The Karate Kid
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John G. Avildsen
Written by	Robert Mark Kamen
Produced by	Jerry Weintraub
Starring	Ralph Macchio Noriyuki "Pat" Morita Elisabeth Shue
Cinematography	James Crabe
Edited by	John G. Avildsen Walt Mulconery Bud S. Smith
Music by	Bill Conti
Production companies	Delphi II Productions Jerry Weintraub Productions
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	June 22, 1984 (1984-06-22)
Running time	127 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$8 million[2]
Box office	$91 million[3]

The Karate Kid is a 1984 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the first installment in The Karate Kid franchise, and stars Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, and Elisabeth Shue.^[4][5] The Karate Kid follows Daniel LaRusso (Macchio), a teenager taught Gōjū-ryū karate by Mr. Miyagi (Morita) to help defend himself and compete in a tournament against his bullies, one of which is the ex-boyfriend of his love interest Ali Mills (Shue).

Kamen was approached by Columbia Pictures to compose a film similar to Avildsen's previous success Rocky (1976), after signing the director. Kamen drew inspiration from his own life when writing the film, as he took karate classes in New York City during his youth, and remodeled several characters after people he encountered in the dojo.^[6] As a result, he maintained strong opinions regarding cast, and petitioned heavily for Morita's inclusion.^[7]

Preparations for the film began immediately after the final edit of the script was complete, and casting took place between April and June 1983. Principal photography began in September 1983 in Los Angeles, and filming was complete by December 1983.

The Karate Kid was theatrically released in the United States on June 22, 1984. The film received universal acclaim from critics, many of whom praised the action sequences, writing, storyline, acting performances, and music. The film was also a commercial success, grossing over $91 million worldwide, making it among the highest grossing films of 1984.

The film is also notable for kickstarting the career of Macchio, as well as revitalizing the acting career of Morita, who was previously known mostly for comedic roles, and earned Morita a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.^[8] The Karate Kid subsequently launched a media franchise, and is credited for popularizing karate in the United States.^[9][10]

In September 1984, 16-year-old Daniel LaRusso moves with his mother Lucille to Reseda, Los Angeles, California from Newark, New Jersey. Their apartment's handyman is an eccentric but kindly and humble Okinawan immigrant named Mr. Miyagi.

Daniel befriends Ali Mills, an attractive high school cheerleader, which draws the attentions of her arrogant ex-boyfriend Johnny Lawrence, a skilled practitioner from the "Cobra Kai" dojo, where he studies an unethical and vicious form of karate. Johnny and his Cobra Kai gang continually torment Daniel, savagely beating him until Mr. Miyagi intervenes and single-handedly defeats the five attackers with ease. Amazed, Daniel asks Mr. Miyagi to teach him karate. Miyagi refuses, but agrees to bring Daniel to the Cobra Kai dojo to resolve the conflict. They meet with the sensei, John Kreese, an ex-Special Forces Vietnam veteran who callously dismisses the peace offering. Miyagi then proposes that Daniel enter the All-Valley Karate Championships, where he can compete with Johnny and the other Cobra Kai students on equal terms, and requests that the bullying cease while Daniel trains. Kreese agrees to the terms, but warns that if Daniel does not show up for the tournament, the harassment will continue on both Daniel and Miyagi.

Daniel's training starts with menial chores that he believes only makes him Miyagi's slave. When he becomes frustrated, Miyagi demonstrates that these actions have helped him to learn defensive blocks through muscle memory. Their bond develops and Miyagi opens up to Daniel about his life that includes the dual loss of his wife and son in childbirth at the Manzanar internment camp while he was serving with the 442nd Infantry Regiment during World War II in Europe, where he received the Medal of Honor. Through Mr. Miyagi's teaching, Daniel learns not only karate but also important life lessons such as the importance of personal balance, reflected in the principle that martial arts training is as much about training the spirit as the body. Daniel applies the life lessons that Miyagi has taught him to strengthen his relationship with Ali.

At the tournament, Daniel surprises everyone by reaching the semi-finals. Johnny advances to the finals, scoring three unanswered points against a highly skilled opponent. Kreese instructs Bobby Brown, one of his more compassionate students and the least vicious of Daniel's tormentors, to disable Daniel with an illegal attack to the knee. Bobby reluctantly does so, severely injuring Daniel and getting disqualified in the process. Daniel is taken to the locker room, with the physician determining that he can't continue, but Daniel believes that if he does not continue, his tormentors will have gotten the best of him. He convinces Miyagi to use a pain suppression technique to allow him to finish the tournament. As Johnny is about to be declared the winner by default, Daniel returns to fight. The match is a seesaw battle, as neither is able to break through the other's defenses.

The match is halted when Daniel uses a scissor leg technique to trip Johnny, deliver a blow to the back of the head and give Johnny a nose bleed. Kreese directs Johnny to sweep Daniel's injured leg, an unethical move. Johnny looks horrified at the order, but reluctantly agrees under Kreese's intimidation. As the match resumes, Johnny seizes Daniel's leg and delivers a vicious blow, doing further damage. Daniel, standing with difficulty, assumes the "Crane" stance, a technique he observed Mr. Miyagi performing on the beach. Johnny lunges toward Daniel, who jumps and delivers a front kick to Johnny's face, winning the tournament. Johnny, having gained newfound respect for his nemesis, presents it to Daniel himself, as Daniel is carried off by the enthusiastic crowd.

The production needed to obtain permission from DC Comics to use the Karate Kid title due to DC's existing ownership of the character, Karate Kid.^[11]

According to the special-edition DVD commentary, the studio originally wanted the role of Mr. Miyagi to be played by Toshiro Mifune, but writer Robert Mark Kamen was opposed to that casting choice feeling that Mifune's interpretation of the character lacked the warmth and humor that the role needed. Mako was also considered for the role of Mr. Miyagi, but was not available due to prior commitments to film Conan the Destroyer (1984), though he would eventually play a similar role in the film Sidekicks (1992). According to Randee Heller, two days after she was cast, Jerry Weintraub informed her that they intended to replace her with Valerie Harper. John G. Avildsen said that after seeing Harper's audition they decided not to replace Heller after all.^[12]

Filming began on October 31, 1983,^[13] and wrapped on December 16, 1983.^[14]

The musical score for The Karate Kid was composed by Bill Conti, a frequent collaborator of director John G. Avildsen since their initial pairing on Rocky (1976). The instrumental score was orchestrated by Jack Eskew and featured pan flute solos by Gheorge Zamfir. On March 12, 2007, Varèse Sarabande released all four Karate Kid scores in a 4-CD box set limited to 2,500 copies worldwide.^[15]

A soundtrack album was released in 1984 by Casablanca Records containing many of the contemporary songs featured in the film. Of particular note is Joe Esposito's "You're the Best", featured during the tournament montage near the end of the first film. Originally written for Rocky III (1982), "You're the Best" was rejected by Sylvester Stallone in favor of Survivor's hit song "Eye of the Tiger". Coincidentally, Survivor also performed the main theme ("The Moment of Truth" Music & Lyrics: Bill Conti, Dennis Lambert, Peter Beckett) for The Karate Kid.

Bananarama's 1984 hit song "Cruel Summer" also made its U.S. debut in The Karate Kid but was excluded from the film's soundtrack album. Other songs featured in the film but left off the album include "Please Answer Me" performed by Broken Edge and "The Ride" performed by The Matches.

Track listing for 1984 soundtrack

1. "The Moment of Truth" (Survivor)
2. "(Bop Bop) On the Beach" (The Flirts, Jan and Dean)
3. "No Shelter" (Broken Edge)
4. "Young Hearts" (Commuter)
5. "(It Takes) Two to Tango" (Paul Davis)
6. "Tough Love" (Shandi)
7. "Rhythm Man" (St. Regis)
8. "Feel the Night" (Baxter Robertson)
9. "Desire" (Gang of Four)
10. "You're the Best" (Joe Esposito)

The Karate Kid ranked #40 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.^[16]

The film received an approval rating of 88% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 43 reviews, its consensus reads: "Utterly predictable and wholly of its time, but warm, sincere, and difficult to resist, due in large part to Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio's relaxed chemistry."^[17]

On its release, Roger Ebert called the film one of the year's best, gave it four stars out of four, and described it as an "exciting, sweet-tempered, heart-warming story with one of the most interesting friendships in a long time."^[18] Janet Maslin of The New York Times also gave a positive review.^[19]

Upon release of the 2010 remake, Dana Stevens wrote,

"The 1984 original ... may have seemed like a standard-issue inspirational sports picture at the time, but (as with another box-office hit of the same year, The Terminator) a generation of remove reveals what a well-crafted movie it actually was. Rewatched today, the original Kid, directed by Rocky's John G. Avildsen, feels smart and fresh, with a wealth of small character details and a leisurely middle section that explores the boy's developing respect for his teacher."^[20]

The original 1984 film had three sequels, and it launched the career of Macchio, who would turn into a teen idol featured on the covers of magazines such as Tiger Beat. It revitalized the acting career of Morita, previously known mostly for his comedic role as Arnold on Happy Days, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Miyagi. Morita reprised his role in three subsequent sequels, while Macchio returned for two.^[23]

• The Karate Kid Part II (1986): A sequel in which Daniel accompanies Miyagi on a trip to Okinawa, where he is reunited with loved ones, and is challenged by an old adversary.
• The Karate Kid Part III (1989): A sequel in which Kreese seeks revenge on Daniel and Miyagi with the help of new allies.
• The Next Karate Kid (1994): A revamp sequel in which Hilary Swank appears as Miyagi's new student, Julie Pierce.
• The Karate Kid (2010): A remake of the original film set in Beijing which stars Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith.^[24]

• The Karate Kid (TV series) (1989): A short-lived animated series spin-off also called The Karate Kid aired on NBC.
• Cobra Kai (2018): A comedy-drama web television series which follows Daniel and Johnny rekindling their old rivalry after Johnny reopens the Cobra Kai dojo. The show was created by Kamen, and airs on YouTube Premium.^[25]

The film spawned a franchise of related items and memorabilia such as action figures, head bands, posters, T-shirts, and a video game. A novelization was made by B.B. Hiller and published in 1984. The novel had a scene that was in the rehearsal when Daniel encounters Johnny during school at lunch. Also at the end, there was a battle between Miyagi and Kreese in the parking lot after the tournament which was the original ending for the film and used as the beginning of The Karate Kid Part II.

The film has been credited for popularizing Karate in the United States.^[26][27]

The music video for the song "Sweep the Leg" by No More Kings stars William Zabka (who also directed the video) as a caricature of himself and features references to The Karate Kid, including cameo appearances by Zabka's former Karate Kid co-stars.^[28]

Kove and Zabka^[29] appeared on an episode of Tosh.0 as their original characters for "Board Breaker Web Redemption". The skit was inspired by a viral video made by Josh Plotkin, where he talked about accomplishing goals through believing in yourself. The skit spoofed the final fight of the movie. At the end of the skit, Daniel Tosh, dressed as Mr. Miyagi, honks Kove's nose, a reference to Mr. Miyagi's action in the scene at the beginning of The Karate Kid, Part II.

Macchio and Zabka made a guest appearance as themselves in the How I Met Your Mother episode "The Bro Mitzvah". In the episode, Macchio is invited to Barney Stinson's bachelor party, leading to Barney shouting that he hates Macchio and that Johnny was the real hero of The Karate Kid. Towards the end of the episode, a clown in the party wipes off his makeup and reveals himself as Zabka.^[30]

In 2015, toy company Funko released new The Karate Kid action figures as part of their ReAction line. The six-piece line saw two versions of Daniel Larusso, Johnny Lawrence, Mr. Miyagi, John Kreese and Ali Mills represented in three and a half inch action figure form. The toys were sold via retailers such as Target and Amazon.com.^[31] Additionally, Funko has released several The Karate Kid figures within its popular Funko Pop! line.

To celebrate the 35th Anniversary of The Karate Kid, Sony Pictures has fully restored the original 35mm negative film elements to be used for a limited theatrical re-release, along-side a new 4k UHD Blu-ray home media release on April 16, 2019. The home release will also include bonus materials including a new anniversary featurette containing new interviews from the original surviving cast, named “Remembering The Karate Kid”.^[32]

• List of martial arts films

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Karate Kid.

• The Karate Kid at IMDb
• The Karate Kid at the TCM Movie Database
• The Karate Kid at Box Office Mojo
• The Karate Kid at Rotten Tomatoes