It's a fine movie, part 2 as well. Part 3, not so much!
But why KK? There are certainly more deservant movies and franchises from the 80's!
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And also Fast Rewind is the definitive Karate Kid site online, only Ralph Macchio knows more about KK then we do, and he won't talk...primarily becasue he's moved on with his life and doesn't want to be solely defined by a chracter he played over 20 years ago. So lets leave Daniel San alone I wonder if, when he's cleaning his car, he remembers to wax on, wax off.
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Kash
Kash : Aha! He'll save every one of us...
Member # 297
posted
Sit Jay Lee San, listen story of Ka-ra-tay kid.
I always thought these movies were admirable in that they were about standing up for yourself but not at the expense of honour, using power with responsibility and restraint, avoiding the fight if you possibly can.
Karate Kid stands crane kick and shoulders above its sequels and the first twenty minutes are quite serious, albeit in as clichéd a manner as serious gets: for when Daniel declares "this school sucks" or dumps his bike in a tearful rage we're definitely in J.D. Salinger territory only with the added dimension of having Bananarama's 'Cruel Summer' exacerbate the...well, cruelty of that particular summer.
Daniel Larusso was a kid on the edge but with a little help from Mr Miyagi, comes back from the brink, beats the bullies, gets the girl and wins one for Jersey: Bada bing. Karate Kid had it all: humour, action, pathos, romance, an underdog story to rival 'Rocky' and some of the best music montages in 80s movie history.
Now a lot of people like the Cobra Kai, and though they've got a better costume & motto I'd rather not train with someone who may be a war criminal, Vietnam veteran John Kreese's chilling command to "sweep the leg" could've just as easily been "make it rain" (i.e. napalm) over Mai Lay. Nero's no hero.
0:51: when that Hawaiian or Malaysian dude from Miyagi's team wins the point; what a move!
1:07: the look on his face is priceless; always hated that guy, he was Johnny's sidekick. I would've got some cheap shots in; maybe a suckerpunch to the ribs or something.
1:26 Steve McQueen's boy gave Larusso a run for his money, ain't that a kick in the head.
2:12: Johnny owns Hawaiian guy.
2:35: WOOOOOOO
Karate Kid II was a bold, often entertaining, attempt to take the story in a new direction. Daniel & Mr Miyagi are in Okinawa, Japan where Mr M faces up to an old rivalry which brings the other guy's bad apple nephew into contention with Daniel San. One of the great things about the original was that you could easily re-create its iconic moments anywhere: "wax on, wax off", crane kick etc Karate Kid II's set pieces, however, were a little too complicated to re-enact: I mean where're you gonna find six sheets of ice to break? and though its possible to duplicate Daniel San's new move (reaction defence technique at Sato's Cannery) its awkward in that you'd have to get a skipping rope with a weight tied to it. throw it over a staircase and swing it at the wannabe or, if you’re the wannabe, prepare to dodge it.
It'll never work, just buy the toy damnit!
Never underestimate the power of Doogi-Doogi Drum.
Why did Ali leave Daniel anyway, did she get back with Johnny after seeing him beaten to a sorry *** pulp and then humiliated by his sensei, or was it Daniel San's spiritual enlightenment through karate which meant that he simply wasn't satisfied by vacuous cheerleaders anymore? I'm guessing she moved to N.Y. became an artist, met Tom Cruise in a bar and made out under a waterfall. Just a guess.
Daniel San is now with nice Japanese girl Kumiko, which raises a few eyebrows...But its OK, because Larusso's more Asian than the Asian guy, in fact, the Japs an uncle Tom or uncle Tam, whatever the equivalent of an uncle tom is in Okinawa: he's that.
Chozin's the type of guy that had he been around in World War II, would've given the Enola Gay coordinates to Hiroshima that's the kind of guy he is, the kind of guy who'd volunteer as kamikaze only to pull up at the last minute as his comrades got blown to bits. What an ****.
Is it Billy & Jimmy Lee from 80's arcade classic 'Double Dragon'? no its just Daniel and Chorizon.
Karate Kid III is mildly divertive but really pushing it in terms of what they have left to say: Daniel san and Mr Miyagi run a bonsai tree business (don't ask), Daniel's now with ginger actress Robin Livey (she used to party with Wesley Snipes you know) whilst Cobra Kai villain Creese teams up with flamboyant friend & millionaire martial arts entrepreneur Terry Silver, to enact a conspiracy of attrition against Larusso & Mr Miyagi.
Karate Kid has always featured memorable songs; You're the best around, Glory of Love and now... Glen Medeiros, yes that's 80s Greek heartthrob Glen Medeiros serenades young lovers with one of his ballads, is this really happening? Yes.
Thomas Ian Griffith (who some will remember as the master vampire in John Carpenter's 'Vampires') coerces Daniel back to defend his All Valley championship against 'karate's bad boy' (an angry squirrel of a contender played with aplomb by Sean Kanan). Larusso's initially duped into leaving Miyagi's karate style to train with Silver who forces our hero into a psychological & physically self-destructive regime. Daniel eventually realises his error, goes back to Miyagi and uses pure karate to win the day, scoring the biggest upset of his career and ending the franchise with a slow clap and minor injuries.
Since when did the All Valley Championships get taken over by the WWF? All that trash talk by Mike, Miyagi practically getting into the ring: do your job, ref!
posted
LOL.... funny read, kash! Yes, they are fine films (the 2 first ones). I was just wondering why they were singled out!
Posts: 1278 | From: Denmark,Europe | Registered: Dec 2007 | Site Updates: 3
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posted
In answer to the original post, Karate Kid gets its own forum because the REwind wasn't always an 80's movie site. Nick started up a Karate Kid fansite first and this eventually evolved into the rewind we know and love today.
Hope that answers the question.
Wax Noms, wax off Posts: 2517 | From: Living in oblivion. Third floor up. Nice views from the window.... | Registered: May 2004 | Site Updates: 4
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posted
Glad I read this cuz I was starting to wonder the same thing...Makes me wonder what's taking all "The Lost Boys" fansites so long to evolve into something like this???
Posts: 1802 | From: Planet Druidia | Registered: Jan 2009 | Site Updates: 3
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posted
I didn't even know there was an 80's site when I first joined this forum. I joined through The Karate Kid site and still enter through it.
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posted
Yes... NOMS-san speaks the truth... Karate Kid was my first web-tastic effort and this forum was the first forum...
-Many would say that it should also have been my last, looking at the colors.. But like Miyagi-san teach, I did not give up and tried for gold with the whole 80s site... Posts: 1026 | From: The '80s | Registered: Feb 2000 | Site Updates: 407
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oneyedwilly
The Dread Pirate Rewind....
Member # 8730
quote:Originally posted by JAY LEE: As the title says.....
It's a fine movie, part 2 as well. Part 3, not so much!
But why KK? There are certainly more deservant movies and franchises from the 80's!
Why KK? Heres my view.
Look what there was before KK for kids and teenagers. You had Bruce Lee and chuck Norris and to a degree Sho Kosugi but most of these movies carried an R rating and were unavailable for child and teenager viewing.
Children 10-16 go through bullying and i think many including me could relate to the problems Danial was facing (single parent family, only child, moving schools/towns, falling in love and being bullied.
People love the underdog story. This wasnt just another beat em up movie. It was more than that and it really was the first of its kind.
Look at all the arcade games created around the time this movie hit the screen (shinobe, karate Champ, Double Dragon).
This movie WILL always be a classic for anyone from the 80s whether you like it or not.
it had a huge impact on me and led me to watch Jean Claude Van Damme. It caused me to take up karate for 6 yrs too.
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posted
I can't believe you're asking this question.
Karate Kid is one of the defining movies of the 80's. It stands with classic movies like Back to the Future, Indiana Jones and others as a movie series that stands above all others in the decade. There are movies you watch once. There are movies you watch a couple times because they're decent. And then there are movies you watch over and over again, they are so timeless and special they never get old. This is such a movie. The Karate Kid is an absolute classic and I can only assume that by asking this question you must have been born after the 80's.
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