formulaic plot; it was basically a teenage version of 'Rocky'. In fact, they even borrowed Bill Conti to do the score. Despite the overall story being typical, there were actually lots of cool, memorable, and insightful scenes (sprinkled with a few unintentionally funny moments).
This definitely belongs in the pantheon of great sports movies, though it is far behind the one and only 'Rocky'.
Obviously, it has been a shame that I never watched this classic until now. I was impressed that I still enjoyed it after all that hype. Now, I can finally put all the famous lines/moments in context, such as 'Wax on, wax off', Joe Esposito's 'You're the Best', and 'Put him in a body bag, YEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHH!'. Most likely, had I watched it as a kid, I would have loved it.
I consider this a quintessential film of the 1980's, thanks its charm and quality. Some films you know instantly are infinitely re-watchable, and this is one.
What I would change
Nothing.
Random
In credits, they thank DC Comics for the use of the name, 'Karate Kid'. According to IMDB.com, it was because there was a superhero by that name, and they needed the permission. For a while, I thought it was because it was based off a comic book.
