Derek Winnert

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The Karate Kid **** (1984, Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove) – Classic Movie Review 3842

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Ralph Macchio stars as The Karate Kid, wide-eyed New Jersey Italian teenager Daniel LaRusso who becomes more macho when his elderly apartment block janitor/ gardener Kesuke Miyagi (Oscar-nominated Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita) teaches him karate to give the California blond surfer bullies a lesson.

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Director John G Avildsen’s 1984 sleeper of a film became a huge hit in the States. It grossed $90 million on an $8 million cost. That’s because it is a quintessential American fable, a sort of youth club version of Rocky. And, interestingly, Avildsen directed both films. As time goes by, The Karate Kid has become an Eighties iconic movie.

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Its success is solidly based on Robert Mark Kamen’s strong, punchy but sentimental screenplay and the two knockout star performances. A word of warning though, cynics might need to beware this manipulatively schmaltzy feel-good movie. But if you are looking for an uplifting David vs Goliath story, here it is.

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Also in the cast are Elisabeth Shue as Ali, Martin L Kove as Kreese, Randee Heller, William Zabka, Chad McQueen, Ron Thomas, Rob Garrison, Tony O’Dell, Israel Juarbe, William Bassett, Larry B Scott, Juli Fields, Dana Andersen and Larry Drake.

The Karate Kid is directed by John G Avildsen, runs 126 minutes, is made by Delphi II, is released by Columbia Pictures, is written by Robert Mark Kamen, is shot by James Crabe, is produced by R J Louis and Jerry Weintraub, is scored by Bill Conti and is designed by William J Cassidy.

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Its 1984 original UK theatrical release was cut by 19 seconds by the BBFC for a PG certificate. Later video releases were uncut with a 15 certificate. A cleaned-up TV version plays on British TV, edited for drugs and violence.

Two sequels followed – The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989).

Ralph George Macchio was born on 4 November 1961. So the ‘Kid’ was 27 by the time Part III was done in 1989. He played Daniel LaRusso again in the TV series Cobra Kai (2017).

Director John G Avildsen, writer Robert Mark Kamen, producer Jerry Weintraub and composer Bill Conti all stayed with the whole trilogy.

Then there was a TV series in 1989 and The Next Karate Kid followed in 1994 without Macchio. It was remade as The Karate Kid in 2010 with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.

The film was producer Jerry Weintraub’s idea after a 1983 news report about a bullied scrawny teenager who became a martial artist to fight back.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3842

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

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