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Teenaged Daniel (Ralph Macchio) moves with his single mother from New Jersey to Los Angeles, where he’s immediately targeted by a gang of school bullies who practice karate together. After a few beatings, Macchio is taken under the wing of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), a kindly Okinawan maintenance man who agrees to teach him karate for self-defense. The Karate Kid then becomes an unlikely buddy movie between student and teacher, culminating in a climactic karate tournament that’s not just a showdown between Daniel and the lead bully (William Zabka), but also between differing life philosophies.
Director John G. Avildsen sticks close to the format of his Oscar-winning Rocky, but if The Karate Kid is a knock-off, it’s one made to almost the same high standards. Robert Mark Kamen’s screenplay centers squarely on the relationship between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi, which is a terrific one anchored by two great performances from Macchio and Morita. Their friendship relies on a lot of ‘show, don’t tell’ writing. Miyagi quiets Daniel’s rage by getting him to concentrate on trimming tiny boszai trees. And he builds his physical strength through a series of repetitive home improvement chores that test Daniel’s patience. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is in the heart and mind, not the fists — and that it’s only meant for self defense, never to attack. It’s a responsible message for the film’s young male target audience.
I’ve seen The Karate Kid several times over the last forty years, but my most recent viewing really hit home like never before. I was very moved by the Daniel/Miyagi friendship this time, especially when Daniel puts a drunk Miyagi to bed one night after learning it’s the anniversary of the death of Miyagi’s young pregnant wife. His wife made a beautiful scarf for the baby that Miyagi kept, and when it comes time to fashion a karate gi for the tournament, Miyagi sews the scarf onto the back of Daniel’s outfit. This symbolically makes Daniel the son Miyagi never had, in an elegant ‘show, don’t tell’ way that cuts through the perils of sentimentality. And it raises the dramatic stakes of the tournament by giving it another purpose — to make a surrogate father proud. (The film even ends on Miyagi’s face, not on Daniel’s triumph.)
While the characters are timeless, The Karate Kid is also an ’80s time capsule with regard to wardrobe and its soundtrack of catchy pop tunes. This may date the film for newer audiences, but only adds to the appeal for people who have grown up with this movie as I have. The notable supporting cast includes Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas, Adventures in Babysitting) in her breakout role as Daniel’s love interest, and Martin Kove (Death Race 2000) as the ruthless karate instructor who commands his ‘Cobra Kai’ students to win by any means, even at the cost of safety and honor. Rocky composer Bill Conti delivers a dynamic score featuring beautiful pan pipes in its subtler moments.
Oscar Nomination: Best Supporting Actor (Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita)