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The Karate Kid

1984

John G. Avildsen

Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, William Zabka ...

6.1

60,377

Drama Daniel Larusso and his mother move from New Jersy to California. She has a wonderful new job but Daniel discovers that a dark haired Italian boy with a Jersey accent doesn't fit into the blond surfer crowd, especially when he tries to date one of their girl friends. Daniel manages to talk his way out of some fights but is finally cornered by several who belong to the same karate school. As Daniel is passing out from the beating he sees ... [+]

	Author	Review
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"An exciting, sweet-tempered, heart-warming story with one of the most interesting friendships in a long time (...) It's one of 1984's best movies (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United Kingdom	Caroline Westbrook Empire	"While this may be as soppy and predictable as they come, it still reminds you why you used to enjoy '80s teen flicks so much in the first place (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Janet Maslin The New York Times	"The only sections of the film that really work are those concerning Daniel and his mentor (...) When karate is not being treated as the latest excuse for an 'Impossible Dream' success story (...) 'The Karate Kid' exhibits warmth and friendly, predictable humor, its greatest assets."	NEU
United States	Andre Dellamorte Collider	"A perfect example of this sort of film where a character comes up against adversity and triumphs through persistence. It’s a movie geared to make its audience stand up and cheer, and it works like gangbusters."	POS
United States	Eric Goldman IGN	"Look, it's definitely got its cheesy moments (...) But director John G. Avildsen can deliver an underdog story like no other, and the one in this movie works. Yes, it's predictable and cliche, but it's also easy to get involved in."	POS
United Kingdom	Time Out	"It borrows its formula from both East and West with good humour, and is completely free of intelligence, discrimination and originality. No wonder it was a hit."	NEU
United Kingdom	John Ferguson Radio Times	"Macchio rises above the trite script to deliver a sympathetic and believable performance (...) This is certainly the best in the series (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS

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