This review originally appeared on the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s “Roll Film” movie review site (http://www.biketraffic.org/content.php?id=219_0_6_0). Each film was also reviewed by my CBF colleague, Greg Borzo, who focused more on the bike content.
THE KARATE KID
3 1/2 Wheels
Seeing The Karate Kid for the first time in many years put me in a nostalgic mood. Not just for my own teen years of the mid-eighties, but also for the first movie we ever reviewed here at Roll Film, Breaking Away. The two films have a number of similarities, the most pointed being that they both successfully borrow from the Rocky formula, which has inspired many more bad films than good. Check out our review of Rad for a much drearier take on the theme.
While Breaking Away focused on a bike race and The Karate Kid focuses on, well, karate, both showcased likable and believable teens. Neither film disappointed when it came to the big competition. Breaking Away may have had more visual flair, but The Karate Kid was directed by John Avildsen, the same guy who helmed the original Rocky, and he still knows how to film an underdog with a heart-of-gold story.
What sets The Karate Kid apart is its pitch-perfect casting. It's not that the cast is comprised of the greatest actors. It's more that they absolutely embody their character types. Though in his early twenties at the time, Ralph Macchio plays Daniel LaRusso as a normal young teen we can all recognize and identify with. Elisabeth Shue simply IS the girl next door. Her wholesome cuteness is so natural that I found myself unable to suspend disbelief while watching her performance as a street hooker in the otherwise effective, Leaving Las Vegas. Even William Zabka nailed the obligatory bully role to such an extent that he spent most of his film career stealing lunch money.
Best of all is, of course, Pat Morita as janitor/karate master, Mr. Miyagi, Daniel's teacher, mentor and friend. He takes what could easily have been a by-the-book role and adds unexpected depth. It's hard to believe that this was his only recognized performance of note, but that may be the result of Hollywood's lack of meaty roles for Asian-American actors. It's because of Morita and his kind, but stern humor that we remember "wax on, wax off." What I had not remembered, however, was the very touching scene where a drunk Miyagi mourns his dead wife. Morita is the soul of this film and his Oscar nomination was well deserved.
Another thing I had forgotten about The Karate Kid is that it's a bicycle movie. In fact, prior to his karate training, Daniel's bicycle is his primary means to assert himself. It shows up right at the beginning as he and his mother unpack after their move from New Jersey to L.A. In addition to providing a degree of independent mobility, Daniel's bike allows him to flee from his karate-trained tormentors. More importantly, it's the bullies' damage to Daniel's bike that sets up the first bond between Miyagi and his protégé.
While The Karate Kid is best known today as an eighties nostalgia item, it deserves kudos for proving that even the most commercial of formulas can seem fresh if interesting characters and performances take center stage.
THE KARATE KID
3 1/2 Wheels
Seeing The Karate Kid for the first time in many years put me in a nostalgic mood. Not just for my own teen years of the mid-eighties, but also for the first movie we ever reviewed here at Roll Film, Breaking Away. The two films have a number of similarities, the most pointed being that they both successfully borrow from the Rocky formula, which has inspired many more bad films than good. Check out our review of Rad for a much drearier take on the theme.
While Breaking Away focused on a bike race and The Karate Kid focuses on, well, karate, both showcased likable and believable teens. Neither film disappointed when it came to the big competition. Breaking Away may have had more visual flair, but The Karate Kid was directed by John Avildsen, the same guy who helmed the original Rocky, and he still knows how to film an underdog with a heart-of-gold story.
What sets The Karate Kid apart is its pitch-perfect casting. It's not that the cast is comprised of the greatest actors. It's more that they absolutely embody their character types. Though in his early twenties at the time, Ralph Macchio plays Daniel LaRusso as a normal young teen we can all recognize and identify with. Elisabeth Shue simply IS the girl next door. Her wholesome cuteness is so natural that I found myself unable to suspend disbelief while watching her performance as a street hooker in the otherwise effective, Leaving Las Vegas. Even William Zabka nailed the obligatory bully role to such an extent that he spent most of his film career stealing lunch money.
Best of all is, of course, Pat Morita as janitor/karate master, Mr. Miyagi, Daniel's teacher, mentor and friend. He takes what could easily have been a by-the-book role and adds unexpected depth. It's hard to believe that this was his only recognized performance of note, but that may be the result of Hollywood's lack of meaty roles for Asian-American actors. It's because of Morita and his kind, but stern humor that we remember "wax on, wax off." What I had not remembered, however, was the very touching scene where a drunk Miyagi mourns his dead wife. Morita is the soul of this film and his Oscar nomination was well deserved.
Another thing I had forgotten about The Karate Kid is that it's a bicycle movie. In fact, prior to his karate training, Daniel's bicycle is his primary means to assert himself. It shows up right at the beginning as he and his mother unpack after their move from New Jersey to L.A. In addition to providing a degree of independent mobility, Daniel's bike allows him to flee from his karate-trained tormentors. More importantly, it's the bullies' damage to Daniel's bike that sets up the first bond between Miyagi and his protégé.
While The Karate Kid is best known today as an eighties nostalgia item, it deserves kudos for proving that even the most commercial of formulas can seem fresh if interesting characters and performances take center stage.
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