7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
Daniel LaRusso arrives in Los Angeles from the east coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However, he becomes the object of bullying by Cobra Kai, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali, the Cobra Kai leader's ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Mr. Miyagi, whom he learns is a master of the martial arts, to teach him karate. Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is a mastery over the self, mind, and body and that fighting is always the last answer to a problem. Under Mr. Miyagi's guidance, Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds.
Starring: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove, Randee HellerFamily | 100% |
Sport | 92% |
Martial arts | 55% |
Action | 54% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48 kHz, 16-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Not everything is as seem.
Combining two of the more prominent genres of the 1980s -- the coming-of-age teenage Drama
and the feel-good, inspirational, come-from-behind underdog story -- The Karate Kid has
become nothing short of a cinematic icon, and it's still as fun, moving, and meaningful now a
quarter-century after its release as it was back in 1984. It's one of a handful of pictures -- along
with movies like Dirty Dancing and
The Breakfast Club
-- that are not only readily associated with the decade but represent
much of what it stood for in terms of cinematic style and theme. What these movies, and
The Karate Kid in particular, lacked in suspense or originality, they more than made up
for in heart and spirit. While several elements of the Karate Kid -- "wax on, wax off;"
"sweep the
leg;" and bonsai trees -- have morphed into something akin to running gags, they're still as much
a cultural sensation now as they were back in the day, and the movie as a whole still works in
large part because there's so much
meaning, so many truisms,
so many life lessons tucked neatly behind the picture's admittedly clichéd and predictable story
line. Capturing the spirit of friendship, the importance of integrity, the value of hard work, and
the understanding that the effort is often worth more than the win, The Karate Kid
proves one of the more thematically relevant and emotionally satisfying movies of all time.
Float like a butterfly, sting like a crane kick.
Sony has done a marvelous job with this Blu-ray release of The Karate Kid. Retaining its original 1.85:1 framing and boasting a 1080p high definition picture quality, this is now the absolute finest the movie has ever looked for home viewing, and by a wide margin at that. It's certainly not The Young Victoria or Legion, two practically flawless and pristine fresh-from-theaters transfers from Sony, but The Karate Kid isn't meant to look that way, nor should it. It's a bit rough around the edges and noticeably grainy, but it reflects the picture's natural state, which is always what Blu-ray should strive for and Sony always seems to accomplish with their releases of both new and older films. Though there's some evident telecine wobble accompanying the opening titles, a slight bit of blocking and banding here and there, and several shots that appear noticeably softer and smudgier than others (coming mostly in medium- to long-distance establishing shots), this is otherwise a consistent and wonderfully crisp, handsome, an stable transfer of a film that's more than a quarter-century in age. Details are nicely rendered throughout; heavy sweaters, dents and scratches on school lockers, stitching in karate uniforms, and other objects throughout the picture enjoy boosted texturing and clarity thanks to the 1080p resolution. Colors -- notably some reds -- stick out as a bit unnaturally over-saturated, but flesh tones generally retain a neutral shade and blacks are consistently deep and dark, exhibiting only slight crush here and there. As noted above, The Karate Kid retains a rather heavy layer of grain; it gives the picture that somewhat rough feel employed by so many 80s movies, but the print is otherwise free of obtrusive speckles or debris. Simply put, The Karate Kid looks fantastic on Blu-ray; its few flaws and dated look are forgiven considering that this is the best the picture has ever looked in the home and it seems to stay true to the original, intended presentation.
Much like The Karate Kid's video transfer, its DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack isn't the pristine and seamless experience that so often accompanies pictures of a fresher vintage, but it suits the movie just fine nevertheless. The music throughout the film sounds too sharp at times, but it's generally crisp and clear, with a nice spread across the front part of the soundstage and a slight rear-channel support structure. The 80s songs -- "You're the Best" and "Cruel Summer" for instance -- in particular benefit from the lossless encode, sounding more refined and significantly smoother than on previous home video renditions. The rear speakers enjoy limited action, coming alive primarily for what is somewhat jumbled but ultimately effective support, whether in a bustling cafeteria scene in chapter three that nicely reproduces a chatty background din or the intense cheering of the crowd during the tournament scenes at the end of the movie. Directional effects are solid when called upon; bikes zip across the soundstage in a couple of scenes with a mostly seamless sense of space as the sound traverses the speakers. Unfortunately, dialogue can come across as somewhat mushy at times, but generally, there are no problems with clarity or discernment. Though not an engaging, full-fledged sonic extravaganza, The Karate Kid sounds great in context; it's not perfect, but considering the elements and the film's age, Sony has done yet another remarkable job with this fan-favorite and deserving catalogue release.
The Karate Kid contains a nice allotment of extra features. Blu-Pop, a new
feature from Sony debuting on both this disc and the accompanying release of The Karate Kid, Part
II, would seem to be just a fancy name for a pop-up, graphically-based trivia track, but
it also offers video interview clips with Actors Ralph Macchio and William Zabka. The actors make
this into a de facto mini video commentary track by injecting plenty of information into their
many
snippets. Users can skip directly to the text and video bubbles by pressing the "chapter skip"
button on the remote control. Also included is a traditional audio commentary track with Director
John G.
Avildsen, Writer Robert Mark Kamen, and Actors Pat Marita and Ralph Macchio. This is a fairly
jovial track; participants often speak on top of one another and intertwine technical talk with
more relaxed off-the-cuff material thrown in for good measure. There's a wide swath of info
discussed here; the Blu-Pop segments are more focused, but this proves a worthwhile track, too.
The Way of the Karate Kid: Part 1 (480i, 24:00) is a capable, interesting documentary
that features cast and crew speaking on the origins of the picture, the casting process and the
chemistry between the leads, shooting in the Valley, the elements of the plot, character traits,
the quality of the screenplay, the themes of the story, and the legacy of some of the memorable
lines from the film. The Way of the Karate Kid: Part 2 (480i, 21:25) continues on with
the same format as Part 1, this one examining the work of Director John G. Avildsen,
Morita's "drunken scene" and its effect on the feel of the picture, the movie's legacy, recollections
from the set and the bond between actors, shooting the karate tournament segment, the fight
choreography and the cast's training in karate, the crane kick finale, and the picture's thematic
purpose and lasting legacy. Next up is Beyond the Form (480i, 13:03), a piece that
looks at the
cast's training sessions for the film, the importance of physical and spiritual balance to the art of
karate, and the picture's impact on karate around the world, all with Martial Arts Master and
Choreographer Pat E. Johnson. East Meets West: A Composer's Notebook (480i, 8:17)
features Composer Bill Conti speaking on the many elements that comprise his music for the film
and the thought processes that allow him to choose the right music for every part of the movie.
Life of Bonsai (480i, 10:00) features Bonsai Master Ben Oki discussing the famed tree
that plays a prominent role in the film. Also included is BD-Live functionality and 1080p trailers
for Hachi: A Dog's Tale,
Extraordinary
Measures, Facing the Giants,
and The Water Horse: Legend of
the Deep.
The Karate Kid might not be a perfect movie in the traditional sense; it's certainly not The Godfather, but it's an exceptional picture in its own right and in the realm in which it operates. It's up there with the very best underdog/inspirational movies of all time, and the picture's finely-tuned script that's far deeper than the shallow, cliché-ridden, and utterly predictable material that superficially plays out through the 120-some minute runtime would seem to let on works in large part thanks to Pat Morita's Oscar-nominated performance which is, quite simply, one of the most seamless and, arguably, perfect performances ever to grace the screen. Like any good 80s movie worth its salt, The Karate Kid is also infinitely quotable, holds a high replay value, sports a wonderfully dated but still toe-tapping good-time of a soundtrack, and delivers a not-so-subtle series of life truisms underneath the the karate lessons and character traits. Nostalgic yes but still holding up today in every facet, The Karate Kid is classic cinema and a perfect glimpse into what a large chunk of 80s filmmaking was all about. Sony's done this gem in their catalogue proud; the technical presentation doesn't look or sound like a sparkling new release, but it's not supposed to. As it should be, it's a rather drastic upgrade from pervious releases and is probably the closest to the original look and sound that The Karate Kid is going to enjoy for some time. A high quality supplemental section rounds out a must-own package. The Karate Kid comes very highly recommended.
1984
35th Anniversary Edition
1984
Karate Kid Collection Version
1984
VHS Collectible Packaging
1984
1986
Choice Collection
1989
Choice Collection
1994
2010
2015
2006
2006
2003
2008
2015
2018
2000
2004
2005
2005
2002
2009
2016
30th Anniversary Edition
1989
35th Anniversary Limited Edition
1989