The Karate Kid (1984)
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A bullied teenager finds an unlikely mentor in an elderly handyman to learn the art of karate.
The story
After moving from New Jersey to Los Angeles, teenager Daniel LaRusso faces constant harassment from a group of bullies led by Johnny Lawrence. Following a brutal confrontation where Daniel is beaten, he seeks out the help of his apartment's handyman, Mr. Miyagi. The elderly Okinawan immigrant agrees to teach Daniel karate, not just for self-defense, but to prepare him for a high-stakes tournament. Under Miyagi's guidance, Daniel must master both the physical techniques of the martial art and the internal discipline required to face his tormentors in a public competition.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles and is bullied by Johnny Lawrence and the Cobra Kai dojo. After a violent encounter, Daniel's mentor, Mr. Miyagi, trains him in karate. Miyagi teaches Daniel that martial arts is about training the spirit as much as the body. The two agree to a truce where Daniel will compete in the Under 18 All-Valley Karate Championships. During training, Miyagi shares his history as a war veteran. At the tournament, Daniel faces off against Kreese's students. After being injured by a deliberate foul from Bobby Brown, Daniel uses a pain suppression technique to continue. In the final moments, Daniel utilizes a 'Crane' stance to defeat Johnny Lawrence. The film concludes with the two rivals showing mutual respect.
- First release year
- 1984
- Runtime (minutes)
- 127
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John G. Avildsen
- Writers
- Robert Mark Kamen · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ralph Macchio · Daniel LaRusso; Pat Morita · Mr. Miyagi; Elisabeth Shue · Ali Mills; William Zabka · Johnny Lawrence; Martin Kove · John Kreese; Randee Heller · Lucille LaRusso; Chad McQueen · Dutch; Ron Thomas · Bobby Brown
- Genres
- martial arts; drama
- Themes
- discipline; mentorship; self-defense; inner strength
- Tone and mood
- inspirational; sincere
- Premise and plot tags
- martial arts; coming-of-age; sports drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- The life of screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen and a real-life story of a student in Hawaii.
- Franchise connections
- The Karate Kid
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success and received positive reviews from critics, becoming a hit and a cultural staple.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 81% · scale: percentage · review count: 97; Metacritic · score: 61 · scale: 100 · review count: 16; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by a real-life story of a student in Hawaii.; The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2025.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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