| The Karate Kid (1984) Cast:Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Martin Kove, Elizabeth Shue, William Zabka,Chad McQueen Ralph Macchio stars as Daniel LaRusso, A teenager who learns karate from My Myiagi (Morita) after the boys in school pummel him on repeated occasions, however all is set on the line when Macchio trains for a tournament where, you guessed it the head bully is the champion and guess who wins? The Karate Kid is not bad as these teeny-bopper movies go, indeed despite it's formula roots, The Karate Kid works mainly due to the energy invested by the cast. The Karate Kid is considered a classic to many people, however despite the movie being fairly enjoyable the movie never quite becomes as gripping as say Rocky, this is because Macchio despite giving a good performance plays a character who often times sets himself up for the many beatings he takes throughout the film. Indeed the scene where he turns the shower on his nemesis (Well played by Zabka) deserves the beatdown he receives. Infact in High School, I would've beaten him up also for this. Maybe that's the point, who knows? However Morita provides a real likable character and is the supreme Asian master character that started the cliche in martial arts movies like this, the only reason this movie works is because of Morita, without him this would be just a cornball drama which would evoke strong dislike. However it's a likable effort and is a groundbreaking film, And because of this film a genre was born. D.John G. Avildsen*** |