

The Karate Kid
New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
Audience Sentiment
The crane kick victory
Training begins with chores
The dramatic jump from the slow-paced chore training sequence to the iconic 'wax on, wax off' revelation that transforms mundane tasks into meaningful martial arts instruction
The Karate Kid follows a classic underdog arc with reviewers consistently praising Pat Morita's performance and the film's heartwarming father-son relationship. While some critics noted predictable elements and slower pacing in the middle section, the emotional depth and iconic moments like 'wax on, wax off' and the crane kick finale elevated the film into beloved classic territory.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 49
Ralph Macchio
Daniel LaRusso

Pat Morita
Mr. Miyagi

Elisabeth Shue
Ali Mills

William Zabka
Johnny Lawrence

Martin Kove
John Kreese
Randee Heller
Lucille LaRusso

Ron Thomas
Bobby

Rob Garrison
Tommy

Chad McQueen
Dutch

Tony O'Dell
Jimmy

Israel Juarbe
Freddy

William Bassett
Mr. Mills

Larry B. Scott
Jerry

Juli Fields
Susan

Dana Andersen
Barbara
Frank Burt Avalon
Chucky
Jeff Fishman
Billy
Ken Daly
Chris
Tom Fridley
Alan

Pat E. Johnson
Referee
Crew
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