Editor Reviews:

Description:
A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth in The Karate Kid. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) 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 the Cobras, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the Cobra leader's ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi (Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita), whom he learns is a master of the martial arts, to teach him karate. 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 Miyagi's guidance, Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale to this entertaining film.

Amazon.com:
John G. Avildsen not only directed Rocky, he tried remaking it over the years in a dozen different ways. One of them was this popular 1984 drama about a new kid (Ralph Macchio) in town targeted by karate-wielding bullies until he gets a new mentor: the handyman (Pat Morita) from his apartment building, who teaches him self-confidence and fighting skills. The screen partnership of Macchio's motor-mouth character and Morita's reserved father figure works well, and the script allows for the younger man to develop sympathy for the painful memories of his teacher. But the film's real engine, as with Rocky, is the fighting, and there's plenty of that. Elisabeth Shue is on board as the girl the klutzy Macchio dreams of winning. --Tom Keogh

Rating : - Great movie: don't listen to the commentary!
This is one of the definitive movies of the 80's and is a source of great memories for many people, don't ruin them by listening to the commentary track.

This is a review of the commentary track:

Like most DVD collectors, I am usually swayed by the insight of the director's commentary, but this one left me feeling sad.

Involved in the commentary is the director, a producer, Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and the screenwriter. The director provides very calm insightful memoirs when he is given the chance, but that is overshadowed by the belligerent (and senile) Pat Morita who thinks he is Mr. Miyagi.

Mr. Morita spends the whole movie bickering with the screenwriter over what was in the script and what he came up with on his own while filming. Basically trying to give credit to himself and Ralph Macchio for the whole production, which really shatters your image of Miyagi.

Ralph Macchio is caught in the middle of the arguements as the voice of reason trying to calm everyone down, as the rest of the crew looks to him like "The Golden Boy".

There are some interesting memories and fond rememberances by the crew, but it's really hard to move past the negativity on the track.

Luckily the special feature documentaries are heavily edited and avoid any of the ugliness of the commentary.

My advice is to enjoy the movie and don't turn on the commentary.