The Karate Kid (1984)

A Japanese martial arts instructor agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager.

Director:

John G. Avildsen

Writer:

Robert Mark Kamen

Stars:

Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ralph Macchio	...	Daniel
Pat Morita	...	Miyagi (as Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita)
Elisabeth Shue	...	Ali
Martin Kove	...	Kreese
Randee Heller	...	Lucille
William Zabka	...	Johnny
Ron Thomas	...	Bobby
Rob Garrison	...	Tommy
Chad McQueen	...	Dutch
Tony O'Dell	...	Jimmy
Israel Juarbe	...	Freddy
William Bassett	...	Mr. Mills
Larry B. Scott	...	Jerry
Juli Fields	...	Susan
Dana Andersen	...	Barbara

Storyline

Daniel and his mother move from New Jersey to California. She has a wonderful new job, but Daniel quickly discovers that a dark haired Italian boy with a Jersey accent doesn't fit into the blond surfer crowd. Daniel manages to talk his way out of some fights, but he is finally cornered by several who belong to the same karate school. As Daniel is passing out from the beating he sees Miyagi, the elderly gardener leaps into the fray and save him by outfighting half a dozen teenagers. Miyagi and Daniel soon find out the real motivator behind the boys' violent attitude in the form of their karate teacher. Miyagi promises to teach Daniel karate and arranges a fight at the all-valley tournament some months off. When his training begins, Daniel doesn't understand what he is being shown. Miyagi seems more interested in having Daniel paint fences and wax cars than teaching him Karate.

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Plot Keywords:

karate | teenager | fight | paint | training | 

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Taglines:

Only the 'Old One' could teach him the secrets of the masters.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Family | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

22 June 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Karate Kid

Filming Locations:

5225 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,031,753, 24 June 1984

Gross USA:

$90,815,558

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Delphi II Productions, Jerry Weintraub Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are two actors in the film with 2 degrees of separation from Bruce Lee.

Pat E. Johnson, who plays the referee, was in Enter the Dragon (1973). Although he does not appear on screen with Lee, Johnson played a mobster who tries to rough up Roper.

Chad McQueen, who plays Dutch, is the son of Steve McQueen, who was a close friend of Lee and also one of the pall bearers at his funeral.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie, as Daniel is advancing through the tournament, the logo on the back of his robe appears on the card his name is on, even though they had no advanced knowledge of the logo. However, Mr. Miyagi (or even possibly Ali) could have brought a copy of it for the tournament staff to use.

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Quotes

Miyagi: We make sacred pact. I promise teach karate to you, you promise learn. I say, you do, no questions.

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Alternate Versions

AMC's airing of the film cuts out the scenes in which Johnny and friends talk to Ali and Daniel outside Golf N Stuff, and the scene in which Miyagi deals with the delinquents setting beer bottles on his car.

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Connections

Referenced in Dancing with the Stars: Round One: Results Show (2009)

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Soundtracks

Please Answer Me
Written by John Mark and Richard Fenton
Produced by John Ryan
Performed by Broken Edge
Courtesy of Polygram Records, Inc.

User Reviews

not just a teen movie

A lot of posts focus on the 'coming of age' aspect of this movie, but the very overlooked part is the role it played in helping to alleviate many of the stereotypes a very Asian phobic America was after WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

They make a point of showing Miyagi in a US Army Uniform--and a War Hero-- and makes references to detention camps Miyagi's family was sent to (a horribly dark period in American history)...where Miyagi's wife was being sent (pregnant) and where she and his unborn child (son) ultimately die during childbirth. There are also a few scenes in which ethnic slurs are used by rednecks toward Miyagi.

Taking this into light, and taking the fact that Daniel has no father that we know of in this movie, the name Daniel-san (sounds like Daniel-SON) helps demonstrate a father son bond that is overlooked. Much of the conversation between Daniel and Miyagi is about Miyagi's great father in Okinawa, because Miyagi has acquired all this knowledge and wants to share it. Daniel substitutes for the son Miyagi never had and Miyagi substitutes for the father Daniel doesn't have.