The Karate Kid (1984)

Kate says out of all the movies on this list, The Karate Kid (and Star Wars) are the two where I actually pretended to be the main characters in my childhood role-playing games. That's right! I wanted to be a Jedi and do the crane technique (I didn't want to actually take karate; I just wanted to do the crane technique; I can remember standing in our family playroom, practicing.)

That being said, I remembered almost nothing about the movie except the crane technique. Things came back to me as I watched, such as the shower costume and Daniel sanding the floor, but mostly, the whole movie was a big, fresh surprise.

Speaking of which, I was bemused by how good Ralph Macchio is in the movie. He was a HUGE success at the time, especially as a "teen" heart-throb, and I admit I'd unfairly filed him in the "bad child actors" category of my brain.

But he actually makes the role work. And he's appealing. Not his looks (I outgrew my "pretty boy" phase fairly early anyway; sorry, Leonardo!) but his husky voice and deadpan jokes. I didn't remember the movie being so funny! I got an especially big kick out of the mom with her broken-down station wagon.

Setting aside all the 80's cliches, the plot is quite coherent. It is your classic sports movie, but it has more meat to it than many sports flicks. New kid in town + new girlfriend + new father figure + sports tournament makes for a solid 2 hours. And the girl-boyfriend relationship is refreshingly normal in its progression. (I like how Daniel is a normal, imperfect kid with a bit of charm and a lot of fundamental kindness--though now and again, his 23-year-old mature self shows though; few teenage boys are quite so quick on their feet when it comes to verbal displays of affection) .

So I rather enjoyed seeing this movie "new".

And, boy, don't we all wish we had a Pat Morita in our lives?

Mike says the crane technique may have been the one thing every kid in the 80's had in common. As a kid, I loved this movie! but I'm not sure I entirely understood it. I think I've beat the whole "Wow, this movie is so full of 80's cliche's!" horse just about to death so far on this list, so instead we'll just talk about the film itself.

What I appreciate about this movie the most is that it respects the viewer enough to take its time with the set-up, and it really works to make the premise believable. For instance, Miyagi befriends Daniel long before the whole karate training happens, and already cares for the boy, which is far different from what I remembered as a kid: Miyagi jumping into the fray and saving Daniel right away.

I also like that Miyagi isn't starting from scratch with Daniel. He's a kid with SOME background in Karate already, and he's established as a competent (perhaps even talented) athlete. While we all seem to remember the training and the fights from the film, the tiny moments sometimes get lost: Miyagi drinking and thinking of his family, Daniel running in the shower costume, Miyagi throwing down the challenge for the tournament.

The film also has a strong moral of the importance of the Teacher, and what is Taught. A good, wise teacher will produce good students; evil teachers, well, obviously, will produce bad students.
 
(My Karate Kid themed birthday.)

As a Behavioral Therapist, I'm constantly looking for ways to teach my kids in natural and practical ways. As such, I really have an appreciation of Miyagi's methods (and a sneaking admiration of how they benefit himself as well as Daniel). The cool thing is there is actual logic behind his methods. By having Daniel go through repetitive motions, he's honing Daniel's reflexes and muscle memory. Very cool stuff!

The film's plot and script are solid. It's a solid film, and no wonder it was such a hit. I think perhaps the most surprising thing is how well the recent remake with Jackie Chan really captures the spirit of the original. But, I won't begrudge anyone for preferring the original. Now, excuse me, I need to go exercise to an 80's rock ballad.