The Karate Kid 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Karate Kid 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has once again released 'The Karate Kid' to the UHD format; the last standalone UHD disc was released in 2019. To differentiate this disc from that one, Sony has tinkered with the video to include Dolby Vision color grading and added a new collection of deleted scenes. At time of writing, this version is exclusively included in the three-film UHD collection. See below for more on this new disc, again exclusive to the boxed set.

The Karate Kid 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Just as it looked terrific for its 2019 HDR UHD, The Karate Kid looks marvelous under the new Dolby Vision specifications. The image here is a textural powerhouse, looking perfectly filmic and powerfully finessed, just as it did with the previous release. Viewers will appreciate the fine tuned cinematic grace on display, headlined by a beautifully even and natural grain structure. While there are some lower light spikes, much of the picture holds to a very fine grain presentation that commands the screen and yields an often breathtaking UHD image that sees the picture looking straight out of theaters. Details are optimized for effectiveness, revealing ultra-crisp and super-sharp definition to skin, clothes, and environments, obviously a far leap beyond any previous 1080p presentation and on par with the existing 2019 UHD. Viewers aren't going to notice a significant change between the two releases on the textural front; they both play well and look great.

The big (comparatively speaking) difference here is the Dolby Vision color grading. However, it's not a major transformative experience, either. The colors hold to a reasonable similarity with perhaps some better fine point fullness and tonal exactness, slightly superior whites, and mildly deeper blacks. This version is a bit brighter overall, too, so there is that, but both this and the HDR grading on the old disc offer perfectly good -- wonderful -- watching experiences. The Dolby Vision color grading allows for a scene-by-scene color grading for more precise color output under any given scene or situation whereas the old HDR grading is a one-pass grading. The resultant precision here yields more of a nuanced upgrade than a major overhaul; in this case there's not a serious reason to upgrade for this film alone but as part of the larger boxed set it's nice to have all three original films sharing the same specs.

The Karate Kid 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sony has included a Dolby Atmos soundtrack with this release. It's not radically altered from the previous release, if it is at all, and the review of that 2019 track suffices here:

The new Dolby Atmos soundtrack impresses from the outset with a sense of openness to the track's orchestral score heard as the family moves across the country from New Jersey to California. Surround integration is obvious, but not overwhelming, allowing the front to carry the perfectly attuned and highly detailed notes. The track opens up with a gently integrated overhead layer that helps fill the stage with the music and sounds of the Halloween dance in chapter six. Music doesn't have excess bass on offer, but the low end does add some necessary heft to some of the deeper notes, including when Miyagi heals Daniel's leg and allows him to return to fight in the finals in the film's closing minutes. Total crowd din clarity is not perfect in the tournament scenes, but the sense of immersion and the clarity of individual shouts and calls are fine. There is some prominent stage movement activity as the Cobra Kai motorcycles zoom off from the beach at the 15-minute mark while some discrete left-side sounds appear when Daniel first enters the Cobra Kai dojo in chapter four, which transitions, a little harshly but effectively, to the center. Well defined cross traffic in chapter seven, and several other such moments throughout the track, present with nicely and seamlessly activated front and surround movement. Dialogue is well prioritized and remains positioned in the front-center with a few naturally occurring exceptions. Spoken word clarity is excellent. Atmos doesn't reinvent this track, but it does reinforce its best and most active moments.

The Karate Kid 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For this UHD release of The Karate Kid, Sony has included a few new deleted scenes. The UHD disc also includes the legacy UHD extras from the 2019 disc. The bundled Blu-ray includes all of the legacy extras from the original Blu-ray. For full coverage of the carryover supplements, please click here (Blu-ray) and here (UHD). As it ships in the three-film collection, a digital copy code is included and the case ships with its own non-embossed slipcover.

UHD:

• Remembering The Karate Kid Featurette
• NEW! Deleted Scenes (1080p, 3:14 total runtime): Included are Accidents Happen, Watch Where You Sit, Disqualified, and Fight.
• Theatrical Trailer

• Blu-Pop
• Audio Commentary
• The Way of the Karate Kid, Part 1
• The Way of the Karate Kid, Part 2
• Beyond the Form
• East Meets West: A Composer's Notebook
• Life of Bonsai
• Previews

The Karate Kid 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is one of the quintessential 80s films and it has received another fine UHD release from Sony. The pictures are very similar with the big difference being slightly tweaked colors and brightness in this Dolby Vision variant. The audio tracks seem to be a wash. On the supplemental end, a few new deleted scenes are included. Highly recommended.