About The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid, directed by John G. Avildsen and released in 1984, is an iconic martial arts drama film. The story centers around Daniel LaRusso, a teenager taught Gōjū-ryū karate by Mr. Miyagi to help him defend against bullies from his school.

Making / Production

This film was produced by Jerry Weintraub for Columbia Pictures and shot in Los Angeles and South Seas Apartment. The film was directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen.

Actors

• Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso. Ralph played a high-schooler from Newark who becomes the target of bullies in his new Cali school.
• Pat Morita as Mr. Kesuke Miyagi. Morita played Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master.
• Elisabeth Shue as Ali Mills. Shue played Ali, the love interest of Daniel and a positive influence in his life.
• Martin Kove as John Kreese. Kove played Kreese, the aggressive and merciless sensei of the Cobra Kai dojo.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• Pat Morita was initially rejected for the role of Miyagi because producers felt that he was too comedic.
• "Wax on, wax off," one of the most famous quotes of the film, almost didn't make it into the script.
• The sequel was already being planned before the first movie was released.

Awards

The Karate Kid earned an Oscar nomination for Pat Morita for Best Supporting Actor along with a Golden Globe nomination.

Quotes

• "Wax on, wax off"- Mr. Miyagi
• "We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak"- John Kreese
• "You're the best...around!"- theme song lyrics

Music & Soundtrack

• The memorable soundtrack includes the hit songs "You're the Best" by Joe Esposito and "The Moment of Truth" by Survivor.
• Bill Conti composed the original score for the film, pairing a sense of the epic with the intimate human story, highlighted in tracks like "Daniel's Moment of Truth".
• The score was so indelible, it was used for all four films in the original Karate Kid series.