Adolescent angst + martial arts action + Buddhistic pacifism + Mr. Miyagi kickin’ ass = awesome movie.
Yeah, I know, Pat Morita can’t do those moves in real life. But who didn’t cheer like a maniac when the frail little old Japanese guy made short work of the gang pounding on Daniel at the back fence? Miyagi was Yoda before Yoda, man…
Are you just referring to the bouncing Yoda of Episode II or where did that conclusion come from? Colour me confused (as Karate Kid is from 1984 according to imdb).
On the subject of Karate Kid, the imdB quote page for that movie lists two exchanges, one between Daniel and Johnny, the other between Daniel and his mother, that I can’t for the life of me remember hearing or seeing despite having watched the movie at least a dozen times. They’re the two exchanges at the bottom of the quote page. Were these in some Special Anniversary Edition deal that I haven’t heard about?
What I found odd and amusing is that the Japanese title for the film is Best Kid. The distributors had a film with a Japanese word in the title, and they change it?
I loved The Karate Kid. It wasn’t until Karate Kid II that I knew how old Ralph Macchio was. He’s one of those people who will just never look like a bona fide grown-up!
As for Mr. Miyagi, hubby and I still quote him in day-to-day life occasionally. Ferinstance, if hubby is having a tough time solving a particularly difficult computer problem, I’ll say something like “You still haven’t fixed that?” and he’ll reply in his best Miyagi voice “not yet”. Just like Miyagi catching a fly with chopsticks.
The Karate Kid was just one of those awesome feel-good movies that played across generations and, in general, rocked.
Man, did I love this movie. I think I saw it in the theater about 4 times, I read the book back-to-back-to-back, I sparred with my friends at recess. I begged my mom to buy me a little tree that I could sculpt. (She never did. :()
And I was only 9 at the time, but I wanted to get a big ol’ yellow convertible as soon as I was old enough.
Happy
I had some fun with my son about five years ago, when he was taking karate. I popped in the video for him and messed with his head, saying stuff like, “How is Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel karate? He’s making him wax the cars!”
Then, the scene where Daniel loses it and Miyagi shows him what wax on/wax off sand the floor/paint the house actually means, Ivyboy got all excited, jumping up and down and screaming, “He’s teaching him blocks! He’s teaching him blocks!”
Oh, the joy of seeing a “classic” through the eyes of your children.
The Elizabeth Shue character was dismissed in the first two minutes or so of KKII (she doesn’t appear). I think Daniel casually mentions she is dating a football player.
You know, this is kind of funny because IIRC Daniel does use it again against his antagonist in KKII and it doesn’t work! So there must be SOME defense against in the movie world (or else Daniel is doing it wrong?).
I think he was simply doing it wrong, or at any rate not well enough to beat Chozen, who was obviously better than that Johnny dude in the first movie.