39 - "The Karate Kid" (1984)

     I talked about The Karate Kid in detail in an earlier blog post where I compared the original to the 2010 remake. So I won't go into too many details here, but please feel free to go back and find that previous blog if you want a more complete rundown. The Karate Kid is one of the jewels of 80's cinema in my opinion. It has a simple story that has been done numerous times in movies, but this is one of the ones that stands above the rest. It succeeds because we believe in the relationship that Daniel develops with Mr. Miyagi. The story does not move along at breakneck pace, director John G. Avildsen takes his time and lets the characters develop. We learn about them and they learn from each other. The Karate Kid will always be remembered for its action, especially the tournament scene at the end, but this movie excels in its slower parts. For instance, when you watch the movie again, or for the first time, pay close attention to the scene where Mr. Miyagi gets drunk when he is mourning his wife. Watch Daniel's reactions to seeing this side of his teacher that he didn't know existed. Nothing is said, but we can see Daniel becoming even more appreciative of Miyagi and what he means to him. When he puts his teacher to bed and walks out the room, he turns and bows. This is a brilliant, touching scene which a lesser movie would not have thought of to do. It's the scenes like that which separates The Karate Kid from other films of its kind. Because of that, it will always be a classic in my book.....It doesn't hurt that the tournament montage, with "You're The Best Around" playing, is way cool!!