The Karate Kid (Special Edition)
by John G. Avildsen
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove, Pat Morita, Ralph Macchio, Randee HellerDirector: John G. Avildsen
Brand: Sony Pictures
Cinematographer: James Crabe
Editor: John G. Avildsen
Editor: Bud S. Smith
Producer: Bud S. Smith
Producer: Jerry Weintraub
Producer: R.J. Louis
Writer: Robert Mark Kamen
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown); Chinese (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Japanese (Original Language); French (Dubbed)
Format: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 126 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-06-07
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9781404973800
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Movie Reviews of The Karate Kid (Special Edition)
Movie Review: All Hail The Crane kick...
Summary: 5 Stars
All hail the Crane Kick, liberator of useless wimps over bullies, redeemer of lost causes, winner of Elisabeth Shue's heart.
The arms-raised-left-knee-arched-jump-kick-flashbulb-combo? at the climax of 'The Karate Kid' is one of cinema's sterling images, along with Arnie killing the Predator at the end of Predator, when optimus Prime dies and 1 hour, 12 mins, 37 secs into the Crying Game.
Strike the pose anywhere in the film-watching world and you'll get a laugh or nod of affirmation, the auto-acknowledgment triggered by a giddy memory of the underdog movie that has the tendency to be trivialised and dismissed. Never mind the film earned more than $90 million at the box office and was followed by three (shoddy) sequels, a video game and a Saturday-morning cartoon.
Maybe the uneasiness in fully embracing 'The Karate Kid' comes from the fact that it emerged in 1980s' synth-rock cheesiness, and its broad, bold outlines overshadow its quiet tenderness. Its over-the-top fight scenes and blatant emotional manipulation have a way of tricking your brain into thinking it was a trifle you enjoyed at the time but has no persevering significance. Pop it into the DVD player and the film will prove otherwise.
'The Karate Kid' channels an ancient power, its called nostalgia, with the resonance of a folk tale and the beauty of a daydream. It's inspirational without being condescending. Truthful but not heavy handed.
The story is of Daniel (Ralph Macchio), a weakling boy who is forced to move across the country with his mother, only to be bullied by a gang of karate thugs (Heil Sensie Kreese!). At rock bottom, Daniel finds himself and escapes a personal hell through the help of a supportive girlfriend, Ali (Elisabeth Shue) and a wise mentor, Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita). Daniel, referred to as "Daniel-san" by Miyagi, trains for a karate tournament in which he will face his cruel tormenter, Johnny (William Zabka), who also happens to be Ali's controlling ex.
For such a predictable story, 'The Karate Kid' yields surprises on repeat viewings. It raises the eyebrows to re-experience Miyagi's distant, rough-English wisdom, which rings true with a red-letter import. It gladdens the heart to treasure the film's unorthodox tendency to dally in small, quiet texture. And most invigorating is the acting, which is uniformly superb. Director John G. Avildsen ("Rocky") has a way of extracting naturalistic performances, fleshed out with tiny, significant details.
The sagely Morita is the standout, in the role that would define him, and the first American-born Asian to be nominated for a best-supporting actor Oscar.
Macchio, 22 at the time, is 'convincing' as a spindly 16-year-old, not only for his boyish looks, but also his studied demeanor, teeming with adolescent testoteroned uncertainty.
Both actors completely sold themselves into roles, at the price of being forever typecast, with the reward of crafting everlasting characters that become ingrained into society. If there's any doubt about what the parts continue to mean to Morita and Macchio, take a stroll to 8225 W. Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, Calif., where you'll find the restaurant Morita started, called Miyagi's. And look up Macchio's biography, where you'll see his son is named Daniel.
The father-son rapport between the Miyagi and Daniel is palpable, as Miyagi, the Okinawan handyman (or ex-Japanese POW)in Daniel's apartment complex, takes him under his wing. Johnny, jealous of Ali's romantic interest, bitch slaps Daniel daily. The boys' first fight, at a beach in front of Daniel's new friends, ends so badly that Daniel is mockingly named "The Karate Kid."
Miyagi rescues Daniel from a Halloween-night beating by Johnny's skeleton-suited Cobra Kais, and makes a deal with the bullies' brutish Sensei that the boys are not allowed to fight Daniel until he's finished training. Then commences Daniel's learning, which begins with the iconic 'wax on, wax HOFF' demands.
Daniel bristles at what appears to be busywork, as he waxes Miyagi's cars and paints his fences. Just as the boy is about to quit in frustration, Miyagi shows Daniel that the chores have been teaching him motor skills useful for karate blocks. Daniel wants to learn to punch, but that must come later.
First learn stand, then learn fly. Nature rule, Daniel-san, not mine.
Miyagi's lessons of balance, study and nonviolence are a harsh contrast to those of the Cobra Kai, in which students chant, "Strike first, strike hard, no mercy!" 'Heil Sensie Kreese!'
Daniel eventually finds that he must learn to fight so he doesn't have to fight. And that self-discipline and dedication are musts.
Daniel-san, must talk. Man walk on road. Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk down middle, sooner or later, get knocked down. Same here. You karate do yes or karate do no. You karate do guess so.
There's no doubt that this is a melodrama. There's a villain, a damsel and a hero, although often in this movie the hero is more of a damsel and the damsel more of a hero. By movie's end we're assured that Daniel-san's combat skills are superior to those of Johnny, but not at all that he could take firebrand Ali, who unlike her scrawny new boyfriend, never runs from the big bully, and even pops Johnny with a loud slap.
Looming is the crowd-pleasing showdown with Johnny. The story redeems its obviousness with the glowing message that it's insignificant whether Daniel wins the tournament. What matters is he's found the courage to enter the fray, and the drive to work hard and long enough to deserve to win. Daniel has learned to stand. The Crane Kick is just a bonus.
Summary of The Karate Kid (Special Edition)
Features include:
?MPAA Rating: PG
?Format: DVD
?Runtime: 126 minutes
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