Movie review: The Karate Kid (1984)

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A young high school boy moves from New Jersey to a new school in California, and runs afoul of unethically trained karate students. He befriends an Okinawan immigrant and learns karate, but will he be good enough to beat the best bad guy in the tournament?

It's been a long time since the last time I watched The Karate Kid. In fact, it was probably back in the 80s or early 90s. I'd forgotten how mired in the 80s it is, and how much teen perspective it has. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita are excellent as Daniel Larusso, the bullied teenage boy out of his element in a new school, and Mr. Miyagi, a humble immigrant who works as a handyman in Daniel's apartment building...yet somehow owns a large house and collection of classic cars. "Wax on, wax off" was a catchphrase for quite awhile after this movie came out.

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I watched The Karate Kid from the list of 100 Years, 100 Cheers, for my 3rd 101 Things in 1001 Days. Although, as I said, it's definitely an 80's movie, it's still a good one, with lessons about restraint, personal balance and ethics.